Schools urged to consider installing artificial grass sports areas

A workshop at Twickenham Stadium this month is inviting schools to look at installing artificial sports pitches.

Several schools have installed artificial grass in Chester. This substance is especially useful for unused playground areas in creating additional safe playing areas.

The Twickenham workshop organisers invited private school representatives to look at the advantages of artificial grass for rugby fields. A panel of experts advises on designing and planning artificial grass areas and construction, maintenance and performance of artificial grass.

Artificial grass has a number of benefits for sport. Schools in areas like Chester that have high rainfall often cancel sports events after or during heavy rain. If an event is not cancelled, children have the added hazard of mud. Artificial pitches are all-weather surfaces where rainwater quickly drains away,

Artificial grass is suitable for heavy use by schools. As well as football fields, artificial grass can be used for athletics. It can turn rough unsurfaced areas into additional play zones If several consecutive sports events are planned, the pitch preparation and maintenance between events is minimal.

Unlike a new grass area, artificial grass is ready for use as soon as it is installed. No potentially harmful pesticides or fertilizers are needed, which may damage children's health. Artificial grass is available with cushioned underlay to minimise the risk of injury when pupils fall down.

The workshop takes place on January 24. If you are considering artificial grass for your school, home or business, talk to your local supplier and installer.

Should you install engineered or solid wood flooring in your North Wales rooms?

Wood flooring looks great in North Wales rooms. People love its natural look and hardwearing qualities, which is in keeping with the rustic and rural surroundings across large swathes of the region.

The main choices for wood flooring are between engineered and solid wood. Here is a guide to help you choose between them.

Water

One fact you cannot escape from in North Wales is the uncertain weather and high rainfall. A floor with a doorway to the outside will have many people walking over it with wet shoes and dripping clothes. A mat can absorb some of this moisture, but engineered wood flooring in North Wales is more water resistant than solid wood flooring, so can be a better choice for rooms that have outside doors.

In homes in a floodplain, engineered wood flooring is a better choice. No floor covering likes to be underwater for extended periods, but wood flooring, in particular, will warp when soaked. Engineered flooring is water resistant, not waterproof. If flood waters recede quickly enough, the floor could survive.

Installing wood flooring in bathrooms or other high-moisture areas in not advised. Engineered wood in North Wales homes will cope better with extreme temperatures.

Looks

Most people cannot tell the difference between solid wood and engineered wood simply by looking at it. This is because engineered wood flooring has a veneer layer of real wood on top of other layers.

Cost

Engineered wood is generally less costly than solid wood, so is a good choice if you have a restricted budget. Click-fitting engineered wood planks are quicker to install than solid wood, making installation less expensive.

Durability

Both types of flooring will last a long time, but solid wood flooring in your North Wales rooms will last longer. If engineered wood or solid wood looks worn, it can be sanded to restore its looks. As the veneer on engineered wood is thin, there is a limit to how many times this can be done.

Maintenance

Both floor types are easy to maintain. A brush can sweep up dust and debris, and a vacuum cleaner suitable for hard floors should regularly be used.

If an area is scratched, sanding and re-coating with suitable varnish will restore the floor.

Summary of engineered wood flooring benefits for your North Wales rooms

If you want a great looking floor that is cheaper to buy and install than solid wood, choose engineered flooring. A good quality one is recommended, as it will have a thicker veneer.

If you are worried about water, choose engineered wood over solid wood.

Summary of solid wood flooring benefits for your North Wales rooms

For some people, the naturalness of solid wood has no substitute. Engineered wood may look the same, and wood laminates and tiles do a good job of replicating the wood effect, but solid wood flooring is the real thing.

A solid wood floor is a good investment as it will last a very long time. Whichever you choose, there is a rich variety of textures and shades available for both wood flooring types.

Questions to ask when choosing Wrexham flooring

There is a wide range of flooring available, which can make it difficult to choose the best one for your rooms. There are different materials, colours, patterns and various grades of flooring.

To help decide what flooring is best for a particular room, it helps to ask a few questions:

Is my room a bathroom or high-moisture area?

If you expect moisture on your floor (and in North Wales, it’s certainly not uncommon for it to rain!) you need a waterproof floor covering. Ask your flooring company in Wrexham to show you its range of waterproof vinyl, ceramic and porcelain tiles.

Do I have pets and children?

