Client: Stockport College Work: Stockport College Sports Hall refurbished with Multi-Sport TactTiles. RapidFit Programme Date: Jul 2005
When Stockport College needed new flooring for its main sports facility, it had a long shopping list to satisfy.
The areas the sports department wanted refurbished included its
• main sports hall
• disabled sports training room
• store rooms
• changing rooms
The department wanted a surface that would work across all these areas, and that would also
• cater for the widest possible range of sports
• allow for the basketball academy’s distinctive court colourings
• relocate easily when the department moves to different premises
• have an excellent safety record
• be easy to clean
• install with the minimum disruption to the facility
• be very price-competitive
Sports Director Martin James says the college chose flooring specialist Tact for the major refurbishment, because the company showed that it was able to answer all the college’s needs.
“We did wonder if our long list of requirements might be a tall order,” says Martin, “but we still needed them satisfied. Tact was able to respond to all of them while still remaining the most cost-effective solution.”
Tact laid its TactTiles product throughout the facility. The sports hall was resurfaced in silver-grey Multi-Sport TactTiles, with the basketball court demarcated in light blue surrounds. The changing room wet/dry anti-slip flooring was laid in stone grey Metro TactTiles.
John Highnam is Tact’s Sales Director. “This was a fairly complex order as the areas we needed to lay each had a highly specific function, and the flooring and installation needed to reflect that,” he says. “In the event the entire project took less than a week from start to finish.”
Client: Blackwell Court Activity Centre, Bromsgrove Work: Blackwell Court install MUGA floor with Multi-Sport TactTiles. Date: May 2005
A new sports floor is the cause of a dramatic transformation at Bromsgrove’s Blackwell Court Activity Centre.
The Activity Centre, which is owned by the Birmingham Scouts Association, used to be an emergency wet weather shelter for up to 700 campers on the 50-acre site. It is now a highly popular sports hall used for a variety of team games, thanks to the installation of a MUGA (multi-use games area) floor from Somerset firm Tact.
The floor is constructed from interlocking TactTiles that clip firmly together to form a durable, no-maintenance and foot-friendly surface. The tiles are laid directly over the existing surface, so minimal preparation is needed. As an added bonus, TactTiles also keep concrete dust from the original floor to a minimum.
The Scouts Association chose TactTiles because it offered the best multi-purpose, all-round use out of all the floors considered for the job.
“We needed a floor in strong, stable colours that was very hard-wearing and easy to clean,” says Gareth Roberts, Centre Manager at the Activity Centre. “People come straight in off the grassed area outside, so they tend to track wet mud in with them. We also need to continue using the building as an indoor shelter when the weather’s bad, so the fact that the floor is free-draining is a huge advantage.”
TactTiles were laid over the entire 30 x 60 metre area in just 8 hours, keeping any disruption to a minimum. The floor was then marked up for a range of games including football, basketball, volleyball and hockey.
“We even marked out an archery range,” says John Highnam, Tact’s Sales Director. “The guys were sceptical about the anti-slip properties of TactTiles, but after they’d tested it to death, even they were convinced.”
Gareth Roberts says the new facility has a real ‘wow’ factor with people using it for the first time. “We used to play a bit of kick-about on the old concrete floor, but you can’t have a proper game without a pitch,” he says. “The new floor has promoted this barn-like space into a top-notch sports facility.”
Client: Essendene Lodge School Work: Refurbishing an infants playground area Date: Nov 2005
As a small independent school for children aged 2 – 11, Essendene Lodge in Caterham, Surrey, has a playground that needs to suit a range of ages.
A part of the play area next to the school’s reception classes is reserved for the use of the youngest pupils. The school wanted this area to work harder as a play and learning area, while being extra safe for tiny tumbles.
The play area’s proximity to the school buildings means it’s the last part to be crossed by all the other children when they come in from the playground, and muddy or sandy feet were leaving tracks across it.
“The area was looking rather tired and uninspiring,” says Mr Haydock, Head Teacher at Essendene Lodge. “We really wanted to brighten things up without compromising absolute safety for the little ones. Ideally we also wanted to see if we could reduce little footprints inside the school buildings, but most parents will understand our uncertainty as to whether this would be possible!”
