Designing Flooring for Sensory-Conscious Special Education Schools

The Challenge: Designing Flooring for a Special Education School Renovation 

Perched on a hilltop in central Massachusetts, Keystone Educational Collaborative serves students with developmental and behavioral disabilities in a highly structured, sensory-conscious environment. The school had recently acquired the building – a former restaurant and event venue – giving the team a rare opportunity to overhaul almost every surface before occupancy. When the school undertook a full interior renovation, its design team needed building materials that could meet both durability requirements and specialized user needs. One area of focus: replacing outdated flooring that had become noisy, difficult to maintain and inconsistent with the school’s therapeutic goals.

“The renovation of a former restaurant and apple orchard provided an opportunity to design a school environment from the ground up, using materials that balanced durability with ergonomic benefits,” said Keystone’s Executive Director John Demanche, M.Ed, BCBA, LABA. “Our primary goal was to create spaces – particularly through thoughtful flooring design – that support the physical comfort, sensory needs and overall well-being of the special needs population we serve.”

Working with Sherwin-Williams High Performance Flooring and installer Above All Epoxy, Keystone installed a resinous system across 97% of the building – including classrooms, corridors, offices and reception areas, ramps, bathrooms and the cafeteria. The team chose SofTop™ RXC, a poured-in-place vinyl flake system originally developed for healthcare and cleanroom environments. Its seamless construction, ergonomic comfort and easy-clean surface suited the school’s mix of heavy traffic, students with sensory needs and need for hygiene protocols.

The seamless application eliminated joints and grout lines that can trap debris or harbor moisture – keeping the surface more sanitary under daily wear and cleaning. It also delivered acoustic and ergonomic benefits, reducing footfall noise in corridors and offering underfoot cushioning for students and staff alike. A lightly textured finish added slip resistance – a key safety consideration.

Installation details also shaped performance. Integral cove bases provided smooth wall transitions, while flush thresholds and clean terminations at floor drains supported both mobility and sanitation – contributing to a continuous, low-profile surface suited to a complex learning environment.

The Solution: Seamless, High Performance Flooring for Therapeutic Learning Spaces 

While many school projects default to vinyl composition tile (VCT) or rubber, Keystone chose a resinous system more often used in healthcare and cleanroom settings – a deliberate move based on programmatic needs and long-term maintenance goals. The floor had to check multiple boxes: comfort underfoot, acoustic control, resistance to aggressive cleaning routines and a calm, non-distracting appearance.

That made SofTop RXC a natural fit. Its poured-in-place construction offered layout flexibility and continuous coverage across varied substrates – including concrete slabs in classrooms and plywood ramps in transitional zones. The design team took advantage of this flexibility to unify finishes throughout the building without relying on expansion joints, metal strips or threshold transitions. The result was a clean, modern finish that allowed visual calm and functional consistency across corridors, restrooms, the spacious cafeteria and the nurse’s office.

Specifying a high-performance system also aligned with lifecycle thinking. With no adhesives or joints to fail, the system reduced future maintenance and eliminated the need for waxing or tile replacement. The integrated cove base and topcoat offered a lasting solution for cleanliness and wear resistance – a priority for the facilities team.Just as important, the look was right. The terrazzo-inspired Designer Blend flake finish was soft enough to avoid distraction and warm enough to steer clear of an institutional feel. It was one of several design decisions – along with lighting, acoustics and materials – that helped translate the school’s therapeutic mission into form.

The Installation: Phased Resinous Flooring Poured Across Different School Zones and Substrates 

Keystone’s flooring installation required close coordination across zones and substrates – including concrete slabs, plywood ramps and high-exposure areas like restrooms and mechanical rooms. Above All Epoxy, a trusted Sherwin-Williams installation partner, led the work with an eye on sequencing and site conditions.

