Flooring choices can affect spending, building safety

Flooring may not be considered one of the most important elements in church construction projects, but choosing proper flooring is extremely important to building safety and may save the church a great deal of money in the future, according to flooring professionals.
   
Think about it — if a church puts the wrong flooring down, people may slip and fall when it rains. If a gym has the wrong type of flooring, it could cause injuries to people playing sports. Also, if the carpet does not wear properly, it may need replacing prematurely and could become a trip hazard.
   
Unfortunately, these little spills are not uncommon in many churches.
   
A common myth among churches is that they cannot afford the best flooring  without paying a great deal of money for it, according to Edward Covington, executive vice president of Covington Flooring Company in Birmingham.
   
But having provided flooring for Alabama Baptist churches of all sizes as well as other businesses, Covington refuted this type of thinking. He said churches can get the best quality flooring without it costing an arm and a leg.
   
“Get the most for your money,” he said. “There is a point in the carpet-    buying process where you are paying for aesthetics and not durability. If you are a small church and you don’t have a lot of money to spend, you may have to sacrifice looks but it will last.”
   
To select the appropriate flooring for an area, Covington recommends that church leaders consult a reputable dealer or flooring contractor as early as possible in the building process.
   
“If the owner wants to have some accurate costs for his project, selecting products before the job is priced is very wise,” he stated. “Flooring can sometimes get pushed back in the building process because it is not always considered a crucial part of the building process in the beginning, but you can save a lot of trouble in the end if the selection is made early.”
   
He noted that choosing a trustworthy architect or contractor to complete a building project helps in this process. “Usually they will pick reputable subcontractors,” he said.
   
In areas of recreation, Covington strongly opposes using carpet flooring because it is not a competitive surface. Instead, he recommends using wood or synthetic gym flooring. “It (carpet) can never be resurfaced like wood and synthetic surfaces and could possibly lead to injuries,” Covington noted.
   
David Payne, owner of Payne and Associates Architecture in Montgomery, also offers flooring advice to church leaders. He recommends the following:
   
–Slope floors in rooms with more than 12 or 13 rows of seating.
   
–Place hard surfaces under the pews and carpet in the aisles to produce better congregational singing.
   
–Cover platforms in carpet and choir areas with hard surfaces.