The school asked specialist flooring provider Tact to advise on the best solution. As well as providing safe play and fun learning, the new surface needed to be
• bright, vibrant and available in the school colours
• anti-slip and anti-trip, even when wet
John Highnam is Tact’s Sales Director. “Several layers of asphalt had been used to patch the area over the years, with an uneven and rather unattractive result,” he says. Our solution replaced this with a level surface that answered all the school’s requirements. We even laid the letters of the School Badge into the surface – about as bespoke as a floor gets!”
The Tact team installed the new surface over a July weekend, during which time it was unexpectedly put to the test when a rainstorm hit on the Sunday. The need for the floor to be free-draining is due to the fact that it is sited in a slight declivity, so the rest of the playground drains through the area.
“We knew the floor would be able to cope, but nobody else did,” says John. “I couldn’t describe it as a dry run, but as a demonstration we couldn’t have asked for better, as it showed how suited the flooring is for this kind of use.”
Once the floor was laid, Tact staff stencilled numbers 1 to 100 onto the white tiles so that the children would be able to play while they improved their number skills.
“We’re just thrilled with the result,” says Mr Haydock. “It’s practical, safe, fun and maintenance-free – just what we wanted in every way.”
• compliant with the Disability
Discrimination Act
• highly cost-effective
• free-draining
• easy to clean
Client: Sinclair House School Work: A School play area Date: Aug 2005
Sinclair House is a Montessori School in Fulham, London, with an enclosed playground. The school caters for youngsters aged from two to eight years, so the play area has to work hard to provide a space for everyone.
The school is located in a former terraced London townhouse, with the playground in what used to be the rear garden. Long since concreted over, the area has seen considerable wear and the concrete had become fractured and bumpy. A worn overlay was also causing a slip hazard.
Carlotta O’Sullivan, Headteacher at Sinclair House, asked flooring specialist Tact to see what they could do within a strictly limited budget. “We needed a surface that answered all the usual practical considerations,” she says, “but we also wanted it to contribute to the children’s learning experience. Tact provided a remarkably inexpensive solution that does the lot – and which makes the play area much more attractive and interesting as well as safer.”
Tact fitted Pedestrian TactTiles directly over the lumpy concrete to provide a surface that is
• free-draining
• easy to keep clean
• fall-friendly for tumbling tots
• anti-slip in all weathers
• fun to play on
• designed for entertaining learning
Tact’s John Highnam oversaw the project. “We installed the new surface very rapidly so as to minimise any disruption to the school schedule,” he says, “and it’s proved a real hit with the children. It’s even re-locatable, so the school will be able to take it along when it moves to larger premises in the near future.”
Client: Keys Youth Centre, Horley Work: MultiSport surface for Youth Centre laid in record time Date: Jan 1995
A Surrey sports hall found the perfect flooring solution – at the perfect price.
Keys Youth Centre at Horley sports hall had an unsealed asphalt floor. The original polyethylene tile system had failed after several attempts at repair, meaning that the hall was out of use for eighteen months whilst the council searched for a replacement surface that could be sourced within their budget and would be able to adapt to the undulations of the old exterior asphalt playground substrate.
Surrey County Council obtained several quotes for laying a new floor, one of which was into six figures. TactTiles quoted a fraction of this for its specially designed Multi-Sport solution – this is a specialist floor, which can be used for all sports, from aerobics to rollerblading.
Tact were asked for advice on the problem of the dust created by the old asphalt surface after the old floor had been removed. Tact sealed the floor surface with Durafloor Fastcure WB coating and then laid highly durable Multi-Sport tiles over the top. Finally the floor was marked up with a basketball court, four badminton courts and five-a-side football. The customer is delighted with this most durable solution to their very real problem and, of course, delighted that it came well within their budget.
Client: Croydon Opportunity Preschool Work: Play Areas - Fun to Learn Date: Sep 2006
The Croydon Opportunity Pre-School Group caters and provides education and care for children with a variety of special needs. When they decided to resurface their existing paving slabs, they contacted Tact with specific criteria for the project.
