Staying fit and healthy whilst having some fun can be a recipe for a long, healthy life. Happily, many local councils UK nationwide have embraced this doctrine.
The council-run Eastern Leisure Centre in Cardiff had more than 250,000 users last year, but was in urgent need of modernisation. New features would include an open reception area, improved changing rooms, gym and soft play facilities; a new dance studio and spin room. Councillor Peter Bradbury, cabinet member for community development, Co-operatives and social enterprise, said at the time, “The modernisation of Eastern Leisure Centre has enjoyed strong support from both the community and elected councillors so this multi-million-pound investment will be welcome news.”
The project would be a perfect ‘fit’ for international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor. They would provide their high-end Taralay Impression Control safety flooring in ‘Infinity Greige’ and ‘Esterel Chocolate’ colours, together with their uber-performing Taraflex® sports flooring in ‘Maple’ and ‘Lagoon’ to the appointed installers Cardiff-based Puma Floors Ltd.
Puma Floors Ltd was founded in November 2001, expanding over the years they now have their own premises together with a fleet of branded vehicles. With a hard-working, talented team of floor-layers, Puma Floors confidently deliver their ability as a company to meet the demands and expectations of their expanding client base, providing specialist flooring work across Wales and the rest of the UK. Matthew Graves, Commercial Director, Puma Floors Ltd, commented, “We originally provided a quotation at the tender stage when the main contractor was appointed and progressed our sales activity to secure the work by providing a new quotation, which subsequently meant we were appointed”.
With Taralay Impression Control and Taraflex® Sport M Performance sports flooring from Gerflor being included in the original tender document the project was clearly aiming for high quality products throughout the 1600m2 element of the re-fit.
Gerflor won the 2016 CFJ/CFA product of the year category with their Taralay Impression Control range. This safety flooring collection is perfect for both refurbishments and new builds. A multi-purpose floorcovering available in 2m sheet format with a Group T wear rating, it’s ideal for a host of heavy traffic environments where slip resistance is a must. Available as a dual collection: – ‘Safety in Wood’ and ‘Safety in Design’, the range includes realistic woods in contemporary colours and modern all over designs. Taralay Impression Control also has a Pendulum Test value +36, meets HSE guidelines (BS 7976-2) and R11 ramp test value (DIN 51130), together with providing 24 design-led colourways and is suitable for healthcare, education, retail, public spaces, offices and other commercial interiors. Taralay Impression Control also offers a hygienic solution thanks to a revolutionary UV cured PUR surface treatment for easy cleaning and maintenance. With the Protecsol® Control surface treatment it’s easy to clean, is 100% recyclable offers a state-of-the-art flooring solution for a myriad of applications.
The Eastern Leisure Centre would need a top-performing sports floor to meet the rigours demands of this hugely popular facility which has high levels of sports and leisure traffic.
Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring from Gerflor has been used in many international and local sporting events and is available in 17 colours and three wood-effect designs.
It is available in various solutions meeting different levels of the EN 14904 Standard delivering the full scope of indoor sports flooring surfaces from P1 to P3 solutions. Taraflex® is recognised for providing durability, safety and comfort without impairing performance. A unique value proposition, the Comfort range offers greater than 45% force reduction, making it unrivalled in the marketplace in terms of offering comfort for users. Taraflex® meets the EN Standard of 22196 for anti- bacterial activity (E. coli – S. aureus – MRSA) (3) returning >99% levels of growth inhibition. The product is also treated with Protecsol®, which renders polish redundant and is triple action meaning no polish is ever required, it contributes to easy maintenance and is anti-friction burn and slide/grip. Taraflex® has a double density foam backing and with another bonus, it’s environmentally friendly. Gerflor offers several installation solutions for Taraflex® including the Eco-Fit System which is a fast, free floating installation and it’s versatile enough to be used in various multi-specialist applications.
Matthew Graves finally concluded by saying, “we would definitely specify Gerflor products again. The Eastern Leisure Centre has been a good contract to be involved in, hopefully the refurbished building will be used and enjoyed by the local community for years to come”.