School Furniture Blog

(PRWEB) February 28, 2008 — Worthington Direct (http://worthingtondirect.com), a supplier of school, church and early childhood furniture and equipment for over 10 years has new expert advice on making the right table purchase. If a worship facility or a school is looking for folding tables, classroom tables, banquet tables or a harder-to-find round folding tables, they may have questions about the many products available on the market. With 30 years in the school furniture industry, Worthington Direct President, Kevin Worthington, has addressed several common questions that arise when purchasing a table.

What do some of the construction terms mean?
Tables are available with a variety of tabletop and core material options. High-Pressure Laminate (HPL), blow molded plastic, ABS plastic, particleboard and plywood are the primary materials for the majority of activity and folding tables.

High Pressure Laminate: HPL tops are created by a two step method of bonding the finish and back layers to the core materials using glue under extreme heat and pressure. This process forms a table surface that is extremely durable and will not bubble up when exposed to water. Tables with HPL tops offer a variety of color choices and have a completely smooth finish. This is an added plus for classrooms, which would include writing and art projects. http://worthingtondirect.com/school_furniture/tables/big_projects_planner_art_tables_by_smith_system.htm

Particleboard-Core: Particleboard is composed of wood chips glued together under pressure to create a high density board. Particleboard tables can range from ¾" to 1 ¼" in thickness and generally have a high pressure laminate surface. Due to their higher density, they weigh more that plywood-core or plastic tables and are best used in spaces that require little movement. Particleboard’s weight anchors them more securely in place and is a reliable standard for classroom activity tables.

Plywood-Core: These reliable tabletops have a plywood core at the center and can have a HPL or a natural stained surface. They are lighter than particleboard, which makes them much easier to set up and break down. The lighter the weight of the table, the less likely damage can occur from slight impacts or bumps that happen when moving the tables or during the initial delivery. Plywood-core folding tables are perfect for banquet rooms or fellowship halls that require frequent movement and offsite storage. http://worthingtondirect.com/school_furniture/tables/rectangular_plywood_core_folding_table_by_midwest.htm

Blow Molded: The newest design to enter the production line is the blow molded plastic resin tabletops, which are extremely lightweight and can be easily set up and stored. Their plastic surface can take food spills and other messes and can be easily cleaned. Blow molded tables do have a slightly textured surface and this should be taken in account when placing these tables in areas that will be used for note taking or other writing exercises. http://worthingtondirect.com/school_furniture/tables/plastic_resin_banquet_tables.htm

ABS Plastic: ABS is a thermoplastic that is lightweight and durable enough to be used to make football helmets. ABS plastic tables can either have a plywood-core or a honeycomb core made up of steel, plywood or more ABS plastic. These tables generally weigh a little more than blow molded plastic resin tables, but offer more stability and strength.

What are the various table heights?
Tables are offered in a fixed or adjustable height option. If a table has a fixed height, it is most likely to be 29 inches to 30 inches high for a standard adult height. Adjustable height tables usually move in one-inch increments for added flexibility when working with children or youth. Some adjustable tables offer a shorter height range just for smaller children. http://worthingtondirect.com/school_furniture/early_childhood_furniture/creative_colors_mix_and_match_tables_by_mahar.htm

What about the table legs?
When choosing a table, consider the standard four-leg classroom table, the T-Leg pedestal table, and the folding table. Each of these leg styles have unique footprints that take up space differently underneath the table. For instance, the T-leg pedestal tables have free space at the corners for leg comfort, but may prohibit someone from being able sit along the smaller ends of the table. The legs and frames of a table are often made of steel. Remember, the lower the gauge of steel, the stronger the table.

How do you determine the seating capacity of a table?
Choosing tables can be tricky. Since size is the most important factor, remember that the smaller the chair, the greater the seating capacity around a table. However, knowing how the table will be used can also determine the amount of room that each person around the table will need. http://www.worthingtondirect.com/school-furniture-fast-facts-for-table-buying-guide.htm

Seating capacity depends on the size of the person and the size of the chair. Full-size student stack chairs are usually 18 inches to 21 inches wide. If you are using a standard folding chair for seating, then plan for 18 inches of width per seat. Allowing for a liberal 26 inches per person gets the "comfortable" designation, while allowing a tight 20 inches per person gets you the "maximum" designation.

