Q&A Sept/Oct 2008 – A Flooring Discussion
Flooring is the one component of school facilities that is unavoidable — everyone comes in contact with it.
Materials can greatly impact the overall aesthetic of school facilities and maintenance and operational requirements. Three flooring experts at leading flooring companies discussed the topic with School Construction News: Casey Johnson, national sales manager at Frobo; John Gayhart, Southwest regional sales manager at Mondo; and Kent Clauson, general manager of marketing at Armstrong.
Q: How does the School flooring market look right now?
Casey Johnson (CJ): For Forbo it’s been very good. It’s been very strong so far this summer.
John Gayhart (JG): It’s been our busiest summer and we’re trying to take advantage of it. With the economy, we’re not sure what 2009 and 2010 are going to bring, but everything right now for the education market is very good.
Kent Clauson (KC): The education construction market continues to grow. This year, a record number of students applied for college — the baby boomers’ babies — and that number will continue to climb. Colleges have never been more competitive, and that includes everything from offering the finest amenities to using the best architecture and design.
Q: Are there any specific areas of the market or regions that are bringing a lot of business?
CJ: Most regions are doing some form of school construction and we certainly benefited from bond issues and the freeing of some funds. We’ve been strong across the United States.
JG: For us it’s been really isolated to the South and Southwest. The Midwest, Northeast and Southeast probably are not as fruitful right now as the South and Southwest.
KC: We’re seeing a lot of activity in the Southeast, Northeast and South-west. Hurricane damage in the Southeast means more rebuilding; growing populations and aging structures in the Northeast contribute to the growth there and the Southwest is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the country.
Q: Are your projects mostly K-12 or higher education?
JG: The regions that I just spoke of are mostly K-12. I would say higher education is pretty consistent nationwide. With K-12, the South and Southwest tend to be a little bit stronger.
CJ: We seem to be doing well with K-12, but we’ve seen an uptick in our higher education market. It seems like universities are starting to part with some funds.
KC: Right now, mostly K-12. Vinyl tile (VCT) is the largest product category. It still dominates K-12 because of the economics.
Q: Are you seeing more new installations or renovations projects?
JG: I see a very healthy mix of both. I estimate that it’s around 60 percent new construction and 40 percent renovation. I think that’s the number that’s really going to shift during the next three years as some of the bond money gets pooled. I think the new construction may dwindle down a hair. In order to compensate, they’re going to have to renovate schools or add onto schools in order to make up for that.
CJ: I agree with the percentages that John said and we have seen a shift toward the remodeling of schools.
KC: We see a combination. Money may not be available to rebuild an entire school, but the trend toward more sustainable environments is making people want to renovate if possible.
Q: What kind of products are clients looking for; are there any specific types of flooring?
CJ: We’ve been blessed with the introduction of a new product called MCT, which is marmoleum composition tile. MCT has given our customers a certified sustainable tile option that is guaranteed to install at $2.75 to $3.45 per square foot. We’ve seen a great uptick this summer with that product because of the K-12 and dormitory market.
JG: For us, it continues to be rubber flooring for the commercial applications within the school — not just the athletic facility application. We only do rubber flooring and we have a couple of different products that come in sheets and rolls.
Our clients often select our products after changing their mindset to get away from some of the more typical products for these applications. Schools want to use our product because they are looking for more sustainability or less maintenance. It’s not a product change for us; it’s more of a mindset change for our clients.
KC: It is application-driven, depending on the space and considering a variety of attributes, from function and price to sustainability. The floor covering should be suitable for new and renovated education spaces, and patterns and colors must work with each other and with education finishes. Floors must be economical, durable and easy to maintain.
Customers are interested in everything from VCT to specialized products such as slip-resistance products for locker rooms or static dissipated floors for computer labs. They are looking at alternatives for carpet such as resilient and wood surfaces because these are easier to maintain, more durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Q: Sustainability is a huge issue for the market. Are most of your clients seeking environmentally friendly products now?
CJ: The key drivers in any market are performance- and maintenance- related. It is also very important to have a strong sustainable product and message, but first and foremost we’re selling to our customers that we meet their performance and longevity criteria. There is a very strong tie to sustainability and I think it’s been helped along greatly by the adoption of the LEED for Schools program.
JG: I agree with Casey. With projects that come up on the radar for us, it seems like they’re introduced to us more often as sustainability and environmental factors. The performance comes a little bit second as far as requests for us because I think it’s assumed that because of our experience within K-12 that the performance is there.
KC: The definition of environmental differs from end user to end user. We have a range of products, all of which have environmental attributes, at varying price points to fit the objectives of any project. Customers are interested in these products but they have to fit the budget. Ultimately, the product that the customer chooses will depend on their needs.
Q: What are some of the environmentally friendly aspects of your products?
JG: For us, it’s the natural aspects of rubber, the fact that it’s a rapidly renewable material, and the fact that you can choose several different options to maintain it. You can put a finish or a wax on the flooring, some sort of conditioner, or you can choose to put nothing on it and you’re going to get the same performance and long-term integrity.
There are a lot of different criteria when looking at sustainability, or the LEED certification program, that we’re able to contribute toward. The biggest factors are the rapidly renewable resource, the low maintenance and the indoor air quality.
