At Bangor University in North Wales, they are proud of their sports facilities and said, ’you’ll be spoilt for choice with all the opportunities we have to offer.’ So, when the university had a necessity to replace the flooring in two of their main sports halls, they naturally turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply over 1300m2 of their world class Olympic standard Taraflex® sports flooring in ‘London Light Blue’ and ‘Maple’ to complete the flooring aspect of the refurbishment project.
Bangor is no ordinary university. It’s a place to think, a place to explore and a place to achieve. It is critically acclaimed, being voted the number one University in Wales, in the top five UK Universities of the Year, and 15th in the world for sustainability. At Bangor University, students find excellent teaching, a welcoming community and one of the best overall student experiences in the UK. The University is also surrounded by nature, but it’s well connected to major towns and cities.
Students at Bangor University can get involved with a huge variety of sports, some of which include badminton, indoor football, basketball and also tennis. The on-campus facilities include the Canolfan Brailsford Sport and Leisure Centre which is located at the heart of the main student accommodation site at Ffriddoedd. The inside facilities boast two main sports halls, three well-equipped gyms, a gymnastics hall, and a multi-route climbing wall. Good news for fitness fanatics and those who wish to exercise or play team sports.
The replacement indoor flooring surfaces would include both Taraflex® Comfort and Taraflex® Evolution from Gerflor, they would prove to be a perfect fit for both halls. Prior to the new Gerflor installation, the two sports halls at the university were used as Covid Field Hospitals during the pandemic and were called Ysbyty Enfys Bangor which is Welsh for ‘Rainbow Hospital Bangor.’
Commenting on the project Sam Wallwork, Head of Sport, Bangor University said,” Canolfan Brailsford was turned into a temporary hospital over pandemic period resulting in us requiring two new floors to re-instate our sporting facilities.” On specification, Sam Wallwork added, “We have previously used Gerflor before and have always been really impressed by their high-quality products and high levels of customer service.”
The sales, specification, and technical advice on the proposed Gerflor sporting products for the project would be the ultimate responsibility of David Hebblethwaite and Lewis Leadett… two of Gerflor’s most seasoned and experienced managers.
David Hebblethwaite, Specification Manager (North), Gerflor commented, “The refurbishment project at Bangor University was a re-instatement of an existing sports facility. Specifying both the Taraflex® Comfort and Taraflex® Evolution surfaces for the desired locations, delivered the optimum choice for the client in terms of comfort, performance, and safety. “
The improved Taraflex® Evolution product, of which approx. 625m2 has been installed in the Hall 1 facility at the university, is safer, better performing and offers even more protection than the previous flooring that had to be replaced. The greater protection has been obtained thanks to a total re-engineering of the CXP-HD™ foam technology that provides cushioning for exercise and sports play. Gerflor’s Taraflex® Evolution continues to be the market benchmark in sports floors with outstanding durability, improved comfort and protection offering a P1 category shock absorbency (25% to 35% – compliance with 14904) and a 7.5mm thickness.
Similarly, Sports Hall 2 at Bangor University now benefits from 675m2 of Gerflor’s Taraflex® Comfort sports flooring. Taraflex® Comfort is the first Taraflex® sports floor in the P3 category (it complies with EN Standard 14904) delivering ≥45% of shock absorption and is ideal for a variety of sport and leisure activities. Offering the highest level of shock absorption, minimising the force of impact on the body, and reducing long term injury risk, Taraflex® Comfort is also available in 20 colours and three wood-effect designs as standard. Taraflex® Comfort was the first sports floor in the P3 category delivering high levels of technology and innovation knowledge to bring optimal comfort and safety and is suited to all levels and all sports for all users regardless of their age and sporting ability.
Overseeing the installation of the indoor Taraflex sports flooring in both sports halls would be tasked to Llandudno-based flooring specialists Linney Cooper who are a long established and highly respected floor covering company, with a history that can be traced as far back as 1949. Linney Cooper has managed to stay at the top of their game, year after year, through a large amount of consistent effort, by providing an unbeatable quality service, and also providing clients with competitive prices.
On the actual installation and laying of the Taraflex sports floors, Lance Haldane Office and Accreditation Manager, Linney Cooper commented, “From the beginning of the installation and right up to the very end, the project ran very smoothly. Gerflor’s Taraflex sports flooring is a prestigious product, and our installation team had no problems when installing it. With the efficiency of this production floor sports surface, we now recommend it to our customers when and where applicable”
Echoing David Hebblethwaite’s comments, Lewis Leadett, Specification Manager (North), Gerflor said, “The university loaned their premises to the Welsh Health Board to create a field hospital. When this was de-commissioned, they wanted their sports hall back as good as new, but it was damaged beyond repair due to internal partitions being fixed down and screwed through it.” Lewis Leadett also added, “Their sports halls are used for several sports in various university leagues. Specifying Gerflor Taraflex sports floors now means that all the standards for each sporting governing bodies are now met at an elite level. For example, the Taraflex Evolution range is approved by the FIBA for competition level two.”
Sam Wallwork, Head of Sport, Bangor University, also said, “Our new Taraflex sports flooring is exceeding our expectations. It’s an outstanding and very robust sports flooring, which is delivering fantastic results for our customers and users. The two Taraflex floors installed are of the highest quality with a great finish on them. They also both clean exceptionally well and are perfect for a number of sports.”
Sam Wallwork concluded by simply saying, “We would definitely choose Gerflor again when given the opportunity.”
Gerflor is a proud supplier to some of the most prestigious universities across the UK. Gerflor has many site references where Taraflex sports flooring has been installed in sports halls and gym facilities, some of these universities include Loughborough, St Andrews and University of Huddersfield.
Taraflex® Indoor Sports Surfaces Overview
Taraflex® sports flooring has been fitted at every Olympic Games since 1976. Approved by many National and International governing bodies as a world class sports surface, it is also widely installed within the education, community, leisure, health, and fitness sectors. Taraflex® is ideal for new build projects and refurbishments and is extremely durable and cost effective to maintain. Over 6 million pupils everyday enjoy the benefits of Taraflex® sports flooring, as it delivers a versatile range that can be used for various multi-specialist applications.
Taraflex® is treated with Protecsol®, which renders polish redundant and is triple action meaning no polish is ever required, it contributes to easy maintenance and is anti-friction burn and slide/grip. Meanwhile, surface reinforcement which delivers durability and abrasion resistance is provided by a D-Max fibreglass grid.
The flooring offers maximum hygiene with bacteriostatic and a fungistatic treatment and comes with the Triple Action Protecsol® surface treatment which provides easy maintenance, friction protection and ‘intelligent’ sliding coefficient.
Sport can play a huge part in student life. With a complete range of shock absorption P1/P2/P3, Taraflex® sports floors from Gerflor, deliver the right solution every time whether it is for exercise or play for all ages and ability.
Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 03332 412901, emailing contractuk@gerflor.com, or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.