Pets have claws, and children drop things. Solid hardwood flooring looks great but can easily scratch. Fortunately, wood can be sanded and restored, but you may want a more scratch-resistant floor covering. You also need a floor that is easy to clean up the spills your children make, or pools left by your puppy.

What is my budget?

You need the best quality flooring you can afford. Measure the size of the room in square meters and multiply this by the cost per square metre of the floor covering that you prefer. If you want hardwood flooring but find that it is beyond your budget, consider a wood effect laminate or vinyl that has the look you want at a cheaper price.

All floor coverings including vinyl, wood, tile, carpets and laminate come in various grades. Cheaper grades generally will not last as long as higher grades. A more expensive grade of flooring may last a lot longer than cheap grades. This can make good quality floor cost effective as it does not have to be replaced for a long time.

Check with a flooring service in Wrexham whether the price per square meter includes fitting or not.

Do you I want flooring that is easy to maintain?

You may have a busy life and do not want to spend time cleaning your floor. A business has to budget for floor cleaning costs.

Vinyl flooring is easier and quicker to clean. Laminate also requires little maintenance. Solid wood flooring, on the other hand, needs more care. To cut down on cleaning, you can cover high-traffic areas with rugs or runners.

What colour and patterns can a flooring service in Wrexham offer?

When it comes to choosing colours and patterns, this is a personal choice. Your flooring company in Wrexham has a large range of samples for you to look at.

You could search on the internet and in home magazines about the latest home décor trends, or just go by what suits your style. If you are installing a new floor covering in your business, your choice could be influenced by your type of business. A young tech startup could choose bright and bold colours and patterns, whereas an accountant may go for a more neutral tones.

What’s the best choice of flooring company in Wrexham?

Choosing a floor covering does not have to be difficult if you ask yourself the right questions and have the help of your flooring service in Wrexham. Speak to us at Home Style for the best advice.

Industry wants to make carpets recyclable

Carpet manufacturers and others in the carpet industry have urged the European Commission and member states to make carpets ‘circular’, meaning that they want the material to be reusable when the carpet is worn out.

Their call follows the report Policy Toolkit for Carpet Circularity in EU Member States published by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE).

Many homes and business throw away old carpets because they cannot be recycled, as they often contain substances not suitable to be used again. Carpet manufacturers are looking at ways to make carpets that can be collected, with the materials in them separated and then used to make new carpets.

This requires phasing out some materials and increasing the renewable content. ZWE wants this process to be mandatory, with Executive Director Joan Marc Simon saying:

“Current legislative and economic frameworks in the carpet sector lock the industry into a wasteful linear system. To build a true circular economy, we need new rules and incentives to bring the whole sector to a higher level of ambition.”

There are many floor coverings available that are recyclable or use recyclable materials in their manufacturer. Solid wood floors can be made from reclaimed wood and many luxury vinyl tiles contain recycled material.

Carpets in Chester homes and business are not generally recyclable. If European Union directs manufacturers to make carpets more environmentally friendly, British manufactures could also make recyclable carpets after Britain leaves the EU if they want to sell carpets across Europe.

Waste from saris turned into carpets

The silk sari industry in South India is huge. A sari is about five to six metres in length, but when making a sari, about one to one and a half metres of silk fabric is wasted. An enterprising company has found ways to recycle this waste into new carpets.

Ishrat Sahgal is a 29 year old interior architect who has founded Mishcat Co. The company sorts sari waste into similar colours, then turns the material into yarn. Traditional weavers in Indian villages use the yarn to weave contemporary eco-friendly carpets.

The carpets use vibrant colours and intricate patterns. They are durable and easy to keep clean with regular vacuum cleaning. The carpets are sold in India and exported to Hong Kong, US, Dubai and Singapore.

The company incorporates eco principals in everything they do, including using no dyes and reusing the water that washes the textiles.

Ishrat says:

“When I came across this (waste) material it really bothered me. I was like, why are we throwing away this beautiful inspiring material where we can try and think of doing something with it.”

Mishcat carpets are not available in the UK, but there are plans to sell them in London. If you want more eco-friendly carpets from your Chester home or workplace, choose natural wool carpets made from British sheep wool. There are carpets made from reclaimed fishing nets and plastic bottles or choose luxury carpets made from cashmere goat hair. You can also buy more environmentally friendly underlays.