Have you made the decision to start your own childcare business? Congratulations! Whatever your reason (whether you are a parent who sees a need or a nanny with a vision) opening a daycare isn’t easy. In order to run a successful daycare, you’ll need expert advice and a clear plan to help you stay organised and streamline your operations. As the owner of such an institution, you’ll also have a great responsibility to look after your clients’ children by creating a healthy and safe environment for them. And even though it may not seem like that initially, selecting the right flooring is one of the important things you will have to do.
Keeping your facility clean is of utmost importance to keep germs at bay. And this means you’ll have to maintain a constantly high level of cleanliness in the premises and control the hygiene practices among the children and other workers in the facility. The floor material you choose must have safe and healthy aspects to meet these needs. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing the suitable flooring for your daycare.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Kids are mess makers. They are going to spill drinks, drop food, knock over paint pots, make crumbs, splatter fingerprint, draw off the paper… and the list goes on. Wherever food or arts and crafts are used, you will need a floor that is easy to clean, doesn’t hold water and can be mopped regularly. So, when choosing the flooring system for your daycare, consider the cleaning and maintenance routine it requires. School floor tiles are a great option to consider for your facility. So, what are easy-to-maintain school floors made of?
By investing in school floor tiles with a polyurethane surface treatment you’ll provide an excellent foundation for easy, ongoing maintenance regime. This type of flooring can also withstand continuous heavy traffic, yet maintain its colour and appearance for an average of 10 years. Seamless and smooth, this type of flooring is going to be easier to clean and will also reduce the risk of accumulating harmful contaminants in gaps. Make sure the cleaning products you choose are safe to use and won’t cause any serious health conditions like allergic reactions and respiratory problems, among others.
Urine stains, uncleaned saliva and food on the floor may cause viruses and diseases to spread among the children easily. Hence, you should always maintain top cleanliness by removing stains immediately before they sink in. Opting for a floor solution with better stain resistance is a smart move. Good quality flooring will ensure that stubborn stains can be easily removed and cleaned with the appropriate cleaning products.
Protection
Children fall down all of the time, it’s just part of growing up. They are constantly running around, which increases contact time with the ground. For toddlers who are still getting comfortable with walking, spills are just an everyday occurrence. For all these reasons, you need to protect kiddos from injuries with safe, comfortable flooring that will cushion their falls. Concrete and hard titles are just too hard and can end up causing bumps, bruises, abrasions and even broken bones if large spills are taken on them. Cushioning the floor with foam mats, rubber or vinyl flooring is the way to go. For outside play areas, cushioning is equally important. Consider an outdoor floor with fall height rating compatible with the type of equipment and toys children will be playing with.
Comfort
In addition to keeping children healthy and safe, it’s important to keep them comfortable. Children spend a lot of time playing on the floor building with blocks, racing cars, setting up dolls or just colouring and reading. Kiddos will be a lot happier if they can do all of their playing on a cushioned and inviting flooring surface. This is especially important for areas where kids are certain to make full-body contact with the floor, like in napping areas.
Stimulation
When choosing a daycare for their children, parents want their kids to be happy in an environment they find pleasant and comfortable. Plus, colours are appealing to children and like puzzles, they help stimulate brain development. That being said, picking colourful flooring is one of the ways you can create a vibrant and energizing environment that parents love and kids will be happy to learn in.
Durability
Children perform a lot of physical activities like sports and dances, so in addition to being slip-resistant, the floor also needs to be sturdy enough so that these activities can be done safely and without any damage to the flooring finish.
Opening a daycare can be intimidating and there is no blueprint for success. However, following the right steps, like choosing the right flooring, will help get you off to a great start. Make sure you stay motivates and remember the real reason why you’re doing it. You will make mistakes and some might cost you – it’s all part of the learning process. You can avoid making mistakes with the kind of flooring you choose by following these simple tips!