HEAD START CENTER DESIGN GUIDE

This chapter discusses suggested finishes for centers.

9.1 General Requirements

Because safety is of the utmost importance, GSA suggests that finishes meet all local or state smoke and flame spread requirements. In addition, GSA suggests that designers consider the off-gassing and toxicity of materials. Because children are more vulnerable to toxic materials than adults, GSA suggests the following rigorous requirements:

• Test carpets for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and request a green label from the Carpet and Rug Institute indicating that the carpet emissions are within the acceptable range.
• The carpet should meet the State of Washington Standards. Adhesives should be the least toxic, effective products available. Reference the AIA Environmental Resource Guide, with the 1997 supplement.
• The carpet should be recyclable to reduce the nation's waste stream per Executive Order.
• Formaldehyde: Products should contain less than 0.05 parts per million (ppm) of formaldehyde. Any product purchased with formaldehyde levels above 0.05 ppm must bear a label in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1048. Chamber tests of materials can substantiate formaldehyde content.
• Allow adequate time in the construction schedule to ventilate gas-containing materials. In new centers, allow up to one month between the installation of materials that need to off-gas and the occupancy of the center. Renovations should allow the maximum feasible time to off-gas, up to one month, but in no case less than one week. Use mechanical means, if necessary, to ventilate the space once renovation is complete.

Durability, maintenance requirements, life-cycle costs, appropriateness, and the aesthetics should be considered when choosing finishes. In addition, the selection should be environmentally sensitive, be constructed of recycled materials, and offer the possibility of being recycled.

Small-scale finish materials, such as bricks, are typically preferable to large pre-cast panels, because a brick's dimension is more congruent with the size of a child and his or her home experience. Finishes should emphasize natural materials that harmonize a variety of textures, colors, and shapes.

All construction should be designed for safe use by children and should comply with the following criteria:

• Rounded (bullnosed) outside corners (minimum radius 1/2 inch).
• Non-toxic finishes.
• Finished hardwood with eased edges to reduce splinters.
• Slip-resistant floor coverings.
• Sealed seams and joints for sanitary cleaning and reduction of tripping hazards.
• Connections that do not project.
• Impervious finishes at wet areas.
• Protective resilient fall zones under interior climbing equipment in accordance with the CPSC's Handbook for Public Playground Safety.
• Additional protection for gypsum wallboard, such as veneered plaster or some other means to toughen otherwise vulnerable surfaces in high-use areas, such as multipurpose rooms and corridors.