The new play area needed to optimise the space available and provide a safe, colourful and exciting environment to stimulate the children during outdoor playtimes. In addition, the project needed to be completed quickly and prove to be the most cost effective option available.
Tact’s Sales Director, John Highnam set about creating a design that would incorporate two themes; a hopscotch grid to increase physical games and black and white chequered tiles for additional learning activities. In the second part of the play area, Tact’s contract team created a parking bay area for use with cars and bikes and ‘roads’ for their frequent toddler shopping trips!
Tact installed their ‘Pedestrian’ TactTiles in a variety of vibrant colours and the project was successfully completed in an impressive two days.
Group Co-ordinator, Chris Watts, was most enthused by the completed project’s success. ‘Our new play area has continued to be much admired and has made a significant difference to our play area’.
Client: St. Bees School Work: School sports and recreational area Date: Sep 2006
THE BEES KNEES OF MULTI-USE SURFACES
With a need to convert a small yard area into a fully functional sports recreation focal point, St. Bees School in Cumbria contacted Tact to see if they could help, based on the cost restraints faced by the majority of schools in the UK.
An additional adjacent decking area not only allows the perfect viewpoint for any school sports activities, but also allows for other entertaining, such as BBQ’s, parties and seasonal PFA events.
Martin Heaton (Estates Manager) chose TactTiles Multi-Sport tile in light blue, instantly transforming the area. Not only did the cost effectiveness please the school, but they were amazed at the ease with which, a TactTiles floor can be laid.
Installation took place in the depths of winter. Although, Tact’s contract team were not hindered by the common aspects of the climate, and set to laying TactTiles quickly; occasionally acquiring the assistance of hammers to remove frozen solid snow from the concrete yard substrate.
A cool blue solution for recreational areas!
Client: Dundalk Sports Centre Work: Installation of three MUGA pitches Date: Jun 2007
Dundalk, County Louth is situated on the border with Northern Ireland. Close to local housing and schools lies the Dundalk Sports Centre. The Centre has been undergoing complete refurbishment; part funded by Dundalk Town Council, the department of Arts Sports & Tourism and RAPID funding. The RAPID programme is specifically for designated disadvantaged areas, known as RAPID areas. There are two specifically in Dundalk, one being Muirhevnamor where the courts are based. The Funding was awarded towards the development of playgrounds and MUGAs.
The Sports Centre Manager, Graham Russell, met Tact Enviro to discuss the upgrade of the three tennis courts. After discussion it became apparent that by upgrading two of the courts to multi-use games areas (MUGAs) and one especially for tennis, it would be possible to increase the variety of sports that would be available to the centre and the community as a whole. The main requirements for the refurbishment were durability, low maintenance and the use of vibrant colours for each court to attract people interested in hiring the facilities.
With an installation deadline and inclement weather on the horizon, the Tact team decided to lay and mark up the courts in the UK, packing them up and trans-shipping them as a ready-to-lay giant jigsaw puzzle. With each court measuring 18 x 36 metres and marked up for tennis, five-a-side football, basketball and futsal, it was certainly an interesting game to put it all back together again.
However, the installation project was completed within five days ready for the formal opening by the Town Mayor on the 5th June 2007. Dundalk now has enviable facilities for all the local schools, youth groups and sports clubs.
Game, set and match to Dundalk!
Client: Durham University Work: Fantastic Fitness Floor Date: Jan 1995
Durham University’s Graham Sports Centre had a problem with the floor in their Fitness Studio. The existing PVC tiles had begun to curl, causing a trip hazard. The Fitness Studio is used for free weight areas and needs to be anti-slip.
The Sports centre management wished to replace the old surface with a modular flooring system which could be adapted to suit a new lay-out of the room and/or equipment as necessary. TactTiles Fitness tiles were installed by specialist flooring company, Johnson Wright.
Some weight training equipment was bolted to the floor through the TactTiles. Despite the lack of protective rubber matting in the free weights area, the TactTiles surface is holding its’ own.
Client: Kingston Maurward Work: Bubble trouble Date: Jan 1995
Dorset’s agricultural college is located just outside Dorchester at Kingston Maurward. The college sports hall is used for badminton and for kit assembly for outdoor pursuits, so the floor surface needs to be versatile, hardwearing and easy to clean. Unfortunately the existing vinyl floor covering was bubbling and causing a trip hazard.
