It’s that time of year again when teachers are ready for a well-deserved break and are counting down the days until the Easter holidays hit.
While many teachers might pop into school during the holidays to get ahead, studies have shown that students actually benefit from a teacher who has taken the time to relax and is more refreshed. And, it might not be the only thing students benefit from when refreshed.
The Easter holidays are a great time for the decor in schools, colleges and universities to be revived – especially the carpet. Taking the time to update the carpet in classrooms and communal areas can have a positive impact on both students and staff when they return for the new term as it can exercise their creativity.
It’s also a great opportunity to give the place a brand new look and feel – to breathe some life back into a room.
However, there is more to think about when choosing your new carpet than how it looks. In the education sector, almost all carpets need to be heavy contract rated to withstand the heavy footfall and general wear and tear.
Fibre bonded carpets are an excellent option as they tend to be anti-ravel, anti-fray and anti-static – making them ideal for schools and colleges using computers. They also help to absorb sound so can reduce noise and create a more relaxed atmosphere – another positive in learning environments.
Alongside this, many fibre-bonded carpets provide a cost-effective flooring solution not only at the point of purchase but throughout its life cycle. With its heavy-duty nature, the carpet will not have to be replaced as often, with many products providing a 10-year guarantee when used with advised cleaning a maintenance procedure – providing a large potential saving to the end-user.
Heckmondwike’s Supacord range still stands as a firm favourite for fibre bonded carpets within the education sector. It is a tried and trusted commercial carpet solution and is a smart choice for schools, colleges and universities in particular due to its durability and robust manufacture.
At Heckmondwike, we have over 50 years’ experience in providing a wide range of fibre bonded carpets and have a variety of colours and patterns available. So, if you’re looking to rejuvenate your school, college or university this Easter half term, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
You can contact your local area manager here, call us directly on 01924 410 544 or email us: sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
With so many options available, choosing the right flooring can be a very difficult decision. Here at Heckmondwike FB, we have over 50 years’ experience in providing a wide range of bonded carpets and carpet tiles to the education sector as well as commercial offices and apartment complexes.
Over the last few years, hard surface floors, such as luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) have become more of a trend, and as much as we agree that there are benefits to hardwood floors, we’ve put together a list of reasons to fall in love with carpet all over again.
Quiet
Not only does carpet eliminate the sound of footsteps walking across the floor, it stops other sounds carrying as far which will make for a much quieter and more relaxed space. This is because hard floors can’t absorb sound like carpets can, so noise bounces around the walls a lot more.
Safety
It goes without saying that softer flooring is safer for a number of reasons. If something is spilt on the carpet, it’s unlikely you’ll slip and injure yourself like you would on a hard floor. Plus, carpet provides a much softer landing if you were to fall for any reason.
You’re also much less likely to break things if you drop them onto a carpet, so again, you’ll save money by not having to replace broken items!
Comfort
Standing on a hard floor for a long period of time can actually take its toll on your body, sometimes resulting in foot, leg and lower back pain. So, when deciding on commercial flooring in particular (where you may need to stand for work), carpets or carpet tiles are a much better option.
Warmth
Unlike hardwood flooring, carpet provides excellent insulation, which means your space will stay warmer for longer. As a result, the costs associated with heating your space will reduce and you’ll see huge savings at the end of the year.
Cost
Contrary to popular belief, carpets tend to be more cost-effective than hard surface floors. Unlike hardwood floors, carpets don’t require any special preparation and can be used on almost any subfloors.
For more information on our range of carpets for a variety of sectors, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 01924 410 544 or send us an email – sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
There’s nothing worse than having to work in a cold office or live in student accommodation or a residential care home when the floorcovering doesn’t offer that all important thermal performance – especially at this time of year! Carpet has been proven to offer exceptional thermal performance, but why is this? Basically, if a floorcovering has good insulation properties it will reduce the rate of heat being lost and so make the room feel warmer.
With hard surfaces, such as timber or tile, heat will be lost through the floor quite rapidly. Other materials, such as marble or concrete, are very dense and so require a lot of energy to pass into them to warm up. Carpet, on the other hand has a much lower density, because most of the volume is occupied by air. It, therefore, warms up very quickly to the temperature of your skin, at which point it prevents further heat loss and feels warm.
