Carpet in Schools

Creating a Learning-Friendly Environment

School design is widely recognized as positively affecting student learning and teacher satisfaction. Carpet contributes to good design by creating a welcoming, friendly and less institutional space for students, teachers and all school personnel.Carpet’s other benefits include:

• Improved Safety – Because it affords more traction, carpet helps prevent slips and falls. When falls do happen, chances of injury are greatly reduced on soft flooring.
• Increased Comfort – For teachers and other staff, a cushioned walking and standing surface reduces leg fatigue. Plus, carpet provides a non-glare surface that reduces reflection and eyestrain.
• Better insulation – Carpet is warmer to sit on or work on, extending the learning area to space on the floor, especially with younger children. Thermal comfort exists because carpet retains inside ambient temperatures longer.
• Costs less over time – Carpet that is properly selected, installed and maintained lasts up to 10 year or longer. When product, installation and maintenance supplies and labour costs are considered over a 15-to 20-year period, carpet delivers lower life cycle costs than other floor coverings. Read More (PDF 128 KB) Need help with PDF?

• No floor covering offers the acoustic benefits of carpet. Plus, carpet’s ability to reduce glare adds to its visual appeal. Enlarge Image

  Reduced noise – Based on a study by the American Society of Interior Designers, carpet is deemed to be 10 times more efficient in reducing noise compared with other flooring options. Also with carpet, less acoustic protection is needed on the ceiling and elsewhere. This quieter environment provides a better learning atmosphere with fewer distractions.

• Improved IAQ – Carpet can improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) by trapping allergens in its fibre which prevents them from circulating back into the air. The allergens can then be removed through proper vacuuming. Additionally, carpet has lower chemical emissions than most indoor furnishings and may be the lowest emitter of all floor covering choices.

Learn more about carpet

• Asthma and Allergy/Indoor Air Quality
• Selecting the Right Carpet
• Proper Installation
• Cleaning and Maintenance

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