When we think about school branding, the first things that come to mind are uniforms, events, and logos. But have you ever considered how something as simple as custom flooring can significantly boost a school’s brand image? Beyond its functional role, personalised carpet tiles and mats can be a powerful tool to reinforce a school’s identity, create a welcoming atmosphere, and foster a sense of community.

In this blog, we’ll explore how custom-designed carpets, featuring school logos, colours, and unique designs can elevate a school’s aesthetic while contributing to its overall identity.

Custom carpets offer an effective and subtle way to continually reinforce the school’s brand. A school’s logo and colours represent its brand, mission, and spirit. By incorporating these elements into the carpet design, the school solidifies its identity in every area where the carpet is placed, serving as a constant reminder of what the school stands for.

For new students, staff, and visitors, the visual cues provided through custom flooring serve as an immediate introduction to the school’s identity. These elements communicate the school’s values and personality, leaving a lasting impression. This ultimately strengthens brand recognition and creates a memorable image of the school, particularly in the minds of alumni.

Custom flooring is especially impactful in high-traffic areas like entrances. Incorporating logo entrance matting in the school’s doorway will essentially create the first point of interaction between the school and its visitors, making it an important step in its visual branding strategy.

Custom flooring can transform a school’s environment, making it feel more inviting and connected to its ethos. Personalised carpets establish a sense of ownership and pride among students, helping them feel more engaged in their school.

In large schools, it’s easy for different areas to feel disconnected. However, research indicates that consistent visual elements within a school environment can significantly enhance a student’s sense of belonging. For example, ‘The Power of Unity’ concept emphasises the importance of interconnectedness in educational settings, suggesting that fostering a unified environment contributes to a compassionate and cooperative school culture. These findings highlight the value of incorporating consistent visual design to create cohesive and welcoming spaces that reassure students of their place within the school community.

Consequently, being part of a unified school community nurtures student well-being, which spreads to staff, teachers, and visitors, uplifting the entire atmosphere of the school. This fuels school spirit and motivates students in ways that extend far beyond the classroom. It creates an environment where students don’t just attend school to learn; they come to be part of a meaningful, inclusive community.

• Durability: Mats are commonly used in high foot traffic areas meaning they must be able to withstand wear and tear from heavy use without showing signs of damage quickly. At Heckmondwike, our Bespoke Logo Mat is manufactured using the durable Diamond entrance carpet. It has a prominent, heavy contract, multi-directional texture, resulting in a highly durable surface, making it a popular choice for entrance transition areas in schools.

• Health and Safety: Carpets with non-slip properties are important in reducing accidents, especially in high-traffic areas like entrances, corridors, and stairs. Heckmondwike’s Loose Lay Mats offer the perfect entrance solution for schools. With rubber edging, the mats sit firmly and securely on an entrance surface, providing a benefit of safety while maintaining an aesthetic appeal.

• Noise Reduction: Custom carpet tiles can improve acoustics by reducing reverberation. Broadrib, Supacord, and Hobnail, available in Heckmondwike’s revolutionary logo carpet tiles, Fusion, are designed with enhanced impact noise reduction properties. These features make them the optimal choice for corridors. For more insights, check out our blog to explore the benefits of acoustic flooring.

• Improved Air Quality: Custom carpet tiles, especially those with dense fibres, like Supacord, can help trap dust, dirt, and allergens reducing the amount of dust circulating in the air, making the environment healthier, especially for children with allergies or respiratory conditions like asthma.

At Heckmondwike, our high-quality custom carpet tiles and mats are easy to clean and maintain. Regular cleaning of the tiles and mats ensures that they continue to support good air quality, helping to reduce allergens in the classroom.

Creating a custom logo mat isn’t just about putting a logo on a surface, it’s about crafting a symbol of identity that will stand the test of time. At Heckmondwike, every step in the manufacturing process is carefully executed to ensure that the final product isn’t just visually appealing, but durable, functional, and aligned with your school’s vision.

Here is a short step by step detailing how each Bespoke Logo Mat is crafted:

• A digital design of the logo is created
• The fibres, polypropylene and recycled polyester, are pre-constructed into a base mat through the needle-punching method
• The logo design is transferred onto the mat and precisely cut from the mat fibres using laser cut technology
• The individual pieces of the logo are carefully positioned on the mat’s surface and glued to the mat’s fibres
• The rubber waffle backing is then applied to the reverse side of the mat to provide structural support and slip resistance
• Any excess material is trimmed, and the edges of the mat are sealed

To watch a demonstration of how Heckmondwike manufactures Bespoke Logo Mats, click here

Custom flooring goes beyond functionality; it’s an investment in fostering a strong, cohesive school culture. By seamlessly integrating a school’s identity into its very foundation, custom carpets not only enhance brand recognition but also create a positive, welcoming atmosphere for students, staff, and visitors.

In addition to branding, custom carpets offer practical benefits like durability, noise reduction, improved air quality and increased safety. These elements come together to create a cohesive space that benefits everyone.

Made from 85% polypropylene and 15% recycled polyester, with a waffle backing, Heckmondwike’s Bespoke Logo Mats are designed to add a personalised touch to any school.

Visit the product page to view full specifications and order your sample today!

Classroom health has always been a significant concern for both teachers and parents, but in recent years, there’s been an increased focus on refining air quality and reducing allergens in schools. With growing awareness about environmental and health issues, there’s an increasing emphasis on creating healthier environments overall, not just in medical practices but also in everyday spaces like classrooms.

