We often hear people asking what is safety flooring and why do I actually need it for my shop? It sounds like a basic thing to ask but there is actually quite a lot to it. At Stansbie flooring we have been fitting these floors for over forty years so we have seen it all. Usually when people talk about safety floors they are thinking about those grippy surfaces you see in hospitals or school kitchens. However it is more than just a rough texture. It is a high quality vinyl that has been engineered specifically to stop people from slipping even when the floor is soaking wet.
The way these floors are made is pretty clever. Manufacturers like altro or forbo take high grade vinyl and they mix in things like silicon carbide or quartz. These tiny grains stay in the floor for its whole life. It means that even as the surface wears down it stays slip resistant. If you have ever walked on a normal vinyl floor when it is wet you will know it feels like an ice rink. Safety flooring is different because those grains provide a bit of ‘bite’ for your shoes.
And it is not just about the grit. These floors are usually flexible which lets us ‘cove’ them up the wall. This creates a watertight seal at the edges. That is why you see them in wet rooms or changing areas. There are no gaps for water to get behind and rot the subfloor. We do this a lot for healthcare clients who need to keep things sterile.
Not all safety floors are the same. You might hear people talking about ‘r’ ratings like r10 or r12. Basically the higher the number the more grip you get. An r10 floor is great for a general office or a corridor where you might get a bit of rain tracked in from outside. But if you are running a commercial kitchen with oil and grease everywhere you are going to want something more heavy duty.
But you have to be careful not to overdo it. If you put a really high grip floor in a living room it will be a nightmare to clean. The dirt gets trapped in the texture and your mop will just shred. We always tell our customers that it is a balance between being safe and being practical. We usually suggest looking at the specific needs of the room before you pick a product.
If you run a business then safety flooring is often a legal requirement. Health and safety rules mean you have to manage the risk of slips. If someone falls over in your shop and you just have standard tiles down then you might find yourself in a bit of trouble but it is not just about avoiding a lawsuit. It is about making sure your staff and customers are comfortable.
At Stansbie flooring we work with a lot of schools and care homes across the west midlands. In these places the floor has to work hard every single day. It needs to handle heavy footfall and frequent cleaning with harsh chemicals. Safety vinyl is perfect for this because it is incredibly tough. It does not crack like ceramic tiles and it does not stain easily.
Fitting these floors is a bit of an art. You can’t just place it down straight away. The subfloor has to be perfectly flat and dry. We always tell people that the floor is only as good as what is underneath it. We spend a lot of time testing for moisture and putting down smoothing compounds. If you skip this bit then the vinyl will show every lump and bump.
Then there is the welding. When we lay two sheets of safety flooring next to each other we use a heat weld. It involves a hot air gun and a matching weld rod that melts the two pieces together. It makes the whole floor one solid piece. So no water can get through, it looks neat and it lasts for years.
Some people think that safety flooring only comes in that industrial grey colour but things have changed a lot lately. Nowadays you can get safety floors that look like wood or stone. You can have a beautiful looking café that is also completely slip resistant. We have fitted some lovely wood effect safety vinyl in hair salons and boutique shops recently.
It is also worth thinking about the acoustic benefits. Safety vinyl is often quite thick and it can help dull the sound of footsteps. In a busy office or a school that makes a massive difference to the atmosphere. It stops the place from sounding like an echo chamber.
If you are still wondering what is safety flooring or if it is the right choice for your project just give us a call on 0121 356 5858 or fill in our online contact form. We are based in Birmingham but we travel all over including Sutton Coldfield and Solihull. We are always happy to chat through your options and give you a quote without any of the high pressure sales talk. At the end of the day we just want you to have a floor that works for you and keeps everyone on their feet.
