How Epoxy Flooring Solves 6 Challenges Manufacturers Face
If proper building operations management is a priority at your manufacturing facility, you likely know some of the benefits of epoxy flooring. What you might not know is that epoxy coatings have a variety of applications and features that can prove a good investment toward better industrial flooring maintenance.
Problems Epoxy Can Solve
Poorly installed or compromised industrial flooring wastes time, loses money, and risks the health and safety of employees and team members. Epoxy coatings are a proactive solution to many flooring problems that would otherwise plague a manufacturing plant.
- Aesthetic Issues: Epoxy coatings are smooth and aesthetically appealing. If you’re looking to improve your finish or repair imperfections, epoxy application gives you more beautiful industrial flooring right away. Epoxy finishes are not always high gloss — they come in a variety of sheens. High-gloss is the toughest to get right, maintain, and hide imperfections. A satin with glass bead aggregate is the most common and most usable.
- Wear and Tear: Epoxy flooring is known for its durability. It can withstand heavy equipment, industrial appliances, and high foot traffic better than untreated flooring, keeping chips and cracks to a minimum. Epoxy finishes are also oil and water-resistant, which can prevent the moisture interference that would otherwise cause damage to your concrete flooring. Once installed, epoxy with a urethane topcoat is the finished product. It can provide years of service when properly maintained.
- Chemical Interaction: Epoxy coatings are resistant to chemical interaction and contamination. Any trace of chemicals on persons or equipment will remain on the surface of properly coated and treated industrial floors. This reduces the risk of costly damage from corrosion.
- Bacterial Contamination: Food preparation and production, health care, education, human services; these are just a few of the many industries whose employees, customers, and clients are at risk from the threat of bacterial contamination as people, products, and equipment moves across the floor. Antifungal and antibacterial epoxy coatings prevent the spread of bacteria. Moreover, they make cleaning industrial floors easier. You can wash, sanitize, and sterilize epoxy flooring regularly, creating a hostile environment for bacteria and a safer environment for your employees.
- Injuries and Falls: There are a number of ways you can use epoxy flooring to prevent slips and falls in your industrial space. You can create patterns that denote appropriate paths and walkways (versus restricted or off-limits areas). You can add anti-slip aggregate to the epoxy and urethane to help you maintain the finished look of your floor without the hazards of a smooth finish.
- Moisture: If a floor has not been properly sealed, moisture can distort the structural integrity of your industrial floor. The resulting damage (cracks, leveling issues, etc.) could cause problems when it comes to moving product and equipment. This damage could also increase the risk of employees slipping and falling on an uneven floor. Moisture can also cause the spread of bacteria, which could contaminate your product and your facility. Breathable or Moisture Mitigating systems will also handle any vapor transmission issues your concrete slab may be subject to.
How Does Your Flooring Contractor Avoid Risks?
No matter how durable epoxy flooring is, industrial flooring maintenance (and sometimes replacement) are necessary. Make sure your flooring contractor has the knowledge to properly prepare, clean and install your epoxy floors. The right contractor will help you integrate your flooring needs into your preventive maintenance plan.
Working with Kaloutas means your industrial flooring repair or installation project gets done with a zero-work-stoppage guarantee. Request an industrial flooring estimate, or give us a call to get answers to all your project questions.
Kaloutas is New England’s premier contractor for commercial & industrial painting, flooring, and related services. Established in 1987, Kaloutas has become a trusted resource for general contractors, facilities managers, and building owners from Connecticut to Maine. Our team prides itself on high quality workmanship, jobs done on time & budget, and tackling complex projects that other contractors don’t have the experience or resources to handle. Contact us today for a painting or flooring estimate, or give us a call at 978−532−1414 to learn more.