Altro XpressLay, the world's first adhesive-free safety flooring made by Altro was installed at the Kettering Buccleuch Academy, a £25 million new-build school in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom.

Flooring installers, McKenna Flooring worked collaboratively with main contractors, Willmott Dixon, to deliver this project within challenging site conditions. Due to the strict time schedules, they needed flooring that could be laid on a substrate that wasn't completely dry.

Project Architect, Darren Jones from Nicholas Hare Architects explained that they had originally specified a conventional safety vinyl floor. However, after discovering that the screeds at the site were drying out a lot slower than expected, they decided to go with McKenna Flooring’s suggestion of Altro XpressLay to prevent any delay to the project. Though it was a new product for the architects, they confidently went ahead with it based on the reputation of the Altro brand.

McKenna Flooring installed over 1,500m² of Altro XpressLay in four different colours throughout Kettering Buccleuch Academy's teaching and circulation spaces.

Altro XpressLay's unique underside emboss forms tiny air channels, allowing any remaining moisture in the subfloor to escape. This means Altro XpressLay can be applied to a new concrete floor at up to 97% relative humidity, completing the installation more quickly and economically.

Gus Kedzior at Willmott Dixon said the Altro flooring product met their needs as they required a quick and effective turnaround in supply and fit. He added that the Altro brand gave them the assurance of good quality.

Richard Adshead, Academy Facilities Manager observed that the Altro safety flooring will be put through its paces over the coming months with thousands of students using their facilities every day of the term. Assured of the 10-year product warranty, he notes that there is high likelihood of their reception pupils walking on the same piece of Altro safety flooring when they get to senior school.

He added that the Altro floor not only meets the health and safety criteria but is also very easy to clean and 100% recyclable post-installation.

The project also included the installation of 250m² of Altro Walkway 20 in the academy's kitchen. This hugely popular safety flooring is hard-wearing, providing slip resistance and superior chemical and indentation resistance, making it ideal for a busy kitchen environment.

Architecture & Design Team

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Altro Flooring and Walling

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