About Worthington Direct: Worthington Direct has been in operation for 11 years with an employee average of 13 years experience in the school supply, church and equipment industry, and knows what is important – selection, service, price and timing.

Our goal is to make your purchasing job easier. With competitive pricing, knowledgeable sales associates, and "In Stock" products for quick, efficient shipping, Worthington Direct is committed to be your furniture resource. Schools and churches look to Worthington Direct for competitive pricing for school furniture, church furniture, preschool furniture, early childhood furniture, student desks, classroom chairs, folding chairs, folding tables, seminar tables, AV carts, projector carts, science tables, stools, padded stack chairs, library furniture, desks, wholesale furniture, computer furniture, classroom furniture, dry erase boards, markerboards, chalkboards, office furniture, room dividers, partitions, cubbie units, storage cabinets, file cabinets, bookcases, lockers, classroom carpets, booktrucks, easels, display cases, cafeteria tables, activity tables, classroom desks, computer tables, desk chairs, lecterns, literature racks, office desks and risers among its large stock.

Educators and ed-tech specialists who attended the 2008 Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference in Austin got a Texas-size helping of new educational technology ideas, approaches, and solutions to take back to their schools.

With more than 8,500 registered attendees from all over the nation, this year’s TCEA conference was the largest ever, said TCEA Executive Director Ron Cravey. “Everyone there had a good time, and the amount of knowledge shared was overwhelming.” Cravey said. “One attendee described this year’s event as ‘awesome’ and told me he ‘would be here every year’ until he died. TCEA will continue to grow bigger and better, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Those in attendance had a chance to tour an exhibit hall featuring 430 ed-tech vendors and sit in on any of the dozens of workshops and concurrent sessions. They also heard keynote speeches from former NASA astronaut Sally Ride, who sounded an alarm about the state of science education in the nation’s schools, and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, who described new technologies that “will change your life” and discussed their implications for today’s educators.

Another feature unique to this year’s conference: eSchool News hosted a two-day “Ed-Tech Best Practices Summit,” during which conference attendees learned how their colleagues in other schools are using technology successfully to enhance education. Among the approaches that were highlighted were solutions from American Education Corp., Atomic Learning, BenQ, ePals, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, LenSec, Lightspeed Systems, Moodlerooms, PBS TeacherLine, Saywire, Troxell Communications, and Voyager Expanded Learning. Continue reading

Tables

Need folding tables or banquet tables for your worship facility? How about a harder-to-find round folding table? In today’s market, you can choose from plywood core, laminate, or plastic tops in a variety of attractive colors and finishes for your folding tables or banquet tables. Visit www.Worthingtondirect.com today to see all of your table options.

Need help getting started? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions by churches when evaluating and purchasing tables.

What are the various table top materials? Tables are available with a variety of tabletop options. High-Pressure Laminate (HPL), blow molded plastic, ABS plastic, and plywood are the primary materials for the majority of activity and folding tables.

High Pressure Laminate: HPL tops have a particleboard core and are superior to thermofused melamine and to non-thermofused melamine tops. HPL tops will not bubble up when exposed to water and are more resistant upon impact. Tables with HPL tops offer a variety of color choices and have a completely smooth finish. This is an added plus for classrooms, which would include writing and art projects.

Plywood-Core: These reliable tabletops have a plywood core at the center with a sheet of high-pressure laminate on top. They have the same benefits of the HPL tabletops, but they also have a superior core strength and stability. They are lighter weight than the full plywood top, which makes them much easier to set up and break down.

Blow Molded: The newest design to enter the production line is the blow molded tabletops, which are extremely lightweight and can be easily set up and stored. The lighter the weight of the table, the less likely damage can occur in delivery. The tabletop does have a slightly textured surface compared to a smooth HPL top.

