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Flooded with praise

Flooded with praise
When last year's floodwaters hit Doncaster, it was literally all hands to the pumps to refurbish the local Toll Bar Central Club community centre to give the residents of the town a warm, safe and dry social venue for the close-knit community. The centre was needed to offer a venue for those worst hit by the disaster and, in fact, the need to renovate the building as soon as possible was so urgent that the team at the BBC DIY SOS programme was called in. Part of the solution involved the installation of Gerflor flooring, following the specification of the Taralay Impressions product range by DIY SOS architect, Brigid Calderhead; she needed materials which were both functional and complementary to the modern and contemporary design.

Toll Bar was in desperate need of a multi-use area that offered a space for youth clubs, fitness clubs, educational clubs and general meetings. Time was critical as the hall was also needed as a sanctuary for those affected by the flooding, some of whom were forced to leave their homes and move into temporary caravans. As a focal point in the area, the Toll Bar Central Club was the agreed solution and, when the challenge was thrown down to refurbish the hall, it was embraced enthusiastically by everyone.

The DIY SOS team took on the club's renovation - new walls, ceilings, floors and a complete cosmetic makeover. A former working man's club, the Toll Bar can accommodate up to 250 people and had been regularly used for live entertainment and other functions, including mother and toddlers groups and keep-fit classes. Hence, the flooring had to comply with a number of key criteria to meet a multitude of uses: it had to be safe, versatile and non-slip; Gerflor's Taralay Impressions and Chromatics ranges in a choice of vibrant colours fitted the bill perfectly.

Flooring specialist, Vista Contracting, undertook the installation within the main community hall where the Taralay Impressions Diversion floorcovering was selected in three main colours - Cactus, Carbone and Ivoire. This product has an ultra low maintenance with Protecsol® treatment, an 18db VHD backing with 0.65mm wearlayer and is highly durable, ideal for heavy traffic areas, with a 100% pure PVC wear layer. The application of the Protecsol® surface treatment eliminates the need for polish for the full life of the flooring, which means extremely low maintenance and long lasting good looks. With the club operating as a multi-functional venue, this was invaluable. “This was an unusual and extremely fast-track project; we rose to the occasion and completed the job on time and to the correct specification,” comments Scott Barnbrook from Vista. “The Friday was spent preparing the subfloor with primer and a smoothing compound and Saturday saw us mechanically sanding the floor. Eight of our operatives were ready and waiting on Monday to lay the flooring. We had already taken the Chromatics floorcovering back to the factory and cut 4m and 1m circles in different colours in line with the design specification, as well as a half moon shape to go in front of the bar. All that was left was to lay the floorcovering and the job was done.”

The newly refurbished Toll Bar Central Club reopened its doors on Saturday, November 17th 2007, as a multi-purpose community for all ages, with a grand opening that featured activities galore – including belly dancers, snooker, DJs and a performance by a local band, the Buzztones!

For further information on Gerflor, please call 0870 2647 581

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