Sustainable Flooring Makes the Grade - Sustainable Flooring

From inception to completion, Scarborough, Ontario’s Brookside Public School — a 65,000-square-foot elementary school, which opened its doors in September 2007 — has been a testament to the benefits of sustainable design.

Nothing was left to chance for the project: Brookside was designed from the outset to set a green benchmark for both the Toronto District School Board and the entire Canadian educational system, and now the school stands poised to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the Canadian Green Building Council.

A Gold rating takes planning, and that’s where L&M Construction Chemicals, Inc. and its FGS/PermaShine polished concrete system came in. The FGS/PermaShine Polished Concrete Floor Process can assist building teams with potential points in several of the LEED-NC rating system categories, including Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

The FGS/PermaShine process involves the introduction of a penetrating densifier through a patented dry, grinding and polishing application that gives the concrete a hard surface on the near-wear zone, the top 1/8 inch. The low-VOC L&M Vivid Dye coloring system enhances color schemes.

“The polished concrete floors and the FGS/PermaShine system were all part of the big picture,” said Project Manager Myles Craig of Teeple Architects of Toronto. “This system fit the school’s needs perfectly from a budgetary perspective, it’s a very durable, long-lasting system. And that’s all part of being a good green citizen.”

PermaShine is eco-friendly on any number of levels. The system helps reduce heating and cooling loads by allowing Brookside to benefit from the natural thermal mass characteristics of the concrete floor, something that strikes a chord in Toronto, where long, cold winters are a fact of life. The floor’s increased reflectivity also makes it possible to reduce lightning, saving both money and energy. Indeed, the school as a whole is projected to enjoy an annual savings of 62 percent on energy costs over buildings of a comparable size and scope.

The prospect of a positive return on its investment was critical to the Toronto District School Board, according to Teeple’s Myles Craig. FGS/PermaShine fit perfectly into that budgetary calculation. Annual maintenance of a floor treated with FGS/Permashine is generally less than 30 cents per square foot. For a 10,000-square-foot project like the Brookside School, that translates to less than $30,000 during a 10-year period, according to L&M’s director of marketing, Peter Wagner.

And that’s just for 10 years. The hallways at Brookside are projected to last at least three times as long. It’s no stretch to imagine the children and even grandchildren of today’s students someday roaming these same halls; the floors none the worse for wear.

This extended life cycle is possible because of the unique nature of the FGS/PermaShine system, which starts with a “dry” Diamond Grinding process of the floors. A high-performance vacuum system all-but eliminates airborne dust during both the grinding and polishing stages.

After those initial steps are completed, the surface, while appearing very shiny, remains rather porous. To protect the surface, the floor must be chemically hardened. L&M’s FGS Hardener Plus, an odorless and non-toxic solution, hardens and densifies the polished concrete. It chemically reacts with calcium hydroxide and calcium carbonate to form strong, durable calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), a crystalline formation that provides the concrete its strength and wear resistance.

Maintaining the integrity of the floor throughout its lifetime is simplified when combining the FGS Hardener Plus with Joint Tite 750, L&M’s rapid-setting polyurea joint material, and FGS Concrete Conditioner. Joint Tite 750 prevents deterioration of unfilled joint edges, providing a clean and safe joint edge, while FGS Concrete Conditioner ensures a high-performing floor surface. Routine maintenance is managed through the concrete conditioner, which delivers a leading-edge degreaser and cleaning agent, while simultaneously reinforcing the floor’s strength with the additional protection of its proprietary chemical hardening agents.

Stewards of the Environment

Brookside will serve as a model for Canadian schools of the future. With 24 classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, as well as science, music, art and special education centers, plus an adjoining 5,000-square-foot daycare center, Brookside has it all.

The school’s 625 students have embraced their roles as stewards of the environment. They’ve established an environmental club and have made a commitment to litter-free lunches. Every little bit helps.

Hasan Abuyusuf, project manager for the Toronto District School Board, shepherded the project from the groundbreaking on Oct. 6, 2006, to completion and the opening day of a new school year on Sept. 4, 2007.

“We really do have something very unique here,” Abuyusuf said. The entire concept is so different from most schools. It’s a beautiful school. A beautiful green school.”

Greg Schwietz, president of L&M, knows better than anyone the benefits of the process.

“The FGS/PermaShine system provides the ability to benefit from the floor’s thermal mass for optimized energy efficiency. The installed floor is cost-effective and low-maintenance. It’s simply one of the best options available for schools,” Schwietz said. “The great news for us is that FGS/Permashine is, in fact, one of the best green floor systems around. FGS/PermaShine is a positive decision for the environment. One that lasts.”