For Principal Sherri Holler, it was imperative to find flooring that supported the school’s use of flexible seating. “As part of that freedom, kids often choose the floor,” she explained. With an extremely dense and nonporous surface, rubber flooring offers hygienic benefits and chemical-free maintenance, which is especially important for creating safe and supportive learning spaces for students with allergies.
According to Royal Ferry, Greater Latrobe School District Custodial Supervisor, maintaining the rubber flooring on a daily basis has been easier than the previous facility’s vinyl composition tile (VCT) and natural stones. At the new school, the maintenance staff does not have to manage multiple flooring types with various protocols. Now, Royal’s staff can take care of the floor with a routine that is “unbelievable” compared to previous maintenance requirements. “Our staff can go in and take care of the flooring easily. It’s just one step, and it works so well,” he added.
In addition to the maintenance benefits of the school’s new flooring, Latrobe chose to make aesthetics a priority. Throughout the campus, the school’s branded colors create a cohesive design with splashes of color everywhere. “The auditorium space and everywhere else throughout the campus just looks really wonderful,” said Sherri Holler, Latrobe Elementary School principal. “I truly believe that an inviting building helps kids learn.”
USA | English (US)
Latrobe Elementary School
nora rubber brings comfort, flexible seating, easy maintenance and aesthetics to Pennsylvania elementary school
In December 2018, Latrobe Elementary School in Latrobe, PA, moved into a newly constructed campus, upgrading from its previous facility that was more than a century old. With the goal of creating the true feeling of a campus, including onsite playgrounds and all branded interiors, the Greater Latrobe School District officials took a very active approach in evaluating floor coverings for the school.
The Director of Facilities, Operations & Planning of the school district Kurt Thomas identified the importance of selecting the right flooring for the new facility. “Floor coverings need to be durable, maintain their appearance and support the sustainable initiatives of the District – all while having a manageable life-cycle cost for public education’s sensitive budgets,” he said.
After observing premium rubber flooring in various Ohio schools, Latrobe selected two products, noraplan® sentica and noraplan environcare™, to cover 60,000 square feet of the elementary school, including classrooms, campus corridors and the cafeteria. Initially, the staff was drawn to nora rubber flooring because it was easy to walk on. The school’s previous flooring made it difficult to move through the school, offering little to no comfort underfoot. Additionally, the new flooring provided acoustical benefits supportive of the learning environment.
Data and facts
| Building | Latrobe Elementary School |
| Market Segment | Education |
| Products | noraplan sentica™, noraplan environcare™ |
| Installation Year | 2019 |
| Photographer | Matthew Fridg |
Products
noraplan sentica™
Rubber floor covering with a changing base color of harmoniously matched color components in a smooth surface for heavy traffic areas.
noraplan environcare™
Rubber flooring with a changing base color consisting of three harmoniously matched hues is complimented with characteristic granules, delivering an aesthetically appealing and functional smooth surface for heavy traffic areas.
