Flooring solutions for commercial facilities: Balancing functionality with aesthetics

By ICP Building Solutions Group.

Commercial properties of all types require safe, reliable and attractive flooring — but capturing all the desired qualities can be tricky.

Though it might not always be top of mind, flooring in commercial and industrial facilities plays a critical role to smooth operation. Be it a warehouse, a manufacturing shop, a health care facility or other critical business assets, everything happens on the floor.

And for those reasons, an owner-operator’s choice of flooring or floor coating is a critical decision. The right flooring technology can provide long-term protection, durability and aesthetic appeal. Indeed, a high-performance option should mean that occupants won’t have to think much about the floor at all outside of basic cleaning and other regular maintenance tasks.

But consider the alternative. A flooring choice that is more susceptible to abrasion, impact or other forms of damage can require costly repairs, potential downtime and, at worst, safety risks for workers or other building occupants. Consider that slips, trips and falls account for nearly 700 workplace fatalities every year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A damaged floor may contribute to trip or slip hazards in a commercial or industrial facility.  

Luckily, industrial and commercial floor coating technology has advanced to the point where facility operators can select an optimal choice that will deliver on the specific functionality and performance needs of their commercial space. With this in mind, let’s explore some of the most important flooring criteria and how to determine the best coating technology for any given application.

Commercial flooring performance considerations

When it comes to the functionality of your commercial floor, there are a wide range of desirable characteristics depending on the application. Here are just a few of the most important performance criteria to evaluate.

Abrasion and impact resistance. Abrasion and impact resistance represents a vital consideration for commercial flooring because it directly impacts the floor's longevity, appearance, safety and overall maintenance costs. This is primarily because many commercial spaces experience high traffic — be it human foot traffic, equipment or vehicle traffic and more. What’s more, heavy industrial spaces may see more severe impacts on their floors. Selecting flooring materials with high abrasion and impact resistance is essential for ensuring the functionality and aesthetic appeal of commercial spaces over time.

Chemical resistance. Chemical resistance is another critical factor for commercial and industrial flooring. Floors that see regular exposure to solvents, acids, alkalis and oils must be resistant to prevent deterioration, which can create slipping hazards, structural weaknesses and other failure modes. Meanwhile, maintaining a floor that can withstand chemical exposure is essential for meeting health and safety regulations in many industries, ensuring a safe environment for workers and visitors.

Ease of Maintenance. Operators’ ability to easily maintain their floor is another important consideration. Regular tasks like cleaning should be easy to perform and the floor should likewise be able to withstand consistent exposure to cleaning materials — especially in medical settings, for example, where cleaning occurs frequently.  

Electrostatic discharge control. In certain industrial settings that house sensitive electronic equipment, electrostatic discharge control can be an important factor. Coatings that are designed to protect equipment, people and other assets through static dissipative or conductive flooring can be highly beneficial depending on the application.

These are just some of the most important floor coating characteristics to consider when evaluating the options. In order to determine the best option, owners and operators should work closely with their coating supplier to identify the right technology to suit their needs.

The importance of aesthetics

It’s one thing for your commercial floor to perform as required — but it’s another to look good while doing it.

Some may undersell the value of aesthetic properties when selecting or specifying a commercial flooring system, but the benefits to a space can be dramatic. Research suggests that aesthetically pleasing environments can improve worker mental health, lower stress levels and even increase engagement. Of course, in industrial and commercial environments, choosing the flooring technology needs to work with the realities of manufacturing. Materials that contribute to the desired look and feel must also be compatible with the demands of the facility.  

And in some environments, aesthetic appeal is one of the most important features. Architectural flooring in resorts, casinos, commercial buildings, banks and retail complexes is essential to the grandeur and eye-catching details of such spaces. Floor coating technology that is compatible with intricate flooring designs while delivering the protection required to stand up to heavy foot traffic can be a game-changer.

Selecting the right floor system

The right floor coating technology, sourced from a reliable supplier, should be able to strike the balance required between functionality and aesthetic appeal. Today, industrial coatings are available that can do so — and your supplier should be able to help identify an optimal option for the right application.  

For example, APF Polymer Surfaces offers high-performance concrete floor coatings used in commercial and industrial applications, such as food and beverage processing, health care, manufacturing and electronics industries. Using advanced polymer chemistry, APF coatings are formulated with a wide variety of high-quality products based on epoxy, polyurethane and acrylic technology. Every product is field-tested for performance and durability. We also invest in the research and development necessary to bring you some of the most innovative products and systems on the market.

Coating technology for commercial and industrial floors has come a long way, and today, it can help enhance the operations of workplaces, businesses and public spaces everywhere. And they can do it while improving the space’s look and feel. To learn more about high-performance floor coatings for a variety of applications, visit www.APFEpoxy.com.