One of the main attractions of TactTiles for the college was avoiding the need to rip up an existing floor that is uneven, but basically sound. The Tact team sliced and flattened the bubbles of vinyl and TactTiles Fitness tiles were laid straight over the top. The badminton courts were then marked up accordingly.
As well as being delighted with the bright and even result, the college says the floor provides an excellent anti-slip surface when the outdoor pursuit’s students come in with their wet muddy kit. Added to the fact that the floor is so easy to clean, Kingston Maurward has an ideal answer to a challenge that needed a versatile, practical and hardwearing solution.
Client: Brampton Manor Work: Brampton Manor near Chesterfield is an upmarket Country Club, and one of its most attractive features is a luxury swimming pool from which guests can go directly outside to lounge in the sun. So when the poolside floor needed replacing, Pooled resources Date: Jan 1995
Craig Lynch, Brampton Manor’s Managing Director, needed to consider looks as well as cost.
“A new poolside represented a major cost outlay for us,” says Craig, “especially as the changing room floors needed refurbishing too. Yet obviously there was no point doing it at all unless it looked the part.”
Craig and his team spent some months looking for a flooring solution that was
• good-looking, to tone with the luxury facilities
• practical – free-draining, low maintenance and DDA compliant
• as well priced as possible
In addition, the floor needed to be proven anti-slip, as guests returning to the pool from outside were sometimes unprepared for the underfoot change from dry to wet.
Specialist flooring experts Tact provided the answer. Craig chose Metro TactTiles throughout for their
• looks – vibrant colour and attractive pattern
• properties – anti-slip, free-draining and very easy to clean
• price – the solution costed out at half the price of the nearest competitor, and Craig was able to economise further by getting his own staff to install the easy-fit tiles
“I was thinking about saving money by doing just the side of the pool that needed it most,” says Craig, “but when I – and the guests – saw the result, I was easily persuaded to do the lot. It looks great, the guests love it and it will last for many years. A first-class solution.”
Client: Ellowes Hall Sports College Work: Solution to flooring challenge at Midlands Sports College Date: Jan 1995
The heavily used swimming and changing facilities at Ellowes Hall Sports College, Dudley had a major surface problem. Slippery ceramic tiles around the poolside and throughout the changing rooms were deteriorating badly, presenting trip, slip and hygiene hazards. The floors looked very tired and outdated.
An urgent solution was needed that would
• be very easy to clean
• look good
• resolve the problem long-term while remaining within budgetary constraints
Specialist flooring supplier Tact presented the perfect solution, but the College’s Sports Director, Christiana Papadopoullos was concerned about maintenance.
“In the end we visited some of Tact’s existing wet flooring solutions around the country to see how they performed in practice,” says Christiana. “That’s what decided us to go ahead with TactTiles.”
Following extensive consultation with the client, the Tact team laid anti-slip Pedestrian tiles in College colours around poolsides, with Terracotta Metro tiles installed to wetside and dryside changing rooms matching the existing décor.
Solution to flooring challenge at Midlands Sports College
The heavily used swimming and changing facilities at Ellowes Hall Sports College, Dudley had a major surface problem. Slippery ceramic tiles around the poolside and throughout the changing rooms were deteriorating badly, presenting trip, slip and hygiene hazards. The floors looked very tired and outdated.
An urgent solution was needed that would
• be very easy to clean
• look good
• resolve the problem long-term while remaining within budgetary constraints
Specialist flooring supplier Tact presented the perfect solution, but the College’s Sports Director, Christiana Papadopoullos was concerned about maintenance.
“In the end we visited some of Tact’s existing wet flooring solutions around the country to see how they performed in practice,” says Christiana. “That’s what decided us to go ahead with TactTiles.”
Following extensive consultation with the client, the Tact team laid anti-slip Pedestrian tiles in College colours around poolsides, with Terracotta Metro tiles installed to wetside and dryside changing rooms matching the existing décor.
