Altro ideal for £25 million Welsh super school

Award-winning Altro XpressLay™ safety flooring has been used throughout a £25 million secondary ‘super school’ in North Wales. At 4,500m2, it is the biggest ever Altro XpressLay installation in the North West.

The new Rhyl High School has been funded by Denbighshire Council and the Welsh Government, and built by Willmott Dixon. It accommodates 1,200 students, and also provides a base for 45 students from a nearby community special school. The whole building was constructed to achieve a rating of “excellent” on the BREEAM scale.

As with most new-build school projects, cost and time were major factors in the construction of Rhyl High. Flooring company Linney Cooper — who were appointed by Willmott Dixon to install the flooring throughout the new school — were well aware of this. But even though Altro flooring had not originally been specified, Linney Cooper recommended switching to Altro XpressLay.

Robert Goring, Senior Project Surveyor at Willmott Dixon, said “We have been working with Linney Cooper for many years. Their expert knowledge of flooring led to a recommendation to change our specification to Altro XpressLay, which is a proven cost and time saving product. In addition, the flooring met the stringent criteria for safety, quality and design.”

James Sullivan, Linney Cooper Contracts Manager, said “For the Rhyl High project, Altro XpressLay and its properties presented themselves as a better alternative flooring solution to the one specified, for many reasons. The substrate floor at the new school was a power-floated concrete that would take a great deal of preparation with diamond grinding and laying a dpm. But, crucially, Altro XpressLay can be laid without a dpm, because it can be put down straight onto a damp subfloor or a new concrete floor at up to 97% relative humidity. This means quick and easy installation without having to wait for the substrate to dry.

“In addition, Altro Xpresslay can be laid without adhesive. There is no waiting for it to ‘cure’, we just lay, weld and walk on it the same day. There are no tacky areas, or having to plan installation in stages because of drying times.

“The flooring can be taken up and re-used elsewhere, and if we need to replace areas of damage or wear in the future, we can do so, very easily, with minimal disruption. There are no adhesive odours, either, which is perfect for sites such as schools.”

James continued: “Altro XpressLay is not a short-term solution, it is a proven, groundbreaking flooring that holds as effectively as an Altro safety flooring installed using adhesive, and there are no rucks, no movement at all.” It offers the same guarantees and lifetime slip resistance of other Altro safety flooring. The floor can be removed easily, reused and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

In addition to Altro XpressLay, Altro Whiterock™ White walling and Altro Stronghold™ 30 safety flooring were installed in the school kitchen. These products are often specified together as they deliver a proven combination of safety and hygiene in hard working environments.

Altro Whiterock White is the hygienic alternative to tiles that’s impact resistant, grout-free and easy to clean. Its smooth white surface and classic purity make it a timeless choice for any interior.

Altro Stronghold 30 achieves Altro’s highest rating for slip resistance and is designed to minimise risk in wet and greasy conditions for the lifetime of the flooring. As well as helping to keep staff safe from slips, it also helps reduce their fatigue, thanks to its 3mm thickness which provides noise reduction and comfort underfoot.

Linney Cooper installed the Altro Stronghold 30, while MI Contracts fitted the Altro Whiterock White.