Palisade Tiles the Perfect Choice for Busy YMCA 

About a year ago, leadership at the Randolph Area YMCA in Moberly, Mo., faced the inevitable: their locker rooms needed a serious upgrade. This area is the one location that customers truly notice if it looks dirty or in disrepair. Operating at its current location since 2007, these locker rooms had not been upgraded for nearly a decade, and it showed.

"There were some real cheap shower walls that were installed in 2013 or so, but they were poor quality and really needed to be replaced," says Jamie Shirk, CEO.

"People have told me they feel like they're in a spa now vs. a locker room. It's been a great response." —Jamie Shirk, CEO, Randolph Area YMCA

The men's, women's and family locker rooms all required new flooring, shower walls, sinks and fixtures, and a fresh coat of paint. After the project was approved, staff and contractors worked together to find solutions that could withstand heavy use and fit the budget.

Shirk remembered he'd had Palisade tiles in his own home and wondered if they would work in a commercial setting. "We wanted something that looked high-end but wasn't expensive," he says.

Palisade tiles are waterproof, grout-free tiles that install in half the time of regular grouted tile. Made of PVC, they're available in a variety of colors and patterns to match any aesthetic and work well as accent walls, to cover whole rooms, or for use as tub and shower surrounds. Matching trims complete any project for a unified, professional-looking appearance.

"We had no hesitation in recommending Palisade for this project," said Kathy Walls, co-owner with her husband, Scott Walls, of Mid MO Flooring, which sells and installs a variety of flooring and shower products. "We've been using Palisade for a couple of years, and we like the ease of installation and the fact that it's a different option for people who don't want to deal with tile and grout. The durability and sturdiness are important, but the color choices are another selling point. There's a wide spectrum to choose from, and they don't fade."

In total, the entire upgrade took about three weeks to complete due to having to work around the public, but the Palisade tiles and trim went up quickly. It took only two days for all the tiles and matching trims to be completely installed; from unboxing to final walk-through.

The response from YMCA members and staff has been positive. "Within three days we had seven phone calls from people who want to put it into their own homes," Wall says. "We knew we'd get an influx of calls because everybody loves it. They love the color. Our YMCA is like a whole new place now."

"People have told me they feel like they're in a spa now vs. a locker room," Shirk adds. "It's been a great response."

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