The Albion Academy – MFL Staircase Flooring Installation
Project Overview
Flooring Solutions Ltd was appointed to carry out a specification-led commercial flooring installation at The Albion Academy, a secondary school in Salford, covering the MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) staircase.
Staircases in busy secondary schools see some of the heaviest and most concentrated footfall in the entire building, with hundreds of pupils moving between lessons at pace throughout the day. The specification for this project needed to deliver on slip resistance, durability, and long-term performance, while withstanding the demands of a shuttered step construction. Our team completed a fully managed installation using premium products throughout, ensuring a safe, hard-wearing, and visually consistent result for staff and pupils alike.
The Challenge: A Heavily Trafficked Secondary School Staircase
Staircases connecting core teaching corridors, such as the MFL staircase at The Albion Academy, are subject to constant, high-intensity use throughout the school day. The shuttered step construction on this staircase required careful substrate preparation to achieve a sound, stable base before any floor covering could be laid. Every tread, riser, and nosing junction needed to be finished to a high standard to ensure both durability and pupil safety, all while the works were carried out with minimal disruption to the school’s timetable.
Products & Materials Used
Polyflor Polysafe Vogue Ultra PUR — Seawater (5490)
The floor covering specified for this project was Polyflor Polysafe Vogue Ultra PUR safety flooring in the Seawater colourway (reference 5490). Polysafe Vogue Ultra PUR is a heavy-duty, slip-resistant vinyl safety flooring engineered for the most demanding commercial and education environments, and is widely specified for staircases and circulation areas where pupil safety is paramount.
The product’s factory-applied PUR reinforcement provides exceptional resistance to wear, scuffing, and heavy foot traffic, while significantly reducing long-term maintenance requirements compared with unprotected safety flooring. The Seawater colourway offers a calm, contemporary tone well suited to a busy secondary school setting, helping the staircase feel bright and well cared for despite constant daily use.
Ardex Screeds to Shuttered Steps
Given the shuttered step construction of the MFL staircase, Ardex screed systems were used to rebuild and reprofile each tread and riser, providing a sound, accurately formed base ahead of the floor covering installation. This screeding work was essential to achieving consistent step dimensions and a stable substrate across the full flight, ensuring the safety flooring and nosings that followed could be installed to a true and durable finish.
Uzin KE 2000S & F. Ball F60
Uzin KE 2000S, a fibre-reinforced, flexible levelling and smoothing compound, was used to fine-tune the substrate ahead of installation, providing the smooth, sound surface required for a safety flooring installation of this nature. The Polysafe Vogue Ultra PUR was then bonded using F. Ball F60, a high-performance, high-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive widely specified for safety vinyl installations in commercial and education settings. F60 provides a strong, reliable bond capable of withstanding the heavy foot traffic and repeated impact associated with a busy school staircase.
Gradus XT Nosings & Associated Angle Trims
All staircase treads were completed with Gradus XT stair nosings, together with associated angle trims, to provide a safe, durable, and clearly defined edge to every step. Gradus is the UK’s leading manufacturer of stair nosing and edge protection systems, and the XT range is specifically designed to provide long-lasting slip resistance and edge protection in high-traffic environments such as school staircases. The angle trims ensure a neat, secure finish at every riser and step edge, complementing the Polysafe Vogue Ultra PUR flooring and delivering a professional, regulation-compliant result throughout.
Why Choose Flooring Solutions Ltd for School & Education Flooring?
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Walkden, Manchester, Commercial Flooring Solutions Ltd has over two decades of experience delivering commercial flooring projects across the education sector and beyond. We understand the unique demands of secondary school environments — from working within tight timeframes during holidays or out-of-hours periods, to specifying products that meet the highest standards of safety, durability, and long-term performance.
Our team works with the industry’s leading manufacturers, including Polyflor, Gradus, Ardex, F. Ball, and Uzin, to ensure every installation is completed to the highest possible standard. From initial specification through to final handover, we provide a professional, fully managed service tailored to the needs of each individual project.
Related Services
Safety Flooring | Stair Edgings & Nosings | Commercial Vinyl | Specialist Flooring Services | Contract Flooring
Get in Touch
If you have an education or commercial flooring project — large or small — we’d love to hear from you. Visit our contact page, email us at sales@flooringsolutions.co.uk or call 0161 787 7575 to discuss your requirements.