Guest Viewpoint
Turnkey Renovation Solutions for A+ Aesthetics
Ensuring your school makes guests feel
welcome, generates excitement in students and supports the organization’s
values is essential to running a successful educational facility.
Oftentimes, first impressions are made by the surfaces that individuals
immediately see, such as floors, windows, doors, countertops and
walls. However, those are also the areas that are most susceptible to
damage due to heavy usage and usually require the most frequent
renovations. But with limited budgets and time to make extensive
updates, it’s imperative to identify simple, turnkey solutions that can
easily improve the quality and aesthetics of key surfaces.
In addition to refreshing aesthetics, sustainability is often
a priority for educational facilities. By working to proactively
identify different areas where you can use products and processes
that support both your renovation and green efforts, you can
effectively reduce your carbon footprint.
Whatever your needs, there are solutions that can minimize
overall renovation costs and reduce downtime while supporting
a building’s sustainability goals. Fortunately, by staying up-todate
on aesthetics, you can achieve an A+ facility in no time.
Start from the Ground Up
In order to decrease downtime and save on cost, identify
ways to improve a school’s environment quickly and efficiently.
To simplify the process, facility managers can start at the floor
and work their way up to the ceiling to easily target areas for
potential improvement.
With heavy foot traffic and daily wear and tear, educational
facilities must first rely on consistent floor care solutions to
maintain overall aesthetics and safety. This starts with selecting
products that are efficient and easy to use, support sustainability
efforts and produce consistent results.
When deciding on floor care solutions, it’s important to
select products that restore, protect and maintain surfaces while
giving you the ultimate shine without sacrificing non-slip
features. Utilizing products that streamline processes and extend
the maintenance cycle — such as cleaning and shining in one
step — will also ensure that your building remains in top condition
without additional labor and expenses.
Walls, doors and cabinets are also areas that often need a
little TLC. Luckily, there are a variety of architectural finishes
available that provide easy surface updates without the hassles
associated with painting or comprehensive replacement. Whether
you are looking for a wood grain finish to update a desk, or
a whiteboard film where students can write, draw and create,
there’s a finish available for any need. Installation is also incredibly
easy and can often be done quickly, limiting disruption to
students, faculty and visitors.
When analyzing replacement solutions, it’s also essential to
keep your budget goals in mind. It’s important to look at the
pencil sale of whatever material is being considered. When purchasing
new fixtures, such as a door versus an architectural finish,
the hard and soft costs that typically aren’t fully considered
will quickly add up. With the cost of purchasing a new door, in
addition to the labor, material waste and downtime necessary for
installation, opting to apply architectural finishes on an existing
surface can minimize downtime and revenue loss.
Not only do surface solutions such as architectural films provide
a customizable approach to cost and design, but they also
create an immediate impact guaranteed to make an impression
that bolsters school pride.
Make the Switch
If sustainability is a key priority during your renovation,
evaluate the products you are using on a regular basis to identify
areas where you can minimize environmental impact. Opting
for more sustainable solutions, such as utilizing non-PVC
options and choosing products that increase efficiencies while
maintaining lower waste, is key.
Facility managers can also take the extra step to ensure an educational
facility is operating as efficiently as possible. Sun control
window films can help reduce energy costs and are significantly less
costly than a full window replacement. Installing window films
with solar and UV protection capabilities also helps to maintain
indoor temperature — both heating and cooling — resulting in
less energy demand on your facility’s HVAC system. Additionally,
reducing UV ray damage can protect against fading of floors and
furniture, keeping your school looking beautiful for years to come.
Glass doors and windows can be especially vulnerable to
damage and broken glass, which can cause safety concerns.
Whether trying to keep an intruder out or protecting others
from shattered glass, safety and security window film is
designed for fragment retention to hold shattered glass together.
Choosing a product that improves safety will help give students
and faculty that extra peace of mind.
Identifying areas that can be refreshed through turnkey
renovations not only creates an engaging space that promotes
creativity but can also support other initiatives such as sustainability
and cost-savings. From repurposing existing surfaces
to proactively protecting high-traffic areas, there are refresh
solutions that provide a beautiful environment where students
and staff feel welcome and proud.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.
About the Author
Jake Oberle is a U.S. Marketing Supervisor with 3M Commercial Solutions Division