Carpet - Heckmondwike

With social distancing in effect until further notice and, like many other institutions, schools must adapt to the ‘new normal’. Interior design within classrooms and workspaces need to change to allow improved hygiene and personal space. There is a lot of debate over how this will happen when schools fully reopen in September, but here’s what we predict will change.

Hygienic flooring

Although measures such as strict cleaning and distancing of furnishings are existing short-term solutions, long-term solutions are needed. The summer holidays are the perfect opportunity for schools to renovate their classrooms and workspaces. Studies suggest that Covid-19 does not linger for long on porous surfaces, like carpet, so many schools are likely to turn to this as the safest flooring solution.

Increased focus on student wellbeing

It’s been a tricky time for pupils, as they typically thrive in the classroom. Therefore, any space should be a place of creativity and inspiration. Carpet design can help create a perfect positive working environment. The carpet tiles in our Array range are available in 24 different colours, with bespoke designs available on request. So, pupils can be effortlessly motivated in their colourful surroundings.

One-way systems

Students will be directed throughout school and in classrooms with one-way systems. With increased footfall on the same path, the flooring must be high-quality and durable. Our Social Distancing Carpet Tiles remind pupils to follow the rules and help with wayfinding, making them a great solution. With laser engraved arrows, our range of bespoke tiles are especially useful for one-way systems and remind pupils and staff alike to keep a safe distance.

Focus on flexibility

The sooner schools are COVID-proof, the sooner pupils can return safely. Therefore, there is an increased focus around functionality, rather than cosmetic appearance. Flexibility is key, as spaces can become multi-purpose and adapted to suit different activities and varying pupil needs. All our carpet tiles can be easily lifted and moved, enabling schools to fully utilise classrooms and spaces to their highest ability.

Heckmondwike’s Social Distancing Carpet Tiles are now available to purchase, however, due to the current situation, we are unable to provide samples of the product. For more information or to purchase your carpet tiles, please call us directly on 01924 406 161 or email: sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.

With lockdown measures slowly starting to ease in the UK and businesses looking to reopen, the question of how to maintain safe social distancing measures is on everyone’s minds. The safety measures so far have helped prevent the further spread of Covid-19, and it’s imperative we continue to stick at it.

So, following the advice on Coronavirus from the UK government, at Heckmondwike, we have transformed our Supacord carpet tiles products into Social Distancing Carpet Tiles to encourage safe social distancing within schools, colleges, universities and commercial working environments as they gradually adapt to new practices, and here’s how.

Easy to set at 2-metre distances

Not only are our 50cm x 50cm tiles easy to set at 2m distances, but they can also be used anywhere throughout a building. Setting the tiles wherever you need will help to create certain walkways, nudging people in the right direction and providing a clear understanding of where they can walk and where they can stand, ensuring a safe distance is kept at all times.

Reduced risk of accidents

Some social distancing measures within schools or workplaces, such as loose lay mats, can cause more slips, trips and falls which may, in turn, result in failure to remain 2 metres apart from colleagues or classmates. Social distancing tiles are easy to fit and will decrease this risk.

Bright colours to increase awareness

For schools, in particular, the bright colours are a helpful way to remind young children where they should be walking or sitting. The Supacord range offers a range of different colours too, so you can have some fun with the design.

Our standard colours are steel grey, green and blue, but if required, you can also choose from 39 different shades of blue, red, orange and more.

Reinforce the message

By using our Fusion technology, we’re able to laser engrave arrows and safety symbols on the tiles, reinforcing the message to stay 2m apart from one another. The arrows also make it easy to know which direction to walk in and will avoid unwanted clashes.

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.

We have been working tirelessly this year to ensure your orders are delivered on time and that your carpet is of the quality you have come to expect!

With this in mind, our wonderful bosses have allowed us a few days off over Christmas, so we thought it best to let you know so you can ensure that your orders are placed on time.

The Sales Office will close at 12pm on Friday 22nd December 2017 and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2018. Please ensure all orders required before Christmas are placed by close of business on Friday 15th December 2017.

We have created a handy postcard for you to download, print and pin up in your office to remind other members of staff of our Christmas shutdown period.

Finally, from all at Heckmondwike FB, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Heckmondwike FB, one of the UK’s leading carpet manufacturers, has been shortlisted in trade magazine Tomorrow’s FM’s annual awards for its Supacord fibre bonded carpet range.

The national magazine, which is read by facilities managers across the UK, selects the top 50 companies that manufacture products and services that it feels are worthy of winning the prestigious ‘best product/service title’.

A full list of entries is released in a Guide produced by the magazine in January and readers are invited to vote online for who they believe deserves to win. Three winners then receive a trophy, which is presented in March.

Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, said: “We are really pleased to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. Our Supacord range is very well established and widely specified for education and commercial projects – what really makes it stand out is the 42 different colour choices within the range. We’re really excited to see the results of the online voting!”

Rebekah Thompson, Editor of Tomorrow’s FM magazine, said: “We’d like to congratulate Heckmondwike FB for being shortlisted. We reviewed hundreds of companies’ products and services and it was an easy decision to nominate Supacord. We wish them and all the other shortlisted companies all the best in the final voting stage.”

Used in classrooms for over 40 years, Supacord is considered the number one carpet solution for schools, colleges and universities. It has an A+ BREEAM rating, offers anti-static and anti-slip properties and a reduction in impact noise. Like all Heckmondwike FB’s products, Supacord can be cut on-site without the risk of fraying, allowing individual flooring designs to be created and installed with ease.

Heckmondwike FB carpet tiles are British-made and provide outstanding performance, as well as being backed by a 10 year limited wear warranty, which means they can be specified in complete confidence.

Supacord samples and shade cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or via Heckmondwike’s free online sample store.

Heckmondwike FB, one of the UK’s leading commercial fibre bonded carpet manufacturers, has strengthened its market presence with two significant new appointments.

Lincoln Chillman has been appointed to the role of Area Manager for West London, Tunbridge Wells, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset and Jason McKelvey has been promoted to the role of Works Manager, following 12 years as Quality Control Inspector.

Lincoln has been in the flooring industry for over 20 years which includes working in flooring wholesale, retail, contracting and manufacturing. His objective is to raise awareness of Heckmondwike FB floor finishes within the region in which he operates, building on the company’s reputation for excellence in fibre bonded carpet.

Jason aims to enhance quality and production efficiency, to further improve customer satisfaction. His role involves running the production and despatch on site for both Heckmondwike FB and Playrite, the company’s sports surfaces business.

Commercial Manager Jeremy Broadhead explains: “Lincoln and Jason have almost 35 years’ experience in the carpet industry between them. Their extensive experience and understanding of the flooring industry will help us to reinforce our offer to the market, backed up by industry leading quality, production and delivery.”

Heckmondwike FB has recently revealed its new company branding, a new brochure and a re-designed website. The company’s powerful new strapline – ‘Heckmondwike – Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’ – demonstrates its unique heritage, celebrating 50 years of fibre bonded carpet manufacture for the education, commercial and health sectors.

The company’s refreshed contemporary image reflects a new design-led approach, which is reflected in its new shade card suite and corporate marketing literature and collateral.

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.