Besides investing in unique toys that encourage little ones to learn and decorating the classrooms with fun colours and shapes, a good daycare centre also needs to have the optimal flooring solution. Since parents entrust their children to the facility, and the children’s health and safety are of utmost importance, there are several factors to consider when choosing the surface on which little ones will spend their time running, playing and learning.
Given the fact that young children’s bodies are prone to injury and are especially drawn to motions and actions which can be dangerous for them, the environment that surrounds them has to be as safe as possible. Similarly, when they learn to control their bodies, their inborn clumsiness leads to numerous incidents. Children’s flooring should also be sanitary and simple to preserve and maintain. A sufficient level of comfort is also required, such as a cushioned flooring or enough “bounce back”. Finally, the flooring should have a design that excites and inspires kids rather than one that leaves them bored.
Until recently, carpets were a choice for many daycare centres because of their softness and protection from falling. However, it’s been proven that they might not be the best option due to numerous reasons. Their biggest flaw is that they’re not moisture-resistant. What often happens is any spilled liquid quickly gets absorbed into the carpet and the padding underneath and leads to mould or other bacteria growth. Carpets are prone to visible stains which are terrible both health-wise and aesthetically. Sure, there are carpet cleaning services, but it’s much easier to prevent those things from happening with the right flooring option rather than dealing with it later and paying extra.
Nowadays, a popular choice for many daycare centres and educational institutions is vinyl flooring. Featuring tons of benefits such as being very easy to clean and minimizing impact, vinyl is proven to be a highly practical option for daycare flooring.
Safe and Reliable
An optimal daycare flooring is a kind that reduces the severity of fall injuries, which are a primary hazard in educational facilities for young children. When exposed to moisture, such as rain or while cleaning, most kinds of hardwood floors turn slippery. Luckily, that problem is eliminated with vinyl floors. Besides being slip-resistant, vinyl floors often have a padded base which minimizes the risk of damage by sudden impact, making them perfect for the little ones who are just learning to walk and run.
Low Maintenance and Easy to Clean
When it comes to choosing floors for your daycare, you want something that is easy to clean, resistant to most bacteria and allergens, and will give children plenty of cushioning as they play. Vinyl checks all the boxes. It’s easy to clean, you can mop it, vacuum it, or wipe it with a wet rag. You just need to make sure it’s swept regularly. Vinyl flooring is designed to resist staining and limits most bacteria and allergens. Besides that, vinyl floors also repel daily wear. It is tough enough to stand up to heavy use. Vinyl is also virtually indestructible. It’s immune to fire, water, mould, and mildew. It also doesn’t tend to fade easily when exposed to sunlight. Being mostly indestructible and resistant to various elements makes vinyl floors inexpensive to maintain.
Good Acoustics
The sound absorption properties of vinyl make it ideal for learning spaces for little ones. Vinyl flooring absorbs sound well, so background noise is reduced, enabling kids to hear the teacher better. The reduction in noise also helps kids to be able to concentrate and is especially useful during noisy times, such as when the kids are playing.
Durability
You can be certain that the vinyl floors you select for your kindergarten or school will remain to look as nice as it does right after placement for many years to follow. In a daycare classroom, the floor will be subject to high foot traffic, so selecting flooring that can withstand high levels of use is important. Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and Vynil composite tile (VCT) are both regarded as extremely durable commercial flooring options. LVT is more resistant to dents and scrapes, making it a more enduring option. Due to the transparent wear layer, which protects the print face of the flooring from excessive wear.
Aesthetic Appearance
After all, it should also be mentioned that the flooring can affect the overall look and feel of the room. Because of its durability, vinyl flooring has been used in the medical field for decades, linking it with cold and clean places such as hospitals, but that’s not the only kind. Vinyl flooring comes in a wide variety of colours, patterns, and designs. It comes in sheet or plank formats and can be smooth and textured. Ranging from colourful abstract patterns to imitations of nature such as aquatic life or forests, vinyl flooring can be adapted to any type of learning environment.
Worthy Investment
Vinyl floors can last for decades, making them a great investment. And, of course, it looks great. You don’t really notice that it’s vinyl, it’s a really neutral background. It’s easy to maintain, you don’t have to wax it, buff it, scrub it or replace it. So, again, when you look at the long-term cost, vinyl floors are actually cheaper than linoleum or tile.
Easy to Install
Vinyl flooring is relatively easy to remove and install. It can be placed directly over bare subfloors, plywood, concrete, ceramic, or stone. Vinyl flooring was once mainly offered in big, difficult-to-work-with sheets. Vinyl flooring nowadays is typically available as tiles or planks, which are easier to deal with and can easily be put without the use of a saw or hammering the boards into place.
To Sum Up
With vinyl flooring installed in your child’s daycare facility, you’re guaranteeing the best safety for your little one. A full line of commercial-grade safety flooring is available for daycare facilities, including patterns to suit every décor, slip-resistant safety surfaces, and safety floor options for high traffic areas.