There have been many trends in floorcoverings for offices, schools and student accommodation over the years, where vinyl and hard floorcoverings have been tried, with mixed results. Some interior designers have specified these floorcoverings because they like the aesthetics but the reality is that living with them day in, day out can be quite a different experience.
Research has shown that many people like the comfort underfoot of a carpet, particularly for an area where they sleep and relax. It is little wonder that carpet is so widely specified for care homes and sheltered accommodation. Older people and those who are less mobile feel the cold more than others and as around 15% of a building’s heat is lost through the floor; it is, therefore, very important that this heat is conserved.
Recently, our tufted carpet Total Care was specified for a development of retirement apartments in Solihull. The company responsible for maintenance of the complex consulted with residents about which floorcoverings they would like. Our tufted carpet was chosen as it offers comfort, durability and is extremely hardwearing. For residential care homes in particular it is important that the floorcovering chosen keeps service users safe and is comfortable, as well as creating that ‘home from home’ feel. It should also meet the 2010 Equality Act, so residents can easily move and be moved around the premises.
At this time of year, temperatures can be below or just above freezing for a large amount of time. Where high quality tufted or fibre bonded carpet is fitted this means that occupants have greater peace of mind that thermal performance is maximised in their building. It also provides a higher degree of comfort, whilst helping to save energy.
Why carpets are a good option – now and forever!
You may have noticed that we’ve recently rebranded our company, with a new logo and strapline – ‘Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’. The reason we did this was to reinforce messages around our history, longevity and commitment to manufacturing fibre bonded carpet, here in the UK.
The branding exercise has also given us the opportunity to review our marketing messages and to ensure that we are clearly communicating to flooring contractors the benefits of fibre bonded carpet.With so many different flooring options out there, we think there’s a great opportunity to look at why carpet has stood the test of time and why it continues to be one of the UK’s most popular flooring choices.
History of floor coverings
As far back as 6000 BC there is evidence of goats and sheep being sheared for wool and hair and it being spun and woven into a material that was used for a number of purposes, including as clothing and as a floor covering. Dating from around 1480 BC the ancient Egyptians used handlooms to make rugs. In 1000 AD Marco Polo confirmed rug making was taking place in the Middle Eastern countries that he passed through.
In the Industrial Revolution in England, textile inventions were introduced by Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton which included weaving wool for many purposes, including soft flooring.
Over the years, there have been many developments in man-made fibres, loom widths and machine efficiencies bringing carpet within reach of the mass market.
Fast forward to the modern era and carpet is still as popular as ever in the UK for use in many different applications. Carpet design continues to be influenced by social and economic factors and fashion. Some of the most important reasons that contractors and specifiers choose carpet are for its thermal and acoustic performance. This has led to fibre bonded carpet being specified widely in public buildings, student accommodation, retail outlets, sheltered housing and offices. People like the soft, comfortable feel underfoot, which cannot be rivalled by any other floor covering. Carpet also has benefits in terms of reducing slips, trips and falls. Many of our entrance carpets enable grit and moisture to be removed from footwear, so it doesn’t cause damage to internal floor coverings and lowers the risk of accidents to visitors or occupants.
Design trends
There will always be popular trends in floor coverings and carpet is extremely versatile in being able to ‘move with the times’. For example, the planked look is being widely specified for both public and private sector buildings, including offices and student accommodation. Also, there is a trend for plain carpet that is intermingled with subtle elements of colour, as seen in our Array range.
Even though carpet manufacture has been around for thousands of years, it keeps on evolving. Recent innovations include, for example, the introduction of machines that enable bespoke logos and designs to be integrated within a carpet. Many schools, as well as private and public buildings are specifying this type of carpet to enhance and reinforce their branding in their entrance areas.
It’s worth considering why carpet is still one of the most popular floor coverings for so many different applications. Whilst more competitively-priced materials may deliver short term gains, there are few that can match a carpet’s aesthetics, comfort, acoustics and thermal performance.
Healthcare represents a particularly demanding sector of the market for manufacturers as carpets suitable for care homes, hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and sheltered housing must be resilient and easy to clean. The cleaning aspect is critical in care homes and sheltered housing settings, where elderly or infirm residents are particularly vulnerable to infections. But can care home carpets really be hard-wearing, low-maintenance and attractive? We think they can.
