Altro XpressLay safety flooring has been selected for installation in 27 new schools being built in the North East of England.
Galliford Try is building the new schools as part of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). The company has a longstanding Supply Chain Agreement with Altro.
Roy Perry, Galliford Try contracts manager, commented: “We chose to work with Altro on the PSBP scheme due to the strength of our supply chain relationship and their array of appropriate products for the schools.
“We selected Altro XpressLay because it’s a cost-competitive option that would also save us installation time on all the priority school schemes in this region. In many instances we require a quick turnaround, as Galliford Try is under pressure to deliver the schools within set timescales.”
According to the company, Altro XpressLay is the world’s first ever adhesive-free safety flooring, and features Altro Looselay technology. The Looselay technology is designed to allow any subfloor moisture to escape. It has been designed to lie flat, without the need to be adhered. Altro Looselay doubled-sided, moisture-tolerant tape is used to secure the flooring in place while you weld. As there is no adhesive you get same-day welding and can walk on the floor straight away. Altro XpressLay can be removed post-installation, re-used elsewhere and then recycled at the end of its life.
The range has 42 colours, featuring bright and subtle, sparkle-free designs and decorative chipped options to choose from. It also features Altro Easyclean technology with chemical and stain resistance.
The flagship school for the PSBP scheme, and one of the first to be built, is the £18.6 million Hessle High School and Sixth Form College in East Yorkshire. Previously Hessle High was split over two sites, with 1,450 students, including 200 students in the sixth form.
The new build, designed by DLA Architecture Ltd in Leeds, has created a combined, fit-for-purpose school that operates from just one site, with new science labs, ICT and teaching areas and sports facilities for up to 1,550 pupils, including 230 students in the sixth form.
Phoenix Flooring Division installed 5,500m2 of Altro XpressLay throughout Hessle High School in four different shades; Waterfall on stairs and corridors; Blizzard in laboratories; Fog in wet areas; and Roof Garden in the stores.
“With Altro XpressLay there is no need to lay a dpm, and it can be fitted without adhesives,” explained Matt Brown, Phoenix Flooring MD. “This makes it very cost and time effective, and fitter friendly too. We know that every time we use this flooring we save a lot of time on a project, so for us it’s a great choice all round.
“Prior to fitting at the school, we prepared the substrate with a smoothing compound to create a true, flat surface. We then fitted Altro Looselay double-sided moisture tolerant adhesive tape to all perimeters and areas where the flooring would have joints. This helps the flooring to stay in place.”