CJ: One of the things that we try to bring to the market is a strong educational program toward sustainability, especially as it relates to taking a look at lifecycle assessment and the importance of the transparency of the information. Companies will often hinge everything toward recycled content or indoor air quality. It should be balanced across all relevant environmental impact categories.
Our product is predominantly agriculturally based and we also use rapidly renewable content.
Our products also come from post-industrial recycled content.
Indoor air quality is important and we meet all national requirements, including the most stringent, which is set forth by California’s Collaborative for High Performance Schools program.
KC: Armstrong has a variety of green flooring products, which include linoleum, BBT, LVT, commercial hardwood, sheet, VCT and specialty flooring — all of which contribute to qualifying for LEED credits. In addition, our line of commercial floor adhesives contributes to LEED credit EQ 4.1 for low- emitting adhesives.
We take into account not only the characteristics of each product, but also its entire life cycle — from the sourcing and transport of its materials, through manufacturing, packaging and distribution, to application and its eventual recycling or disposal.
Armstrong also is the first hard surface company to use EcoScorecard, a customized program that allows clients to search for green products and evaluate their sustainable attributes through a range of programs, including LEED.
Q: Are there any common misconceptions or considerations that are overlooked when you are talking to clients or school administrators that are looking into new flooring?
JG: With rubber flooring, there’s a bit of a misconception with aesthetics. Rubber flooring is one of the oldest flooring products around, but for the first 30 or 40 years, people knew rubber flooring as black mats or raised circular studs — something you’d see in an elevator, stair landing or a bus.
There is also a misconception about the total cost of ownership. It’s considered a more expensive product overall, but it’s quite the opposite. It is much more less expensive than a lot of other products, but that total cost of ownership actually turns into something that’s far less expensive than a lot of the other products once you go 15 to 20 years — all of our products are built to last for that long — without another replacement.
CJ: I agree with John. Linoleum has been around for 150 years and everybody has a fond or not fond memory of it. Most memories are tied to black and brown and battleship linoleum. Realistically, there is a very pleasing aesthetic and the ability to create a product that has legendary durability that that meets a school’s desired design, performance and maintenance.
With the introduction of MCT, the product is available at a very attainable price. When you’re looking at a return on investment, you’re generally looking at anywhere from a four- to nine-month return on investment over traditional choices used in school.
KC: There are many misconceptions around environmental attributes. Schools need to demand documentation from manufacturers on any claim they are making. There is a lot of greenwashing in the market right now.
There are also misconceptions that there are products that require no maintenance, which is not true. Maintenance is affected by the traffic. While there are no “no maintenance products,” there are plenty of lower maintenance flooring solutions.
Q: Do renovation projects pose more additional challenges than a new construction project?
JG: There are pros and cons to both, but at the end of the day, one is not better than the other.
Q: What is the best way for a facility operator to approach a renovation project that only includes flooring and a few other areas of the facility?
CJ: In a lot of cases, you’re not going to involve an architect in those selections unless you get into major reconstruction.
School districts go to the market differently, but I think that they start to rely on manufacturers and getting a hold of manufacturers so that they can evaluate all available products and see which products meet their needs.
JG: I agree with that approach and I would probably take it one step further. Within the given school district, I would place heavy importance — if they’re doing it themselves without an architect — to really find the manufacturer and flooring contractor team that has done several school projects and knows exactly what it’s doing.
At a point, that becomes more important than the actual product that they’re choosing. School projects are very volatile because you have to meet your timeline because the kids are coming to school on a certain day. If you have a team that is not fully prepared for what they’re supposed to do, then you’re risking a very bad situation if that timeline is not hit.
CJ: That is true. You need the eyes and ears of a trained installation professional or a trained shop. They need to be realistic with the timeframe and a multitude of issues, ranging from possible asbestos abatement to moisture problems, and different things along those lines that a trained professional or the installer can bring to the process.
Q: New flooring is sometimes installed over existing flooring at schools. Is that a good approach?
CJ: I think most products can be installed over a single layer of non-cushioned existing flooring and you see a lot of schools turning to that to reduce costs. But you still have to follow all the flooring guidelines that are put forth by the different manufacturers as they relate to moisture testing and finishes. It is part of a decision-making process that involves the flooring manufacturer, the end user and installer.
JG: I think that there are some cases where you can go with a new product over an old product and it’s going to be a long-term answer and you’re going to get the same 20-year lifespan. However, more often, anytime you look at putting a new product on top of an old product, you’re going to make the decision based on it being a short-term solution or a Band-aid. They’re going go with that option because of time constraints or budget constraints.
I think that in most scenarios if you want to get a 20-year floor then you need to start from scratch and pull up an existing floor. There are plenty of exceptions but I think that it’s more common that when you install new flooring over old flooring, you have a short-term answer.
KC: It depends on the condition of the existing floor. If the floor is in good shape and you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, then it’s a good approach. If you have an uneven surface or cracked tiles, you may need to consider taking up the existing floor and installing right over the sub floor.
Q: What else is on the horizon for the flooring market?
JG: There is bond money and new construction money that is available over the next three years for us, but what is ahead in five years is still an unknown. It may decrease and it may remain the same.
No matter what happens to new construction funds, I believe that the maintenance and operations funds will decrease. Because of that, it now takes a wiser investment with new construction or renovation funds because schools are not going to have the maintenance and operations funds available to keep up with some products. They’re going to have to put their money in other places and invest in products that are lower maintenance.