“The whole installation was completed over a weekend, so disruption was kept to an absolute minimum,” says Pippa Highnam, Tact’s Managing Director. “As a finishing touch we used yellow tiles to inset the College’s initials into the light blue surround at either end, so Ellowes Hall must be one of the few local authority Sports Colleges whose pool will always be flying their colours!”
Client: Trevor Kayes Work: Therapeutic” Tiling with Tact Date: Jan 1995
Trevor Kayes discovered DIY needn’t be frustrating after deciding to resurface his garage floor earlier this year, following several years of problems with damp.
He had tried repainting the floor, but found the surface quickly became flaky and dust-covered, creating an unsuitable environment in which to store his car, tools and other day-to-day equipment.
Tact supplied Trevor with around 160ft² of Pedestrian TactTiles – enough to completely resurface his standard-sized garage.
He chose to lay the tiles himself, and easily managed to complete the task in less than a day, starting at around 10.30am and finishing before tea.
“I found TactTiles to be very easy to lay and in fact rather therapeutic,” Trevor commented. “I was almost disappointed that I finished so quickly! However, I’m absolutely delighted with the results.”
Trevor’s garage now provides the ideal storage solution. Not only does the floor prevent dust, it also has an anti-slip surface and drains away moisture.
Trevor is now looking forward to some more therapeutic DIY and has since ordered TactTiles for his new patio.
Client: Pine Lodge Work: Pine Lodge
Date: Jan 1995
Pine Lodge is a very large guest house which is let out entirely to groups. The indoor pool and sauna complex gets heavily used. The carpet laid throughout had become mouldy and was consistently damp, causing unpleasant odours and also foot hygiene problems.
Tact removed the carpet, prepared and sealed the substrate. TactTiles Pedestrian were laid around the kidney shaped pool with a smart white flexible edging strip.
The showers and toilet areas were also refurbished. The client is now able to lift the shower tray floors for deep cleaning. And the smell has gone. TactTiles were also laid straight over the air vents of the underfloor heating system giving a much smarter look. The work was carried out between lettings minimising disruption to the business.
Client: Wadurs Work: Wadurs Date: Jan 1995
Wadurs is a large, heavily used community swimming pool. Over the years the ceramic tiles had required many replacements resulting in a somewhat chequered appearance.
The floor surface was also slippery therefore it was decided that TactTiles Pedestrian would be laid straight over the top. The tiles anti-slip properties have helped to eliminate slips and falls and have provided a brighter and safer pool surround.
Tact were able to carry out the necessary floor repairs and lay the TactTiles overnight to minimise disruption to the business. The pool has disabled access points and the drains require regular servicing. TactTiles have been laid to allow for easy access.
Client: Air Parcs Work: Air Parcs Date: Jan 1995
A children’s’ play area at the end of the teaching pool had been covered with a synthetic carpet. This had become saturated and was turning black with mould and was smelling quite badly. After removing the carpet the glue was ground back and the whole area sealed. TactTiles were laid in abstract floral shapes much to the delight of the children. The easy to clean surface does not harbour smells or bacteria much to the delight of the staff.
Air Parcs has also installed TactTiles over the access platforms to their flumes and water slides. All were laid without any disruption to the business.
Client: Castle School Work: Somerset school sponsors safer swimming Date: Jan 1995
Parents at The Castle School at Stoke Sub Hamden in Somerset funded the purchase of a TactTiles pool surround by sponsoring the purchase of individual tiles.
The PTA runs the swimming pool, which is a well-used facility for the school and local families.
The pool surround was an unsightly mixture of old paving slabs and tarmac, a combination that could be slippery that caused a lot of dirt to be carried into the water.
The PTA chose TactTiles Pedestrian as an anti-slip, well-draining surface. The parents laid the tiles themselves, raising funds based on purchasing individual tiles.
The result is a pool area that is much brighter, cleaner and safer for all the children.
