Meeting Ministry of Education standards for school flooring
In June 2022, the Ministry of Education released its guide to school property design standards, Designing Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand (DSNZ). This document defines the requirements for school buildings and serves as a key resource for those involved in the planning and design of schools.
Compliance with DSNZ is mandatory for all new work on state school property. While the DSNZ does not mandate the use of specific products, it establishes technical standards and guidelines for how products must perform.
Flooring surfaces are categorised into five basic types: entry mats, soft floor coverings, resilient flooring, gym floors and floors for multipurpose spaces. Below, we outline the essential points for each category and demonstrate how Advance Flooring’s range meets or exceeds these requirements.
Entry mats
Entry mats are compulsory at entries to building entries and external lifts. They must have sufficient depth to remove water and debris, be integrated and flush with surrounding flooring, and be at least as wide as the entryway. Advance Flooring offers a wide range of entry matting that complies with these criteria, including DecoRIB, Gecko, Dimension and more.
Case study: Flat Bush School
Soft floor coverings
The DSNZspecifies that soft floor coverings must consist of commercial-grade, heavy-duty carpet tiles. These must be sustainable and low in VOCs, be colourfast and fade-resistant, and designed with a ‘reasonably long-standing style and pattern to support ongoing maintenance’. Advance Flooring’s history of supplying carpet tiles for educational facilities includes the installation of proven ranges and colours in both EcoBacking and ComfortBacking options. These products provide superior warmth, comfort and acoustics, while being durable and stain-resistant.
Case studies: Marian College, Mt Roskill Grammar School
Resilient flooring
Where soft coverings are unsuitable, resilient flooring must be specified. Sheet vinyl flooring is the preferred solution wherever appropriate. However, in workshop areas or where spiked sports shoes are used, other resilient flooring options must be considered. Advance Flooring’s vinyl range meets DSNZ requirements by offering commercial grade durability, resilience for demanding activities, sustainable and low VOC options, and homogenous and seam-welded solutions.
Case study: St Andrew’s College,
Gym floors
Gym flooring must be fit for purpose for sports while being durable enough to support the building’s broader uses. Floors must have baseline shock-absorbing properties suitable for community-level sports, and meet national competition standards, if required. Advance Vari-Use PVC sports flooring delivers comfort, safety and performance, offering both multi-use and sport-specific surfaces that meet national sporting code standards.
Case study: Lincoln University
Floors for multipurpose spaces
The DSNZ guide encourages architects and specifiers to ‘explore durable flooring solutions for multipurpose facilities’. Flooring for these spaces must tolerate point loads, such as chair legs or stiletto shoes, and include options like sheet or tiled vinyl, rubber products or durable seamless floors.
With over 40 years' experience in providing flooring for educational facilities, Advance Flooring offers expert advice and products that meet and exceed the Ministry’s requirements for all types of educational spaces.