For example, it has been found that blue inhalers have a harmful environmental impact due to their hydrofluorocarbon propellants, which are potent greenhouse gases. The NHS estimates that blue inhalers account for 3pc of their carbon footprint. With doctors being advised to reduce inhaler use because of their environmental impact, there is a growing need for preventative measures to minimise asthma triggers that lead to asthma attacks at school in the first place. By focusing on improving air quality using hypoallergenic materials, and reducing allergens like dust mites and mould, schools can essentially adopt a proactive approach to reduce students’ dependency on inhalers.

Ultimately, the shift away from certain inhalers, due to their environmental impact, reinforces the growing urgency to improve the quality of indoor air in schools. It’s about creating spaces where asthma triggers are minimised, thus reducing the need for medication and improving overall student health.

To effectively reduce allergens and create a healthier classroom environment, it’s essential to first identify the primary asthma triggers commonly found in schools. Understanding these triggers will help guide the actions needed to minimise their presence, ensuring a safer, more comfortable space for all students.

So, what are the main asthma triggers to watch out for in schools?

• Dust mites: These microscopic creatures thrive in warm, humid environments and are commonly found in carpets, soft furnishings, and bedding
• Mould: Mould can grow in damp areas like bathrooms, leaky ceilings, and around windows
• Pollen: Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds can enter the classroom through open windows and doors
• Animal dander: Pets can bring dander (skin flakes) into the classroom on students’ clothing
• Chalk dust: Chalk dust can irritate the airways and trigger asthma symptoms
• Cleaning products: Strong-smelling cleaning products can also trigger asthma
• Pests: Cockroach and rodent droppings can be significant asthma triggers

Taking proactive steps to reduce allergens is essential for creating a healthier environment for both students and staff. While it may seem challenging, there are a variety of simple, effective measures you can take to decrease common asthma triggers. These actions can significantly improve air quality and help reduce asthma-related symptoms in your classroom.

• Regular cleaning: Frequent dusting, vacuuming, and wet mopping can help reduce dust mites, mould, and other allergens
• Air filters: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can remove allergens from the air
• Ventilation: Good ventilation can help reduce moisture and prevent mould growth. Open windows when possible or use a ventilation system
• Hypoallergenic materials: Choose hypoallergenic curtains, tablecloths and any other classroom fabrics
• Pest control: Implement a pest management plan to prevent infestations
• Consider carpet tiles: While some may associate carpets with allergens, recent studies suggest carpeted floors reduce PM10
• Alternative writing materials: Use whiteboards or markers instead of chalk
• Safe cleaning products: Choose fragrance-free and non-toxic cleaning products

A common misconception is that carpeted flooring exacerbates indoor allergens and reduces air quality. In reality, carpets can actually improve air quality by acting as a natural air filter by trapping dust, allergens, and other particulate matter. For example, as people walk across carpeted surfaces, dust and airborne particles are drawn down into the fibres, where they become trapped rather than floating freely in the air. By capturing these particles, carpets can significantly improve indoor air quality and help create a healthier environment, especially in spaces with high foot traffic, like classrooms.

Furthermore, carpets continue to trap particles until they are cleaned, meaning they can act as a long-term filtration system for indoor environments. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies, as it reduces their exposure to common irritants that would otherwise circulate in the air. As a result, carpet tiles offer several benefits over hard flooring, particularly in environments like classrooms.

Additionally, recent studies have shown that carpeted floors can actually help reduce PM10, inhalable particles that are 10 micrometres or smaller, including dust, pollen, and mould spores, in classrooms. For example, the University of Surrey found that hardwood floors had twice as much PM10 pollution in the air than carpeted classrooms. Therefore, while carpets may trap some allergens, they can also help to reduce the overall level of PM10 in the air, improving overall air quality and making the environment healthier for students and staff, especially those with allergies or asthma.

Frequent cleaning helps eliminate particles like dust mites, pollen, and other irritants that accumulate in the carpet, which can otherwise contribute to poor air quality and trigger allergic reactions. In fact, properly maintained carpets are more effective at keeping allergens contained compared to hard flooring, where dust and particles can easily become airborne and contribute to poor air quality. It’s also important to note that fragrance-free and non-toxic cleaning products should be used when maintaining carpets, as these are less likely to release harmful chemicals into the air, ensuring a healthier environment for both students and staff.

Nevertheless , staying on top of maintenance can be challenging, particularly in large educational intuitions. Investing in low-maintenance solutions can help ease the burden by reducing the frequency and effort required for upkeep. Supacord, known for its low-maintenance and easy-to-clean properties, features a design with fewer fibre surfaces for dirt and debris to cling to, helping to maintain a cleaner and healthier learning environment with minimal effort.

Carpet Cleaning Has Additional Benefits

While regular carpet cleaning is necessary to reduce allergens in schools, it is also an invaluable and simple way to save your school money in the long run by extending the lifespan of your carpets and reducing the need for frequent replacements. To learn more about the best practices for maintaining your carpets and maximising their longevity, check out our guide to carpet maintenance.

Overall, carpets, when properly maintained, offer significant advantages in creating a healthier and more comfortable environment, especially in classrooms. By trapping allergens and dust, they help improve air quality and reduce the risk of respiratory issues, making them an ideal choice for educational spaces. To ensure that your carpets continue to work for you, regular cleaning and maintenance are essential. If you’re looking to create a cleaner, healthier classroom environment, consider investing in high-quality, low-maintenance carpet options like Supacord.

Ready to make the change? Contact us today to learn more about our carpet solutions and how they can improve the air quality in your school.