Crews began by removing sheet vinyl and shot-blasting the concrete to a CSP 3-4 concrete surface profile, creating an open, bondable surface. In ramp areas where plywood remained, they installed a flexible polyurea underlayment and reinforced joints with fiberglass mesh to accommodate potential movement without compromising the finish. The resinous flooring system was installed in phases, beginning with a primer coat of Polycrete® TF Plus, a moisture-tolerant base layer designed to promote adhesion and address vapor. Crews then broadcast HPF coarse sand into the base to create a mechanical anchor for the next layer: a self-leveling application of SofTop® RX. This durable, high-build layer formed the system’s core structure and texture.

“The way the materials were formulated simplified installation as the job progressed,” said Paul Crook, Owner and CEO of Above All Epoxy. “It was set up for success right from the factory. Part A, part B and the powder all mix one-one-one, so it’s almost impossible to get a bad batch. That makes application faster and reduces the chance of error.”

While the resin was still wet, installers broadcast a terrazzo-style flake blend into the surface to deliver the specified aesthetic. Timing of this step was key – flakes needed to remain suspended at the surface without sinking or clumping, requiring precise attention to resin set time and site conditions. The following day, installers returned to apply two finish coats of Accelera® EXT – a fast-curing, UV- and chemical-resistant topcoat system that sealed the flake and will support easy cleaning and long-term finish stability. Applied in two passes – 16 mils and 8 mils, respectively – the full system achieved a thickness of 3/16 inch.

“One major advantage of the system was its fast cure time. We could apply both topcoats in the same day – which you just can’t do with most materials,” said Crook. “And the body coat gave us a slower working time, which helped with chip broadcast in larger rooms.”

Storage and staging also required coordination. To avoid winter shipping delays, the full material order was delivered early and acclimated indoors – requiring some creative staging during installation, but helping to keep the timeline intact. Across the 17,500-square-foot installation, no metal transitions or reducer strips were required, even at thresholds or change-of-plane areas. The poured-in-place system allowed a continuous finish across all spaces, with integral cove bases formed onsite at every wall junction.

Despite scheduling constraints, the project wrapped in just over three weeks, ahead of schedule and ready for occupancy before students returned from winter break.

Project Coordination: Architectural and Construction Considerations 

Coordination was built into the project from the outset. Because the system would be installed early – before casework, bathroom partitions, ramps or thresholds – every detail had to be considered upstream. Sherwin-Williams worked closely with Studio G Architects, general contractor Mill City Construction and Above All Epoxy to make sure the flooring system integrated cleanly with architectural and construction needs.

Based on performance requirements established by the school – including sanitation, durability and acoustic control – Sherwin-Williams helped guide the design team toward the most appropriate system. They supported the team with resin samples, technical data, color approvals and pre-construction guidance. Site representatives remained involved throughout installation, reviewing surface prep, verifying conditions and assisting with sequencing to help translate the team’s design intent into reality.

Terminations and transitions were a key focus. Without the typical expansion joints, the resinous system had to align with slab edges, ramp pitches, thresholds and drain slopes. Sherwin-Williams collaborated with both the architect and applicator to pinpoint and anticipate those intersections early – reducing the risk of cracking, edge failure or water intrusion later.

The system’s flexibility across substrates was another asset. Whether poured over concrete or applied atop plywood ramps and mechanical chases, the SofTop RXC system provided a uniform finish across each surface, with no visible change in gloss or texture.

The Results: A Seamless Flooring System That Supports Safety, Hygiene and Noise Control in Special Education Schools 

At Keystone Educational Collaborative, the floor was treated as a core component of the renovation. The SofTop RXC system supported key operational goals – durability, sanitation and acoustic control – and provided a continuous surface across classrooms, corridors and specialized spaces. Early coordination among the architect, contractor, installer and Sherwin-Williams helped streamline planning and limit disruptions during installation. With no seams or transitions to manage, the finish remained consistent from room to room.

More than a design choice, the floor became part of the school’s larger effort to create a stable, supportive environment – one built to meet the needs of its students every day.