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In The News - Lakeside Elementary School

LAKESIDE ELEMENTARY GYM FLOOR UNAFFECTED BY FLOODING

ATLANTA , GA , JULY 22, 2005 - Despite major flooding caused by Tropical Storm Gaston last September, the Lakeside Elementary School in Richmond , VA did not have to replace all its floors. As a result of the severe rainstorm in 2004, much of the school's carpet and tile floors suffered extensive damage and had to be removed. But the three-year-old Taraflex floor installed in the gym with an Isolsport moisture barrier underneath dried out in perfect condition.

The downpour and flooding occurred a week before the scheduled start of school. Besides losing electricity, the building had several inches of water inside which had to be pumped out and required a considerable amount of the flooring to be pulled out.

"It was quite an ordeal," said William Pike, Lakeside 's principal. "We were real concerned about the Taraflex gym floor because of the amount of water on the surface but the floor held up well."

After the water was out of the school, the Henrico County School District conducted mold and mildew tests everywhere including the gym and underneath its floor to ensure the safety of the students and staff. No traces were found. The school was able to open on time with replacement flooring being installed in the building.

The gym, with 2,100 square feet of Taraflex Sport M Maple Design and blue basketball game lines is used primarily for physical education classes. It also doubles as a multipurpose room for chess tournaments, PTA programs and as a polling center. Lakeside Elementary has a separate cafeteria and auditorium.

"The Taraflex Sport M floor with Isolsport performed beyond expectations," said Stephane Leudet, Gerflor national sales manager. "Isolsport is designed to prevent moisture under the floor from moving upwards. This incident really shows the exceptional durability of Taraflex flooring and demonstrated the value of our extensive research and development."

Warthan Associates, Inc. of Hopewell , VA installed the Taraflex floor at Lakeside Elementary .

Taraflex Sports Flooring by Gerflor continues to gain recognition internationally in 2005. The ATP and Gerflor agreed to a three-year partnership which designates Taraflex as the "Official ATP Court Surface." The ATP also selected Taraflex as the court surface for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, China from 2005 through 2007. As of January 1, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), based in

Lausanne , Switzerland , and Gerflor agreed Taraflex will be used for every FIVB-sanctioned competition and event worldwide for four years. This year Fitness Management magazine announced its readers selected Taraflex as the recipient of the second annual NOVA 7 Award as the best flooring/surfacing supplier for 2004.

All Taraflex synthetic floors are designed for safety and comfort. Their multi-layered construction includes 100% pure vinyl, a reinforced fiberglass grid and closed-cell foam backing to provide shock absorption, help fight fatigue and deliver consistent ball bounce. Product treatments ensure easy maintenance, stain resistance and prevention of mold and bacteria growth. Taraflex floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations.

American School and University magazine - October 2005

Enduring Rough Waters
Gym floor resists flooding caused by tropical storm

Taraflex Sports Flooring. Tropical Storm Gaston caused major flooding in Richmond, Va., the week before school was scheduled to start in September 2004. Aside from loosing electricity, Lakeside Elementary School also had several inches of water inside that had to be pumped out. Much of the school’s carpet and floors suffered extensive damage and had to be removed. However, the three year old Taraflex floor installed in the gym with an Isolsport moisture barrier underneath dried out and did not need replacement.

"It was quite an ordeal," said William Pike, Lakeside 's principal. "We were real concerned about the Taraflex gym floor because of the amount of water on the surface but the floor held up well."

The gym, with 2,100 square feet of Taraflex Sport M Maple Design and blue basketball game lines is used primarily for physical education classes. It also doubles as a multipurpose room for chess tournaments, PTA programs and as a polling center. Lakeside Elementary has a separate cafeteria and auditorium.

After the water was out of the school, the Henrico County School District conducted mold and mildew tests everywhere including the gym and underneath its floor to ensure the safety of the students and staff. No traces were found. The school was able to open on time with replacement flooring being installed in the building.

 

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