Client: Jonathan Gilbert Work: A wheel friendly garage floor Date: Jan 1995
As a wheelchair user as well as a sports car fan, Jonathan Gilbert’s choice of garage floor had several considerations. Jonathan needed a floor that would be:
• anti-slip with good grip
• easy to keep clean
• free-draining to stay as dry as possible
• maintenance-free
• capable of bearing heavy loads
• good-looking
• easy to fit
• long-lasting
• excellent value for money
• readily deliverable to Edinburgh, where he lives
“It was quite a list,” says Jonathan, “but that’s what the floor had to do. I had quite a few sets of wheels to think about, so I needed a surface flexible enough to work for all of them.”
Jonathan chose specialist flooring provider Tact to supply the new surface. Jonathan’s selection of Pedestrian TactTiles in Silver Grey was delivered to his home in Edinburgh, and willing friends fitted the whole floor in less than a day.
John Highnam is Tact’s Sales Director. “We worked out what Jonathan needed from some scale plans he sent us,” he says. “We supplied the sections by the doorways with matching edging so there’s no lip – just a smooth progression from tile to driveway.”
Jonathan is delighted with the result. “It’s fabulous – clean, bright, safe, and a great backdrop for my cars,” he enthuses. “And the team got the calculation for the surface area spot on – not a single tile was wasted. A brilliant job.”
Client: Happy Faces Montessori School Work: If You’re Happy And You Know It………. Date: Jan 1995
Happy Faces Montessori School is a small, independently run nursery which operates from the ground floor of a family home in Mottingham, London.
When Ann Guindi bought the premises two years ago, the back garden had a large pond which was full to the brim with rubbish. Various unsuccessful attempts had been made to fill and level the area. However, the pond area kept sinking due to the rubbish beneath. Ann asked Tact to resolve the problem and then install a new play area.
Aside from ground maintenance work, Tact sought to complete the project with the installation of a colourful free-draining non-toxic play surface using ‘Pedestrian’ TactTiles.
The project team set about removing 25 cubic metres of earth and other materials from the pond and refilled it with graduated gravels and sand, tamped down hard with a vibrating plate. Finally paving slabs were re-laid on the top ensuring a stable surface on which to lay a bespoke designed play area covering approximately 120 square metres.
Incorporating stimulating play elements including a hop-scotch grid, a zebra crossing with traffic lights and alphabet stepping stones, all designed to encourage fun learning and road safety awareness from a young age.
With the project completed in just over 4 days and the area branded with the ‘Happy Faces’ logo, proprietor Ann was suitably impressed – “a professional job, from a professional company – at last, just what I was looking for!”
……………………………….Clap Your Hands!!
Client: Tiger’s Eye Work: No Own Goals at Tiger’s Eye Date: Jan 1995
Tiger’s Eye is a children’s adventure play centre based in Wimbledon, South West London. Alastair Wilson, Proprietor, decided to rejuvenate an area within the centre with a five-a-side football pitch, to coincide with the World Cup 2006, and the nation’s everlasting love of the beautiful game.
He contacted flooring specialists, Tact Enviro Ltd to discuss his plans. His main objectives were to install a safe, hardwearing floor covering and which would allow the development of a physically stimulating play/sports area. With the fast approach of summer holidays, it was also extremely important to have a quick installation, to minimise impact on his business, and indeed, an opportunity to increase revenue.
Tact’s contract team began installation, using TactTile ‘Pedestrian’ in green in an area measuring twenty metres by fourteen metres, with yellow tiles to create a border for the pitch. In addition, they incorporated a chequered black and white running circuit for children to use for other games and activities.
Not only was installation time impressive - just one day; but the overall cost effectiveness and durability of this application ensures it will be a first class winner every time!
Mr Wilson was delighted with the project, which has opened up the floor area for use for 5 –a- side tournaments, a ‘Diddi’ car track, dance, music and games – something the whole community can enjoy
Client: Fishguard holiday camp Work: Getting into the swim Date: Jan 1995
The swimming pools at a Fishguard holiday camp were badly in need of a new surround. The original rubber surround had hardened and cracked over time into an unpleasant brown crumble.
The camp is one of several in the area owned by Charles Howells. “Naturally the replacement pool surround needed to be hygienic and non-slip, but I also wanted something attractive and colourful that would add to the pool environment,” said Mr Howells. “TactTiles offered me all this, plus really quick installation. Then when I learned about the tiles’ durability and their ease of maintenance, there was really no contest. The pictures speak for themselves.”
