Heavy foot traffic demands heavy duty flooring. Specifying a flooring solution for these areas that doesn’t tick all the boxes can have long-lasting consequences for the designer, the client, and the end-user.
And while laminate, hardwood, concrete, carpet, rubber, laminate and ceramic all possess qualities conducive to high traffic areas, failure to satisfy even one of the five most important performance indicators can lead to damaged reputations and damage to the back pocket.
Here are the 5 key considerations for specifying flooring for high foot traffic applications:
Durability: The first and most important consideration made towards choosing flooring for high-traffic is will it last? Choosing a resilient material is critical for long-term durability, and avoiding having to re-lay floors every couple of years.
Maintenance and hygiene: Floors are forever exposed to the elements: dirt, debris, spilled liquid, chewing gum. The higher the traffic, the more frequent the maintenance required to keep clean. The cost and time spent maintaining the floor to the desired standard play an important role in the usability and success of a space.
Slip resistance: Slips and falls lead to thousands of injuries in Australia every year and, unsurprisingly, flooring surfaces are one of the major associated factors with these incidents. Choosing flooring products in high traffic areas that are slip-resistant is therefore paramount for the designer as it guarantees the safety of users and reduces the likelihood of litigation.
Aesthetics: For designers, having a flooring which meets the measurable performance attributes is little consolation if the look and design don’t fit to the wider aesthetic of the project. A versatile solution which can adapt to the desired style of the project as a whole is a must.
Costs: As with most building products, initial capital is only a small part of the actual cost of flooring. The life-cycle costs including installation time, ongoing maintenance and life of the flooring will have a significant impact on the overall value of the investment.
Rubber flooring is a material that has become known for its resilience, low maintenance, safety, versatility and value. This has made rubber flooring the number one choice for high-traffic applications, seeing it used successfully in a wide range of commercial applications from gyms and hospitals, through to shopping centres and international airports.
Neoflex rubber flooring by Rephouse has been developed to meet the unique demands of high-volume traffic commercial and industrial applications. Providing market leading durability, flexibility, safety, slip-resistance and aesthetic appeal, Neoflex rubber flooring is the perfect solution for indoor and outdoor applications.
To find out more about rubber flooring solutions from Rephouse download this free white paper ‘Specifying Flooring for High Volume Traffic Areas’.
