Key Considerations When Choosing Industrial Flooring

When it comes to construction projects, architects, engineers, and designers face many challenges in choosing industrial flooring. With most facilities, there are some standard features and components that, while they seem insignificant, actually require a great deal of forethought and consideration in choosing the model of material that best suits the work environment. Flooring is one of the critical building features that require a lot of thought at the onset during the selection of materials.

Considering what type of industrial flooring to choose is essential to keep certain conditions in order. You’ll never know how the flooring you install will benefit you in the present or the long run. There are several essential factors that one must consider when deciding what flooring material to install. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert necessarily to get your flooring right. All you need to know are the key considerations that you should keep in mind when choosing your industrial flooring.

1. Foot Traffic

Foot traffic is the first thing that you need to identify. You have to know the type and volume of foot traffic anticipated for the floor. For instance, a warehouse floor is expected to be subjected to forklift traffic throughout the day and therefore has a different need than a storage room in a small retail shop that sees infrequent foot traffic. Once you know the type of foot traffic, you will identify the right resin material for your floor. Another example is a gymnasium floor that may be better suited to a more flexible finish of polyurethane flooring. The volume of traffic does affect not only the material of your flooring but also affects cleaning, maintenance, and repair costs.

The more massive the foot traffic will be, the thicker and stronger the industrial flooring needs to prevent any complications such as chips, scratches, and possibly even large cracks if the pressure is too heavy for the floor to bare. Fixing these floors are usually expensive, depending on how bad the damage is.

2. Purpose

Another critical consideration is the purpose or the intended use of the space. Knowing the sole purpose of the flooring can help contractors tell what type they need to install. Sometimes, an industrial building can have multiple sections, and each area might need a specific type of flooring. Although it can be costly for some building owners, it is noteworthy that focusing on the purpose is appropriate for ensuring safety in the entire building.

If you have a food production business that handles milk and dairy products, polyurethane flooring or PMMA is a better choice since organic lactic acids can corrode and turn an epoxy resin floor yellow. For sterile environments such as clean rooms, the ideal choice for hygienic, closed-pore properties is PMMA.

3. Budget

Although it is always advisable to choose an industrial flooring system that’s more fit for purpose than cost, your available account will still play a part in selecting a type of floor. You should note the price of any industrial floor, which includes the cost of material and installation.

As mentioned a while ago, limiting the budget and choosing cheap, low-quality industrial flooring isn’t a good idea. Although it may cost you less, the quality will be compromised. Of course, such a problem is something that shouldn’t happen, especially inside industrial buildings where there are most likely heavy pieces of machinery roaming around and a ton of people walking. Even the tiniest bit of industrial flooring damage can cause injuries for people who aren’t aware, and they suddenly trip on these cracks.

4. Environment

It’s not very ideal to use one particular type of flooring in different settings of the building. Other environmental conditions can affect industrial floors, depending on where the contractors install it. Some of these conditions are temperature, moisture, and exposure, so it’s best to install proper industrial flooring to prevent any issues. Polyurethane floors have excellent resistance to high temperatures and direct heat, making them an ideal solution for hot environments such as areas in front of ovens in a bakery.

5. Color

When it comes to cleaning, maintenance, light, and comfortability of space or work environment, color is essential. Light color can make your floor look brighter and more significant if your area gets some natural light. White or cream flooring may look very nice, but it can also be challenging to clean.

The reason for choosing the correct color for the industrial flooring is its ability to blend in correctly around the entire interior building. Aesthetics are always a must in every building out there because it helps with the appearance and keeps a vibrant atmosphere for people working around.

6. Finish

There are many finishes to suit an industrial floor’s intended purpose in terms of workplace safety. Anti-skid coatings are essential, especially in wet conditions. There are also available coatings that resist damage from heavy vehicle traffic and prevent chemical damage or corrosion. A flexible floor finish can help if you want to minimize damage from small scratches such as those from high heels or dropped utensils. A moisture-resistant finish can help prevent damage or moisture ingress, causing mold and mildew. Lastly, in the food processing and pharmaceutical industries where cleanliness is essential, industrial floors with clean finishes are recommended.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve read the key considerations of choosing the right kind of industrial flooring, you might already get a grasp of what to expect during the construction of industrial buildings. Almost every construction contractor will take these key considerations into account because they know it can ultimately help them construct the entire industrial building efficiently.

An industrial building isn’t complete without the other essentials, such as access doors and panels. You can also pair your industrial flooring with our high-quality floor hatches. If you ever need a floor hatch or access door to suit your industrial floor, visit https://www.bestaccessdoors.com/. We assure you you’ll be able to find the right product on our website.