When considering an upgrade or initial installation of a floor system for your facility, it is important to realize that such systems are not one size fits all. The type of floor system that will best serve your operation will depend upon the specific activities that occur on that floor and the unique type of damage and wear it might suffer. You might want to consider if you need one or more of the following qualities in a floor system.
Acid Resistant Flooring
Acid spills are a likely occurrence for a variety of organizations. An automotive facility might have to contend with leaking car batteries, a food production plant might see vinegar and other acidic ingredients spilled, and a laboratory might need protocols in place for when any number of powerful acids hit the floor.
Typically, the best floor system for acid resistance will be a Novolac Epoxy (a low molecular weight polymer derived from formaldehyde and phenols). However, before committing to a given floor system, preferred will examine the MSDS sheets of an operation’s commonly used chemicals to determine the flooring materials that make the most sense for the environment.
Electrostatic Discharge Preventative
In an earlier post, we covered how the static charges (and subsequent discharges) that build on tools and workers can pose a serious threat to sensitive electronic equipment. An electrostatic dissipative floor covering that has been infused with conductive fibers that ground the surface layer of the floor to the concrete sub-flooring will allow electrons to continuously flow from people and tools to ground thus preventing the accumulation of a potentially hazardous charges.
Anti Slip Flooring
Potentially every manufacturer, warehouse, and retailer could benefit from anti slip flooring as there are so many common substances that can turn a surface into a bone breaking hazard. Motor oil, cooking grease, spilled beverages, or even water tracked in from outside on a rainy day can all create an unacceptable slip and fall hazard.
To reduce this particular liability, Preferred can blend fine particulates (usually aluminum oxide or quartz) into a floor’s finish layer to improve traction. The size of the grit can be customized to meet the preferences of the client.
Thermal Shock Resistant Flooring
Thermal shock is a form of stress on a material when it is subject to sudden and pronounced expansion or contraction resulting from an abrupt and severe temperature change. The phenomenon can be easily observed in the cracking of ice cubes as they are submerged in a warm beverage.
Floors can undergo damage due to thermal shock if spills of exceptionally hot (engine coolant or deep fryer oil) or cold (liquid nitrogen or dry ice) substances occur. The floors of unheated facilities may also be damaged by extreme cold in locations where severe winters are a reality.
To improve thermal shock resistance, preferred typically recommends the application of a urethane cement, which is a blend of water based urethane and an aggregate. Commonly, a urethane cement will be applied in a layer 3/16ths of an inch thick.
No matter what forms of abuse your floors are likely to endure, preferred can help keep them in top shape by matching the unique demands of your operation with the right floor system for you. Contact us today for more information and a free quote.