In-Depth Look Into Common Reasons Many Commercial Flooring Systems Fail
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Published 2018-05-27
Why are there so many neverlast floors out their? And by neverlast, I mean floors that will only last you a few years at best before they need heavy maintenance or even replacement. Why floors fail is a subject of much discussion in my industry. Many manufacturers claim that it’s because of poor installation, and many installers claim it’s because the material isn’t up to the task.
Here is a list of common flooring material that doesn't last long in commercial settings;
● Tiles
● Sheet Good Floors - Rubber Mats
● Cementitious Urethane
● Epoxy Floors With A Low Epoxy Resin Amount In The Mix
Here at Everlast® Epoxy, we encourage our customers to educate themselves in order to make the right decision for your flooring needs.
But it’s not easy if you’re an outsider looking in.
You see, all floors are good floors in the beginning. The issue is that after a while, they start to degrade. And this degradation can start to happen within a year of installation.
Floors Fail Because Of Many Reasons And Most Of Them Are Predictable Due To Common Flaws
Why Rubber Flooring Systems Fail
Rubber flooring material tends to want to warp upwards. So it’s only natural for rubber floor tile failure to happen. The seams will open up and allow all kinds of dirt, oil, and water to go underneath the floor. This creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and the nasty smell that comes with it.
Ask any installer of floors if they’ve had a good experience removing rubber flooring. Many describe the smells they find underneath these mats as being as bad as a rotting corpse!
Why Tile Flooring Systems Fail
Tiles are inherently porous. They absorb water into and through them, which can degrade the thinset and cause the tile to come loose.
To prevent tiles from absorbing liquids and lifting floor tiles, installers often put sealants on top of the tiles. But this is usually a thin coat rolled onto the surface. It will deteriorate quickly and once it does, the tile is open for business (i.e. water absorption).
The grout is often washed out in some places. When you’re washing the floor, the water or chemicals you use to clean the floor will start to break down the grout material and wash it up from between the tiles.
To top off, because a tile is porous, it will absorb oils and grease along with any dirt and grime that falls onto the surface. Sometimes, you’ll find tiles that are caked in dirt!
Why Cementitious Urethane Flooring Systems Fail
Cementitious Urethane looks similar to tile except without any grout joints. While doesn’t meet sanitary requirements for health care facilities, it's becoming more common in the restaurant industry.
This type of flooring allows water and liquids to go through it. Which is good if you want moisture to escape from underneath. But it also allows grease and other liquids to leak through the material and get underneath the flooring.
For some manufacturers, they claim that they can place this material over the top of tiles, but it doesn’t stick properly to the tiles underneath. Also, you can’t use it over wooden subfloors.
Basically, its concrete and they put a thin layer of urethane on top.
Why Many Epoxy Flooring Systems Fail
Be aware of epoxy floor coating. Not all are created equally or have the same strength and durability. Some require extensive prep work while others require almost none.
The standard epoxy flooring company industry practice is to use a large amount of dry quartz with a small amount of epoxy to hold it all together. On top, they do a heavy glaze coat to seal it up. However, once that glaze wears off or gets punctured, you’ve got problems.
We are different.
Everlast® Floor uses about a gallon of epoxy resin for every 25 pounds of aggregate. Our competitors use, maybe if your lucky, about ¼ of that epoxy resin amount in their systems.
The reason why this matters is because the aggregate stone is the “dumb” part of the product.
The real magic is in the epoxy resin.
● It seals up the floor,
● It prevents moisture from going through,
● It adheres the flooring material to the substrate, obviously.
The Higher The Resin Amount, The Better The Flooring System
We here at Everlast® Epoxy firmly believe that we have the right solution for your needs. We can confidently say this because many of our past clients have been commercial kitchens, vet clinics, government facilities, and hospitals, i.e. businesses that require their floors to meet strict regulatory standards.
However, we understand you have many questions before making your decision. Why not give us a call and talk to one of our friendly floor experts today?
Visit www.everlastepoxy.com/everlast-floor for more information…
… or call 800-708-9870 now.