Welcome to part two of my five week Flooring Clinic series.

We’re taking a look at invaluable flooring advice that you can’t afford to ignore while specifying or installing a new flooring solution.

This week, I’m sharing a crucial yet often under-considered tip…

Cheapest Isn’t Always Best

While it’s tempting to choose the option that carries the lowest initial outlay, it’s critical to consider the long term costs associated with any flooring choice.

Firstly, there’s the longevity of the floor finish itself. Some resin based floor finishes will be suitable for use in a heavy-duty environment for up to 25 years, while others will require maintenance or replacement after a shorter time period so ensuring that the correct floor finish is chosen for the intended purpose is key.

If you anticipate heavy wheeled traffic, chemical spillages, the use of corrosive agents or daily hot wash-downs, for example, then specifying a light duty finish with reduced resistance to chemical attack will result in higher maintenance costs or even result in the need for replacement.

What’s more, regular upkeep and maintenance can be extremely costly. It might cost up to USD55,000 to maintain 100m2 of wooden flooring for 15 years, compared to around USD20,000 for the same area of an epoxy resin finish with methyl methacrylate additive. The upheaval of renovation and replacement could also impact on operations – a shut-down factory or closed retail space could have massive cost implications to the business.