But James Lightly of flooring and walling specialists Altro believes the very first consideration for schools looking to undergo maintenance and refurbishment work is timing.
"The absence of pupils for a six week period in the summer provides the ideal opportunity for schools to carry out much needed maintenance and refurbishment work, with everything from routine repairs to more extensive building works scheduled into just a few short weeks," he says. "Because of this limited timescale it is vital that planning for summer building and maintenance work is made at an early stage."
Lightly points out that schools up and down the country are all going through a similar exercise, making this time of year the busiest period for contractors. This situation is coupled with the fact that the summer months are also the busiest time for the construction industry in general, taking advantage of the longer days and better weather. The net result of the high level of scheduled work through the summer months leads to an increased demand for skilled contractors in a market place that already has widely reported skills shortages.
In short, if you don't plan early for the work that you want to be carried out in the summer there may not be the labour available, or the quality of labour and installation may have to be compromised. This can be a particular problem where specialist contractors are concerned, as trying to replace skilled workers with more general building contractors can often lead to issues further down the line. It certainly pays to book the best people for the job as early as possible, both in terms of ensuring a high quality of work and your peace of mind.
Many companies start the building process off site in order to minimise the amount of disruption caused to schools by reducing the length of the installation process. Architectural aluminium glazing specialist, Technal, has launched a new rapid-build façade system for low rise building applications - and the first in the UK to offer integral opening vents. MODAL has an innovative modular design, developed to reduce work on site and give specifiers the widest choice of configuration options currently available for façades up to two storeys.
The technically advanced yet simple modular frame uses a unique airtight clip system, which is faster to install, provides enhanced weather resistance and allows greater quality control because the frames are fabricated off site.
David Johnson, Director and General Manager of school construction specialists and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon agrees that reducing the amount of time on site is paramount in all types of school building projects. "Minimising disruption during any construction work at a school is a key issue and can be a major challenge for schools. This applies to refurbishment works, as well as new build projects because new facilities are often built on land adjacent to an existing school.
"As off-site specialists, we are able to carry out much of the building work away from the school site in a controlled factory environment which minimises disruption, and we often programme work on site to take place during school holidays to reduce disruption even further."
Terrapin has also produced a range of toilet pods that are pre-manufactured and can be quickly attached to an existing school minimising disruption. These attractive and cost-effective toilet facilities also aim to improve the health and behaviour of pupils at a time of greater health fears (e.g. Swine Flu) and more awareness of bullying.
Leading school architecture practice Walters & Cohen was commissioned by the DCSF to design the prototype toilet pods, in consultation with the staff and students at Brittons School. After the successful installation of the pioneering WC facilities in March 2009, the facilities have been monitored over the past few months for their effectiveness by the pupils themselves. The aim of the design is to do away with the spaces in traditional toilet blocks where bullying could take place. Also, dirty, broken toilets, lack of washing facilities and lack of privacy are some of the issues that discourage pupils from using toilets and this can lead to a range of problems with continence, fatigue and lack of concentration.
Since the 1960s, there have been great strides in understanding the connection between one's environment and productivity. Many people have bad memories of pre-constructed add-ons to schools.
As David Johnson says, "There is no doubt that the perception of off-site construction in the education sector has changed radically over the past decade. Less than positive images of draughty, out-of-date classroom facilities, temporary accommodation and restrictive layouts have been replaced by inspirational and stimulating architecture with complete flexibility in design and use."
The same thinking now applies to the walls and flooring used in schools. Gone are the days of institutional grey/green walls and tired linoleum floors. Paul Smith, of paint specialist Johnstone's says schools are tough to cater for.
"It's the most demanding sector in terms of innovation and creativity as we face the dual challenge of ensuring the school environment will be protected and maintained over long periods of time whilst inspiring learning, expression and well being through the creative use of colour schemes."
And - even with paint - there are health and safety issues to take into consideration.
"Throughout the decoration period, low-odour products are preferable but looking at the long-term issues, considerations should be given to hygiene and maintenance, In other words, how easily and effectively the coatings can be cleaned. Duty of care is also an issue to consider when choosing specialist coatings. For instance the use of flame retardant coatings, which delay the spread of flame, are recommended to aid and allow time for escape and evacuation in the event of fire."
Smith advises, "Creative colour schemes are good but on a practical level, consider using colours that have contrasting Light Reflective Values which can be used to highlight critical surfaces and aid the safe movement of people who are partially sighted."
According to the HSE, 55% of all accidents in the education sector are caused by a slip or a trip. 90% of major accidents resulted in a broken bone, causing considerable personal distress and a significant amount of time away from school. And unfortunately it's a growing problem.
Altro's James Lightly says, "Although schools and colleges are varied, complex sites populated with large numbers of adults and children, effective risk management would prevent many of these accidents. The good news is that reducing these alarming statistics in your school can be straightforward and inexpensive. Carrying out a regular risk assessment and adopting simple practical measures and a common sense approach can go a long way towards eradicating accidents caused by slips and trips in the school environment.
"One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of slipping is to introduce a slip resistant floor surface. In all locations where the occasional spill may present a risk, even in corridors, and anywhere where floors may be wet after cleaning, a floor covering with a minimum Slip Resistance Value (SRV) of 36 is now clearly recommended. It is also considered necessary to specify flooring that complies with or exceeds this requirement throughout its working life if safety levels are to be maintained. Beware of factory-finished coatings, which often wear off after a few months.
A properly maintained Altro safety floor is one way to comply with this requirement."
New flooring can be a major investment for a school and it is essential to consider a number of important options when choosing a new floor. - Alison Gilmore, education market manager at Polyflor believes that ease of maintenance is a key factor. "Any school will wish for their floor to remain in excellent condition throughout its life and for the cleaning process to be as cost-effective and straightforward as possible," she says.
"Effective maintenance not only has aesthetic benefits, it also ensures floor performance and prevents undue wear and hygiene problems. But maintenance can be an expensive business. The combination of machinery, materials and labour means that the maintenance of a floor covering within a building will represent a considerable lifetime cost, generally accepted to be around 90%. To reflect this, Polyflor has developed a range of products that provide trouble-free maintenance and generate significant life cycle cost savings."
Gilmore's advice stands for all types of maintenance and refurbishment projects. Don't just look at the initial bottom line price when choosing products, think about the long-term life cycle costs. There will always be pressure on budgets but paying a little more up front can save a fortune later on, in terms of replacement, cleaning and maintenance and even compensation claims.
When considering refurbishment you must also consider the cost in use. Very simply, the life cycle cost of a product includes not only the initial cost, plus preparation and installation, but on going cleaning and maintenance. Then you need to take into account how long the item is expected to last, before you have to consider strip out and disposal costs, followed by the cost of a new installation.
