Director of Plant Operations Tracy Tallent said LVT, a previously undiscussed flooring option for Franklin High School, could save money on construction.
The discussion came during an April 7 meeting between the Macon County Board of Education and County Commissioner liaisons. School board members Hilary Wilkes, Jim Breedlove and Deidre Breeden attended with commissioner liaisons Josh Young and Gary Shields. County Manager Warren Cabe and Superintendent Josh Lynch attended as well as Macon County Schools finance officer Laney Ledford and county finance officer Lindsay Leopard. Commissioner John Shearl also attended the meeting as an unofficial participant.
Lynch said they saw the flooring product while visiting a few schools in Georgia. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) by the company Interface has been used in Tallent’s office and at Cartoogechaye and Macon Middle schools. The product has been used as a prototype at both schools, with Cartoogechaye’s cafeteria switching over to LVT over spring break.
Breedlove added the flooring he saw while visiting one of the Georgia schools was five years old but looked almost new and was especially good at absorbing sound to keep rooms quiet.
Tallent added the teachers at these schools said they liked the LVT flooring, which can be cleaned quickly and effectively while being durable for heavy use in elementary classrooms.
“I’ve had this in my office over there, a very high traffic area, for 10 years,” Tallent said. “We don’t clean but once a week, we sweep and mop on Fridays, but they come in every day with mud on their shoes and rocks … we’ve not had to change once piece of it since we put it in.”
He said the company sells LVT in large sheets and has the ability to inlay a school’s logo into a sheet. The company can also use a machine to carve out precise replacement pieces for customers if necessary. The flooring is available in Franklin red.
Wilkes asked if laying the flooring would leave fumes in the school and delay the opening for students, and Young asked if the water-based adhesive was reliable. Tallent said the sheets are laid with a pressure-sensitive adhesive he believes will work well in the schools without leaving a lasting odor, fumes or residue. Some corridors, such as those where lifts are used for maintenance, will need to use Terrazzo flooring for added durability.
LVT is cheaper than Texas Granite, the material the school system previously selected for FHS. Tallent said switching to LVT in the planning stage could save substantially during construction since the product is cheaper.
Board members previously switched from Flexco, a soft vinyl tile, to Texas Granite after Flexco failed when used at Macon Middle School. Tallent said the problem came from the style of the tile and the adhesive used, leading to the product separating from the floor. It was a $280,000 addition to switch from Flexco to Texas Granite for the high school.
Breedlove said the board would poll its absent members and make a request to the architects at its April 27 meeting. If the board approves the switch, Tallent said they would get an estimate on the cost but thought it would be considerably less than the Texas Granite.