Tact replaced the rubber surround with concrete and laid Pedestrian Light Blue TactTiles over the whole area, fitting them carefully around the copingstones at the edge of the pool. The tiles were laid in one day and finished off in just over a day.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” says Mr Howells. “I’ve ordered the same flooring in green for my pool at Saundersfoot and this year I’ll be TactTiling the patio
Client: Ellowes Hall Sports College Work: Solution to flooring challenge at Midlands Sports College
Date: Jan 1995
The heavily used swimming and changing facilities at Ellowes Hall Sports College, Dudley had a major surface problem. Slippery ceramic tiles around the poolside and throughout the changing rooms were deteriorating badly, presenting trip, slip and hygiene hazards. The floors looked very tired.
An urgent solution was needed that would
• be very easy to clean
• look good
• resolve the problem long-term while remaining within budget
Specialist flooring supplier Tact presented the perfect solution, but the College’s Sports Director, Christiana Papadopoullos was concerned about maintenance.
“In the end we visited some of Tact’s existing wet flooring solutions around the country to see how they performed in practice,” says Christiana. “That’s what made us decide to go ahead with TactTiles.”
Following extensive consultation with the client, the Tact team laid anti-slip Pedestrian tiles in college colours around the poolside, while terracotta Metro tiles were installed in both wetside and dryside changing rooms matching the existing décor.
Client: Mr and Mrs Lyne Work: Simply Stunning Date: Jan 1995
Mr and Mrs Lyne from Burnham were looking for a surface for a balcony area which was over the flat roof of their garage. The roof was finished with a traditional tarred felt and chippings, so they needed a surface which could be easily laid and which would not damage the felt in use.
They selected Tact’s new Piazza tile which has a series of closely spaced supports underneath to spread the load over the felt. The tiles are lightweight and allow rainwater to drain freely away through the holes in the surface.
Mr Lyne fitted the tiles one afternoon whilst Mrs Lyne was out. When she came back she called the Tact office in great excitement. ‘I knew the tiles would look good’ she said ‘but I just had to call and tell you, they are absolutely stunning. I’m thrilled to bits!’
The Sand Piazza tiles complement their brickwork perfectly and the Lyne’s plan to get a lot more use out of their balcony now that it has such a smart new surface.
Client: Mrs Gascoigne-Pees Work: Starburst floors home
Date: Jan 1995
As an enthusiastic convert to TactTiles, Mrs Gascoigne-Pees floored her new leisure room with her own starburst design using Piazza tiles.
Mrs Gascoigne–Pees first tried out the Piazza tiles in her solar dome, and she was so pleased with the result that she decided new leisure room area should follow suit.
Tact laid the floor before in time for a special birthday party and before the rest of the building was completed.
Once the building was completed, Mr and Mrs Gascoigne-Pees invited Tact’s owners around to see the finished design. The whole room is light and airy and with the pool and gym equipment is the ideal place to work out and relax.
“I’m delighted,” says Mrs Gascoigne-Pees, “and I never imagined I’d have my own designer floor. It makes it so much more special.”
Client: Jackie Eskdale Work: Ben’s slide Date: Jan 1995
Jackie Eskdale contacted Tact for advice on creating a practical and economical play area for her small son Ben.
After some discussion she decided to remove the grass from an area of her garden and level the surface. She then applied a layer of sand and fine aggregate which she stamped down hard, using a machine from a local hire centre. A layer of geotextile purchased from the local garden centre was then laid on top and pegged down. Finally Piazza TactTiles were laid on the top.
‘Laying the tiles was so easy and good fun’ Jackie told Tact, and she was so delighted with the result that she sent over some pictures of Ben in his new play area. ‘The surface is fine to play on for me and my son,’ said Jackie, ‘we were rolling around on the tiles – I couldn’t do that on a hard patio or on damp grass.’
Client: Mr and Mrs Gaston Work: A Taste of the Med Date: Jan 1995
Mr and Mrs Gaston wanted to create a Mediterranean feel to their pool and patio area, as they felt the paved surface was rather dull.
