Teachers, students and all those working in the education sector are counting down the days until the Easter holidays in April, with the chance to get some well-deserved time off and to start planning for the next term.

However, within the education industry, Easter can be the perfect time to think about what needs freshening up in classrooms and communal areas.

For example, there will be many teachers across the country who will be popping into their classrooms to tidy up displays, re-arrange furniture and give their classroom a new lease of life, so that the students have something different to engage with when they return from the holidays.

However, would it not be much better if the classroom, school, college or university had a complete refresh from top to bottom?

With many in the education sector receiving at least two weeks holiday, Easter is the ideal time to think about larger-scale changes to small or large areas of an education facility, that only take a couple of weeks to carry out.

One such area is the carpet.

A new carpet can breathe life into any room, particularly if it is mixed and matched with the colour scheme of a classroom, or the educational facility as a whole.

However, there is much more to think about than how the carpet looks. In most situations, it needs to be a heavy-contract carpet, and ideally, fibre bonded, with such carpets delivering anti-ravel, anti-fray performance, alongside providing reductions in noise and the durability to manage hundreds, if not thousands, of students even day.

With tens of thousands square meters being purchased for the education sector every year, Supacord is the smart choice for schools, colleges and universities, a tried and trusted commercial carpet solution that is perfect for any requirement.

To discover more about having Supacord installed for Easter, contact your local area manager here.

Read more about Supacord for the education industry.

As one of the UK’s leading commercial carpet and carpet tile companies, Heckmondwike FB has a long history of producing and manufacturing products in the UK – a legacy that continues to the present day.

All of Heckmondwike FB’s commercial carpets and carpet tiles are made in Britain, at the company’s facility in Liversedge, West Yorkshire.

This includes Heckmondwike FB’s most widely recognised and specified product, Supacord – perfect for the education section, with over 40 years delivering results in schools, colleges and universities across the country.

Primarily, the company manufactures products for stock throughout the year to successfully manage customer demand and to ensure supply is guaranteed in short delivery windows.

This is of particular benefit in the lead up to the peak summer months when carpet and carpet tiles are required for fit-outs in the education industry.

Alongside its manufacturing and production processes, as a company that is proud of its British manufacturing heritage, Heckmondwike FB strives to work closely with UK based suppliers throughout its supply chain, where possible.

Due to the UK’s current political situation (at the time of publishing), the company has been asked how changes in the political climate will impact supply to customers.

Although one of the main certainties of Brexit is in its uncertainty, the company would like to inform its customers, whether they are end-users, specifiers, architects/developers or flooring contractors, that Heckmondwike FB envisages no significant issues over the coming months when it comes to supplying products to UK-based customers.

If you would like to find out more about what the company is doing to ensure orders are completed or to answer any questions, please contact your local area manager, a list of which can be found here.

To order a sample card visit: https://heckmondwike-fb.co.uk/request-sample-cards/.

Heckmondwike, one of the UK’s leading fibre bonded carpet and carpet tile manufacturers, has launched a new RIBA approved Continual Professional Development (CPD) seminar for specifiers, architects and other construction professionals.

The CPD seminar, ‘what to consider when specifying fibre bonded carpets’, is included on RIBA’s core curriculum under Design, Construction and Technology, with a General Awareness knowledge level. It will provide participants with the necessary information and essential regulatory requirements for correctly specifying and installing fibre bonded contract flooring.

Each session will cover the key factors that should be taken into consideration when specifying the right commercial carpet for a specific environment. This includes how fibre bonded carpets meet contract flooring requirements, the differences between sheet products, carpet tiles and carpet planks and their installation and maintenance.

In addition, participants will also gain a better understanding of the manufacturing processes, how to identify whether a fibre bonded product is fit for purpose, and how floorcoverings can meet health, safety and environmental standards.

Bob Mortimer, National Sales Manager for Heckmondwike, said: “Our new CPD seminar is designed to help construction professionals gain an even better understanding of fibre bonded floorcoverings. In addition, it will showcase how this type of carpet offers performance and aesthetic benefits for a wide range of commercial and education settings. We’re confident that the sessions will be of great value to everyone that attends.”

Heckmondwike products are made in the UK 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.

Heckmondwike’s Fibre Bonded carpets are renowned for their durability, but also for their low maintenance properties and the fact that they will not ravel or fray, which is ideal for high-traffic areas.

If your company or practice wishes to book a lunchtime presentation of Heckmondwike’s new CPD seminar, call +44 [0] 1924 410544 (Option 6) or email marketing@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk. Booking, and further information, is also available via the RIBA CPD website.

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.