Polyflor safety flooring was used to help create beautiful, homely interiors for the award-winning Winchcombe Place care home in Newbury, Berkshire. Polysafe Wood fx PUR decorative safety vinyl flooring was installed in the reception area, dining room and hair salon of the care home.

The European Oak 3347 shade was chosen to create a welcoming, inspirational and comfortable atmosphere which fitted in with the eclectic style of each of these communal areas. The flooring’s replication of natural materials and homely appearance helped to create a stylish environment that complements the use of historical artefacts on display. These vintage items are designed to reflect the local history of the site and community as well as offering visual cues to aid reminiscence for dementia residents.

The project team chose Polysafe Wood fx as a safe but attractive flooring option that would cater for residents with a wide range of needs such as dementia and mobility issues. Polysafe Wood fx is a hard wearing sheet vinyl flooring which combines the authentic reproduction of wood with sustainable wet slip resistance to reduce the risk of slips and trips in residential or commercial areas. The vinyl includes virtually invisible aggregates which provide traction for underfoot safety without compromising the high clarity look of the floor. The floor’s cross-linked and UV cured PUR polyurethane reinforcement means that it can be easily maintained with a simple cleaning regime. The product is fully HSE Compliant and classified as low slip potential, achieving 36 + on the Pendulum Wet Test and a surface roughness of 20 microns +.

Diana Cellela, Director of The Drawing Room Interiors commented, “We wanted to create integrated, inspirational and stimulating surroundings for all Winchcombe Place’s residents to enjoy that were also supportive to their care. Polysafe Wood fx was a perfect flooring choice because of its high safety specification and its realistic replication of wood tones which can help dementia residents feel at ease. This helped us create an environment that was anything but clinical.”