Until recently, cleaning the floors at St. Petersburg, Florida's All Children's Hospital was a scheduling nightmare. According to Anna Stratigos, administrative director of support services, maintenance of the hospital's vinyl composite tile floors had to be set up days in advance, taking into account asthmatic staff and patients who might be adversely affected by the chemicals in the stripper and wax. "The chemicals were a concern to us as was the amount of time and labor required to complete the cleaning, stripping and waxing process. Rooms were tied up for long periods of time, and try as we might, we could never remove the wax buildup that splashed on the baseboards and gave the floors a sloppy appearance even when they were clean."

So, when the patient rooms in the 216-bed center for pediatric treatment were scheduled for renovation in 2000, Stratigos searched for an easy-to-maintain floor covering -- one that could be cleaned without harsh chemicals and one that would not require stripping and waxing. Her search ended with an introduction to nora Rubber Flooring. nora® Rubber Flooring is available in a broad range of colors and patterns that blended nicely with the hospital's interior design scheme, and the tiles and sheet rubber flooring, stairtreads and accessories addressed the maintenance issues that plagued Stratigos.

"Here was a product that offered easy maintenance. We didn't have to worry about chemicals in stripping and waxing products because nora® Rubber Flooring systems don't require stripping and waxing. What's more, we can use a nontoxic general purpose cleaner when we clean the floors. The results -- savings in labor, time and cleaning agents as we care for our new floors. And these floors really look nice all the time!"

Stratigos points to other benefits of the nora® rubber floor coverings, including stain and slip resistance and durability. nora® cleanguard, a proprietary process used during manufacturing, creates a dense, non-porous, dirt-repellent surface for all nora® products. "Stain resistance is important just about anywhere in patient care areas, and with this rubber flooring, we have it, even with all the betadines we use. Three years after their installation, the floors look just like the day we installed them. And the slip coefficient goes up with this product, meaning floors are less slippery even when they are wet.

"Since installing the nora® flooring, we've also noticed that it's much easier to roll heavy equipment across the floors, and it appears that our employees have registered fewer complaints of lower back pain. We think this is the result of the cushioning the rubber flooring offers staff members who are on their feet most of their workday."

As the hospital continues to grow and add buildings to its portfolio of properties, she noted that additional maintenance staff has not been required to care for additional square footage of flooring. "I have to believe that these labor savings are the result of the significant time savings associated with the care of nora® rubber flooring."

To date, approximately 50,000 square feet of noraplan effect and 20,000 of noraplan stone have been installed in patient rooms, play areas, restrooms, laboratories, common areas, corridors and stairwells at All Children's, with additional applications under consideration.

"The results have been so good that I'm recommending the installation of nora® rubber flooring wherever I can," said Stratigos.