Safety first
The very first word when it comes to flooring in a care environment must be ‘safety’. Our go to ranges for the healthcare sector are our Pure Care and Total Care carpets, which are manufactured to meet all relevant flammability tests and offer antistatic properties, making them a great choice for residential care homes and sheltered housing.
Some floor coverings can become slippery when moisture enters a building on people’s shoes or via wheelchairs or other walking aids. It is important to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls by selecting the right entrance product; our entrance and transition area carpets and carpet tile products like Vanquisher and Hippo are extremely robust and ideally suited to high usage areas.
Hard-wearing
Longevity is undeniably an important consideration when it comes to any carpet, but especially so in a busy care facility, where it must be able to withstand heavy footfall and the inevitable wear and tear that comes with the demands of the environment.
The answer is the Pure Care and Total Care ranges from Heckmondwike FB. Both types of carpet are ideally suited to care environments, whether that be in communal areas, corridors or bedrooms. Their impervious backing makes them highly resistant to staining and bleach and they are extremely durable and super hard-wearing.
Low-maintenance
It’s important to remember that if not properly maintained, all carpets, no matter how hard-wearing, can quickly become damaged and lose both their performance and aesthetic qualities. It’s particularly important from a maintenance perspective to choose the right carpet product for entrance areas. Vanquisher, with its alternative rib and velour surface pattern, is an ideal entrance and transitional area carpet that also offers thermal and acoustic properties, is low maintenance and protects internal carpets from outside soiling and moisture.
Our range of specialist entrance tiles and mats are extremely versatile and robust, they act as interceptors for dirt and grit and protect internal flooring from wear and tear and ultimately, from damage. Our mats can also feature bespoke logos and designs for care homes and healthcare environments that are DDA approved. Available in 20 different colour options and in bespoke sizes, our versatile entrance tiles and mats look the part and help to maintain the aesthetic appeal of your interior carpets for longer.
Attractive
An aesthetically pleasing, well-designed and maintained environment can have a positive impact on the mental well-being of both residents and staff. With a comprehensive choice of eight colours in the Pure Care and Total Care ranges, there’s something to suit every healthcare and sheltered housing requirement.
Aesthetics also has an important role to play in caring for people with dementia who may have difficulty with everyday tasks and activities. Dementia presents the designers of care homes with many challenges and floor design is particularly important in creating zoning and colour coding to provide visual prompts to assist those experiencing cognitive decline.
All our carpets are made to the quality standards our customers have come to expect from Heckmondwike FB over the last 50 years. The Pure Care and Total Care ranges also come in four metre widths, making these carpets very easy to fit with low installation costs.
Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, looks at current trends in flooring for offices.
“I’ve always found it fascinating to look back over old photographs of offices dating back to the 60s, 70s and 80s, just to marvel at how interior design has evolved over the years to what we have now. In the 1960s, office design often featured endless rows of desks often arranged in a grid-like pattern, with little personality or individuality. Cubicles and partitioned spaces were popular during the 1960s, right through to the 1980s. Colours were flamboyant and reflected the fashion trends towards bright oranges, yellows and greens, which translated through to the choice of carpet too. This love of colour had its heyday in the 1970s office, with lots of experimentation going on in terms of design, with furniture introduced for its style, rather than function. Partitioning and storage solutions also really started to have more prominence.
In 1980s and 90s, technology really started to shape office design. Computers started to creep in, making desk space cramped. Employees were housed often in small, individual cubicles, surrounded by partitions that weren’t exactly great for allowing communication, interaction or sharing of ideas. Fast forward to the office of today and office design is all about minimalism and allowing for use of technology and mobile working. Hot desking is becoming more popular and the rise of e-commerce means that shift work is becoming more common and therefore, ‘clean desk’ policies need to be observed.
In more traditional office environments, the trend is towards making offices more homely. As more and more people are given the option to work from home, due to technological advances, office designers are encouraging people to work back in the office, by tempting them with innovative designs with that all-important individuality and comfort factor. Modern office design is about engaging employees, by appealing to their senses. Workers are constantly searching for a better work environment, so the idea is that if you give it to them in the workplace, they’re more likely to settle and less likely to move.
Bringing the outdoors indoors continues to be a trend. Office designers are using more exposed brick and slate for walls and floral fabrics are becoming more popular. An office, overall, must be functional but also modern offices incorporate breakout areas, which are calming environments where workers can relax and feel happy, generating a positive feel about their workplace.
