You’re familiar with epoxy flooring, but is a urethane flooring system a better fit? What is a urethane floor and what are its benefits? In our post you learn about urethane flooring, its longevity, and if it it’s a fit for your industrial or commercial space.
Introduction to Urethane Flooring
Urethane, or polyurethane, flooring systems resurface concrete floors. They add pops of color to designate walkways or other various markings. These floors resist chemicals, abrasion, slips, and heavy impact. A major benefit of poured-in-place urethane floors is that they are seamless, non-porous, and can be pitched for water drainage. The lack of grout lines or welds, where dirt and bacteria harbor, means for better hygienic protection and thorough cleaning. Not only are urethane floors durable and practical, but they add aesthetic value to your space with an unlimited number of color and design options.
Urethane is a versatile polymer that has many available options with different advantages. Aliphatic urethane can provide UV resistance but is a more expensive flooring system. Aromatic urethane is less costly but may discolor under UV light. Cementitious urethanes provide excellent thermal shock and organic resistance properties. The upfront cost of a urethane flooring system may be higher than another option. However, due to the number of destructive factors urethane flooring resists, it will both perform and look better longer than a traditional floor without the need for repair or replacement, saving you time and money.
Poured-in-place floors, such as urethane, are part of a building’s structure. They also are a more sustainable and eco-friendly choice than most traditional floors. Seamless urethane floors do not end up in landfills when a change is desired or needed. Some formulations of urethane flooring may also utilize rapidly renewable, recycled resources and materials. By installing urethane flooring in your facility, you are taking strides to positively impact our environment.
How Long Do Urethane Floors Last?
Urethane floors carry a longevity of 10 to 20 years; even longer with proper cleaning procedures, maintenance, and touch-ups. With thermal shock resistance and better resistance to organics, they have a longer life than an epoxy floor in food and beverage environments. There are many urethane flooring formulations that are suited to specific environments. With the right installation, your urethane floor is a sound investment with long life-cycle savings.
Where Can I Install Urethane Floors?
Urethane floors can be installed in both industrial and commercial spaces. Different flooring systems provide diverse benefits for different spaces. Some of the most common commercial applications of urethane flooring are in the food and beverage manufacturing, healthcare spaces, commercial kitchens, hospitality locations, food service areas, laundry service areas, educational spaces, and retail stores.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Facilities
Food and beverage manufacturers have strict rules when it comes to flooring installations. Their facilities need to pass inspections from multiple agencies including the USDA, FDA, and OSHA. Poured in-place, seamless urethane floors are ideal for bakeries, packaging plants, freezers, and more. Most importantly, seamless urethane floors contribute to sanitary design. With no place for bacteria and dirt to harbor, these seamless floors are easy to clean; being thermal shock and cycling resistant, they stand up to hot water washdowns. When floors begin to fail due to cleaning procedures or chemicals, they are open to contamination, which leaves food manufacturers open to costly recalls and a host of problematic issues. These are just a few, but the most important reasons, why urethane flooring is ideal for food and beverage facilities.
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals and healthcare facilities also benefit from urethane flooring. Their resilience offers ergonomic benefits for surgeons who operate for many hours at a time and staff who are on their feet all day. This resilience provides sound absorption too, benefiting the wellbeing of patients and assisting in their recovery. Hospital corridors, lobbies, and patient rooms are ideal spaces for urethane floors. The stain, wear, and slip resistance of urethane floors also contribute to efficiency of healthcare facility operations. Urethane floors can also include wayfinding symbols and more right into the floor of your medical center.
Schools and Universities
There are several requirements when choosing a flooring solution for schools and universities. From wear resistance and noise reduction to a color scheme that amplifies school pride, urethane floors offer all this and more. Seamless urethane floors provide comfort underfoot for teachers and provide sound dampening to prevent students from becoming distracted. Their easy cleaning and maintenance are key benefits in these spaces where hygiene is more important than ever. In addition, janitorial staff can get their work done faster and more efficiently, saving time and money.
Retail Stores
Similar to flooring for educational facilities, retail spaces also require an equal balance of functionality and design. Whether a grocery store or department store, every detail needs to be centered on welcoming the customer and completing a sale. Seamless urethane floors are an excellent way to strengthen your brand recognition with custom colors or logos installed at your entryway. They can also be used to designate walkways with arrows or other signage to direct the customer in the right direction. Urethane floors with UV-resistant formulas will help your floors last longer where light from windows shine in day after day.
Hotels and Restaurants and other Hospitality Locations
Urethane flooring can be installed in a wide range of hospitality locations, from the commercial kitchen to the hotel lobby to the rooftop bar or poolside deck. These versatile floors offer long-lasting protection and unique aesthetic options. Texture can be added for additional slip protection and custom patterns can be achieved to bring your vision to life. The sanitary design benefits of seamless floors in spaces that cater to throngs of people on a daily basis cannot be underestimated. Attractive, comfortable, and clean, a urethane floor is a crowd pleaser.