What are the various table heights? Tables are offered in a fixed or adjustable height option. If a table has a fixed height, it is most likely to be 29 inches to 30 inches high for a standard adult height. Adjustable height tables usually move in one-inch increments for added flexibility when working with children or youth. Some adjustable tables offer a smaller height range just for smaller children.

What about the table legs? When choosing a table, consider the standard four-leg table, the T-Leg pedestal table, the standard classroom table, and the folding table. The legs and frames of a table are often made of steel. Remember, the lower the gauges of steel, the stronger the table.

How do you determine the seating capacity of a table? Choosing tables can be tricky. Since size is the most important factor, remember that the smaller the chair, the greater the seating capacity around a table. However, knowing how the table will be used can also determine the amount of room that each person around the table will need.

Seating capacity depends on the size of the person and the size of the chair. Full-size student stack chairs are usually 18 inches to 21 inches wide. If you are using a standard folding chair for seating, then plan for 18 inches of width per seat. Allowing for a liberal 26 inches per person gets the “comfortable” designation, while allowing a tight 20 inches per person gets you the “maximum” designation.

Kevin Worthington is president of Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect.com . Continue reading

Worthington Direct has added new products to the Greenguard Certified Furniture catagory by Bretford, Inc.  Outfit your entire computer lab with quality products like the Connections Series computer tables and accessories.  Visit www.Worthingtondirect.com today for new healthy, learning environment.

Bretford, Inc., supplier of technology and media furniture that improves how people work and learn, today announced that a large number of its laminate tables, carts and accessories now comply with the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s (GEI) GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) standards for low-emitting products and materials. Through this designation, Bretford is giving specifiers of furniture products for education and business facilities the ability to create healthier environments – particularly for children. It also brings these institutions closer to achieving valuable Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) points, the nationally accepted benchmark towards the design, construction and operation of green buildings.

Bretford’s Quattro, Connections and CR Series tables and accessories, as well as Presentation Environments™ and HERE™ meeting and training tables, carts and accessories now hold GREENGUARD Certification. For a complete listing of certified Bretford models, view the GREENGUARD Online Product Guide. Each product is linked to a printable certificate that verifies GREENGUARD Certification, which is approved by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for LEED project submission.

According to GEI, people spend over 90 percent of their time indoors where they are exposed to thousands of airborne pollutants. Inadequate ventilation, high temperatures and high humidity levels increase concentrations of some contaminants, leading to indoor air pollution levels on average two to five times greater than those outdoors and in some cases up to 100 times greater. Children are at the greatest risk because they are more susceptible to certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and allergens, which may trigger allergic reactions, asthma symptoms and other health problems.

“Bretford’s tables, carts and accessories are primarily used in education and business environments – and because they are among our highest volume products, we chose to have them tested and certified first,” explained John Jaqua, manager, design and engineering for Bretford, Inc. “Certification is becoming critical in commercial environments and our GREENGUARD designation now allows architects, designers and facility managers to confidently and immediately specify Bretford tables into their ‘green-friendly’ school, library, conference room or workspace projects.”

According to GEI CEO Carl E. Smith, LEED AP, “Building managers and specifiers are leading the demand for healthier indoor air by seeking products that meet recognized standards and carry third-party certification.” He continued, “The Bretford products underwent comprehensive testing and verification to attain the GREENGUARD Certification. When certified Bretford products are integrated into a facility design, the building owner can be confident that they will not contribute to indoor air pollution.”  

About GREENGUARD Certification
The GREENGUARD Certification Program^SM is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. The first GREENGUARD Certification was awarded in the fall of 2002. In 2005, GEI announced the GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard, which evaluates the sensitive nature of school populations combined with the unique building characteristics found in schools, and presents the most rigorous product emissions criteria to date. GREENGUARD Certification is a valuable tool for architects, designers, product specifiers, and purchasing organizations that want to locate, specify, and purchase off-the-shelf, low-emitting products for indoor environments. More information about the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and GREENGUARD Certification can be found at http://www.greenguard.org/.