Welcome the planks!
Bright, vivid colours are increasingly being used and planks are becoming popular in carpet. This replicates the minimalist wooden floor look, without the acoustics of timber flooring or the risk of slips and trips, creating the popular minimalistic linear effect. Textures inspired by carpet are being used in fabric wallcoverings too, with, in some contemporary office buildings, fabric type floorcoverings being used on both wall and floor surfaces and reflecting these colour choices in soft furnishings too.
Strong primary colours are being used, although in small quantities, in the more high-tech businesses to reflect modern lifestyles. Often these bright, daring colours, such as Heckmondwike’s Array Fuchsia, are used in breakout spaces and meeting rooms. Colour continues to be used in the workplace to customise the flooring to dedicated areas, rather than use of barriers or partitions. This allows for better communications between teams and helps to improve working relationships.
These are exciting times for office flooring and never has there been a more comprehensive and aesthetically appealing range of options.”
Sample cards for Heckmondwike FB’s Creative range are available on request by calling +44 [0] 1924 413637 or by using our e-sample service.
If you are over forty, the phrase “student accommodation” will probably conjure up a whole host of mental images. If you then add the word “carpet” to “student accommodation”, you will most likely think of words like: “durable” and “hard-wearing”. Fast forward to the world of educational facilities management in 2017, and the potential damage from high footfall and high jinks, is only part of the story for the facilities manager at a university or college, or business manager or owner of student accommodation.
With the end of the academic year looming, many universities and colleges are planning to refurbish or replace their student accommodation flooring. So what five things characterise the perfect carpet for student accommodation, be it halls of residence, house or flat share, a room in a private house or private rental?
It must be durable
Yes, durability is at number one. Longevity is undeniably the most important consideration when it comes to carpet, especially carpet in student accommodation, which must be able to withstand heavy footfall and the inevitable wear and tear that comes with student life. Our Supacord carpet has a robust, tight rib structure, plus anti-slip properties which makes it ideal for student accommodation; it provides a durable and stylish flooring solution for bedrooms, corridors and communal areas.
It must have wide appeal
Universities have been affected by some funding issues, influenced by the wider economic climate. This has led educational establishments to develop creative, budget-enhancing initiatives, including the rental of student halls of residence during the winter, spring, and summer holiday periods. Conference delegates and tourists pay to stay in student accommodation during holiday periods; so interiors, including carpets, must have a wide visual appeal, alongside the durability required for term-time activities.Our Array carpet tiles are available in a broad range of muted colourways that blend well with contrasting colour options from the Broadrib range. Both ranges are the perfect choice for areas that need to look great, whilst offering that essential long-term performance.
It must help to keep the peace
In the acoustic sense at least! A carpet that minimises the chance of sound reverberation is surely a must in busy, student accommodation. Our Array carpet is designed specifically for educational applications, and includes an acoustic layer to help keep noise transmission low; absolutely essential in student accommodation!
It must support sustainability goals
Most universities have a green manifesto and aim to embed sustainability and social responsibility into all of their processes. Our products are all proudly made in Yorkshire, with the fibres also sourced locally, lowering our carbon footprint significantly. Our fibre bonded carpet, with its thermal properties, helps to keep the costs of energy bills down in student accommodation. Our Supacord carpet tiles include thermal properties to conserve heat, helping to keep accommodation warm in the cooler months and provide comfort underfoot. This is also great for student rental agreements that have the heating costs included.
Maintenance must not be difficult or expensive
Different types of accommodation will have differing levels of traffic and will require specific performance qualities from a carpet. Entrance and communal areas in halls of residence for example, will have significant footfall and require harder-wearing carpet, like that in our Hippo range.
If due consideration is given to the required performance of your carpet at the outset, maintenance become a piece of cake. There is however no escaping regular cleaning in educational buildings and always remember, if not maintained, carpets can become damaged and lose both its performance and aesthetic qualities quickly.
Durability is important when it comes to selecting the right carpet for student accommodation, but don’t overlook aesthetic, acoustic, sustainability and maintenance considerations; your perfect carpet is waiting for you.
All our carpets are made with the quality our customers have come to expect from us over the last 100 years. They are antistatic, anti-slip, won’t fray and are proudly British made.