Hardware
Repairing schools : what opportunities are there in the education sector ?
Andy Matthews , head of sales at HOPPE ( UK ), discusses the scale of repair and maintenance works needed in schools across the country and how nylon products can help door manufacturers looking to work in this space .
The Government has recently announced the third set of schools that will be receiving funding to carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment works under the School Rebuilding Programme .
In order to qualify for funding , schools had to show they had at least 1,200 square metres of “ severe condition need ” ( defined as the modelled cost of the remedial work to repair or replace all defective elements in the school estate ) to apply . The government has said it prioritised the applications with “ structural or safety issues that mean a block is not fit for use or is likely to become unfit for use imminently because it poses a risk to users ”, followed by applications showing “ severe deterioration ” in external walls , roofs , windows or doors .
More than 1,100 schools applied for the last round of funding with 61 being awarded grants in July 2022 . This brings the total number of projects in the programme to 161 and with only 500 spaces up for grabs throughout the duration of the 10-year School Rebuilding Programme , it looks like many schools won ’ t be able to access this much-needed funding .
The Condition of School Buildings Survey published in May 2021 identified that the total condition need is £ 11.4 billion . Interestingly , schools in the Midlands need the most repair work , with the average remedial work needed per school in the East and West Midlands costing £ 605,805 and £ 699,983 respectively .
Within the 22,031 schools reviewed as part of the survey , assessors noted 374,782 occurrences of work needed to external walls , windows and doors , and 261,568 to internal walls and doors . While these figures only offer a snapshot in time , it still provides a good indicator of the level of work needed to improve the conditions of schools across the UK .
Repair and maintenance within schools
HOPPE ( UK )’ s own research among education estates managers revealed that just under two thirds of respondents said they carry out repairs and refurbishments throughout the year , as and when it is needed . They also identified door handle levers and door closers as the items of hardware that need be replaced most often .
Whether door hardware is being replaced as part of reactive or ongoing maintenance plans , or installed in newly built schools , nylon is a great choice for several reasons .
From an ongoing maintenance perspective , nylon is easy to clean and doesn ’ t discolour with the use of mild detergents or disinfectants . A finish that has been tried and tested for more than 30 years , it is also suitable for sports facilities , changing rooms and showers because of its corrosion-resistant properties .
HOPPE ( UK )’ s nylon range is available in 10 colours and we ’ ve seen these be used to create a colour coding system that allows it to be used to identify areas in buildings for specific use or access . For very young children , colour coding can also help with independence letting them know where they are in a building or which is their classroom . There may be some settings
where the use of subtle colours , which are less visually stimulating , can prevent confusion or distraction . The more passive shades are also thought to aid concentration and can be soothing and calming .
In schools with special needs facilities , nylon can be a good choice because of its tactile nature . It offers anti-static properties and doesn ’ t feel cold to the touch . It is important to consider the visual contrast and comply with the light reflectance value ( LRV ) in British Standard BS8493:2008 .
HOPPE ( UK )’ s nylon range is available in red rouge ; claret ; cobalt blue ; midnight blue ; ebony black ; viridian green ; diamond white ; anthracite grey ; dove grey and golden yellow . It has been BSEN1906 performance tested and the Steel Cored version has also been included in BS EN1634 part 1 fire door testing .
Coordinating nylon accessories – including signage , hooks , finger plates , back plates , pull handles , interior handles set on roses and escutcheons – are also available , making it really easy for specifiers to order everything required for each door .
For more information about individual nylon range products , visit the HOPPE UK website : www . hoppe . co . uk
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM NOVEMBER 2022
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