TactTiles Pedestrian in light blue dramatically brightened their pool side and Piazza in Stone Grey lent a clean, light look to the patio.
The Tact team carried out the work over a weekend and the Gastons are delighted with the transformation.
“We’re about to retire so we’ll be spending a lot more time out here,” said Mrs Gaston. “The colours make it feel sunny and welcoming, and the tiles stay clean very easily. We love it!”
Client: AT Toolcentre Work: A clean sweep at a Tool Sales centre Date: Jan 1995
AT Toolcentre of Banbury were in a real fix when the power floated floor in their recently built unit was ‘sweating’ and giving rise to salt deposits on the surface. This caused a real safety problem in the shop as the floor quickly became sticky and also slippery on wet days. The owner, Mr Neil Munton contacted Tact Enviro, the flooring specialists to solve this problem.
Neil selected the Piazza grade TactTiles in a smart dark green for this busy trade counter area. Piazza tiles are made from polypropylene which gives excellent wear characteristics and also easy cleaning.
Tact laid the floor during the day, working around customers and staff. The tiles were laid underneath the display and trade counters without any disruption to the business. AT Toolcentre are pleased to know that if they ever decided to move premises, they will be able to take their new floor with them.
Neil was so pleased with the project that he emailed John Highnam, Tact’s Sales Director -
‘Many thanks to you and your team. From the very beginning when I first contacted your company, the way my enquiry was dealt with and the way the installation was completed, I cannot fault anything. We would be very pleased to become a TactTiles “ambassador”.
Client: Banbury tools store Work: Second helpings of perfect Piazza Date: Jan 1995
Following the installation of a new Piazza TactTiles floor at his Banbury tools store, businessman Neil Munton decided that nothing else would do for his newly acquired Northampton business, Metcalfe Industrial Supplies.
Metcalfes trade outlet floor comprised just over 400m² of undressed concrete slabs. Although basically sound, the uneven surface presented a trip hazard and looked rather unsightly. Following the successful installation at his Banbury store, Neil asked flooring specialist Tact to come back and create a smart and durable floor to enhance the overall look of the trade counter.
The TactTiles team filled and sealed the cracks and gaps in the concrete then used heavy duty floor paint to unify the area. Finally Piazza TactTiles in Dark Green completed the project, covering all the repairs and creating a whole new ambience.
“I’m very pleased with the result, but then after the Banbury refurbishment I expected to be,” smiles Neil. “I needed a really good-looking space and I needed it quickly so that trade wasn’t interrupted. Tact prepared the floor and installed the whole 400 m2 surface in less than two days.”
Client: Dorset villeage bakery Work: Dough boy
Date: Jan 1995
When large bakery in Dorset were experiencing problems with the floor in their bakery wash-up area, they turned to local flooring specialists, Tact Enviro for help.
‘The floor was breaking up under the constant pressure from small wheeled dough mixer buckets’ said Tact’s Sales Director, John Highnam. ‘The problems were compounded by the amount of hot water used in the area to clean the equipment.’
The bakery needed a solution which would protect the floor from further damage and provide a safe and clean working area. TactTiles Premium in safety yellow were selected and quickly laid over the wash-up area and entrance ways. The tiles are hot pressure hosed at the end of the day without further damage to the substrate and can easily be lifted for deep cleaning.
TactTiles met all the client’s health and safety requirements, were installed without any disruption to the business and considerably brightened up the whole area.
Client: Military workshop Work: On the right track
Date: Jan 1995
Tact were called in to solve a big problem for a military workshop in Hertfordshire.
The customer was looking for a floor which could not only be laid very quickly and with minimal disruption, but could also withstand the weight of tanks driving onto it.
The premises had a very uneven and oily floor which was causing operational and safety problems. The building was filled with specialist equipment which could not be housed elsewhere, and timescales were very tight. There simply was not time to vacate the building and carry out a full degreasing of the floor which would have been required with a conventional coating system.
TactTiles durable Premium grade were selected and installed over a weekend. The equipment was moved to one side of the building whilst the floor was laid and then moved back over to finish the job. Business was not disrupted and the staff were delighted with their new, clean and comfortable anti-slip surface.
