Ho Ho Ho! Hoping for a seamless surface for Santa’s grotto? A colourful resin run for the reindeer? Then read on to find a stocking full of flooring gifts that will keep Santa Claus, Rudolph and all the Elves happy this Christmas.
Decorative Floor for the Grotto
To create the best Grotto floor this festive season, your go-to system is seamless resin terrazzo. It provides the ultimate in luxury and durable flooring for upmarket shopping malls, commercial venues and of course for the main man himself, Santa!
Seamless terrazzo systems such as Mondéco, can be applied in unique patterns and designs and they even offer a wide variety of colourful and decorative aggregates to choose from, each incorporated into the resin mix to deliver a smooth and sparkling terrazzo floor finish.
The elves are always trying to impress Santa and with his own bespoke flooring, available in an array of festive colours, what better way to get on the nice list this Christmas! Aggregates available include glass, mirror glass, marble, mother of pearl, granite and flint, a glittering feast for the eyes this season.
The Elves’ Factory Floor
At this time of year – toy factory floors take a battering from the Elves running around getting ready for the big day.
To ensure the festive footfall can run smoothly and efficiently, the go-to floor is a high-performance, chemical resistant, high-build epoxy resin coating system. Known for its tough properties, superior abrasion resistance and a high level of impact resistance, this type of floor is perfectly suited for use in a hectic environment that necessitates the use of heavy machinery, wheeled traffic and workshop wobbles – such as elves dropping toys! For the areas that take the most abuse, a thick polyurethane coating can be applied to make sure that the festivities don’t take their toll on the floor.
With the inclusion of graded aggregates between coats, epoxy or polyurethane systems can provide an anti-slip profile – ideal for elf n’ safety!
The Perfect ‘Weather Resistant’ Landing
It’s no mean task delivering presents to every continent. Some will be celebrating in the snow with their winter woollies and others will be putting on their shades to relax in the sun.
To make Santa’s arrival easier and ensure the ‘perfect’ landing for his sleigh, your floor will need to be able to withstand long-term exposure to wind, rain and ice.
These elements can eat into the floor finish, while UV rays are notorious for discolouring previously bright and vibrant surfaces – not ideal for Santa when searching for his landing pad!
Floor areas commonly exposed to the worst of the weather, include the top decks of car parking facilities, balconies and hard landscaped areas. Specialist resin systems are available, tailored to the demands of such areas to ensure that adverse weather conditions won’t affect their seamless, attractive and functional surfaces.
Rudolph’s Stable
Flooring in the reindeers’ stable is subject to a variety of high impact wear and tear, from coping with the heavy weight of Santa’s sleigh, to reindeer hoofs, machinery and intense cleaning routines. As in any farming and dairy facility, this kind of impact can cause irreparable damage to the surface and a failing floor will not only affect the movement of Santa’s sleigh, vehicles and animals, it can also pose a dangerous hygiene risk. Therefore, it is vital that with this level of activity, the standard of cleanliness; animal welfare and elf safety be simultaneously accounted for in the on-going operations leading up to Christmas.
Contaminants can easily accumulate within hard to clean cracks or gaps and this increases the possibility of spoiled products and sick reindeer – leaving Santa with no transport! With the real possibility of spilt mince pies and carrots hitting the floor, the surface should ideally contain antimicrobial properties such as Polygiene®. This silver-ion based bactericidal additive is homogenously distributed throughout systems such as Flowfresh, to complement regular cleaning and hygiene practices between the site’s scheduled wash cycles.
Flowfresh has been HACCP International certified, this globally recognised benchmark of food safety sets the safety criteria for contamination sensitive environments. To meet the HACCP International standard, floors must allow adequate drainage and cleaning.
Draining is essential, as liquid from dung, cleaning fluids, lactic acid spillages and many other sources can create substantial excess water in a facility where animals are kept. A non-porous, well-drained floor is vital so that water does not stagnate and lead to unhygienic conditions.
A polyurethane coating such as Flowfresh can be laid to falls and incorporate stainless steel drainage to effectively channel contaminants and excess liquid out of the area. Coving can also be incorporated to create a seamless, easily cleanable transition to a wall and even a floor’s texture can be tailored to best suit the on-site cleaning regime.
Want to learn more about these systems? Want a bit more sparkle underfoot this festive season? Leave a comment below and we’ll put you in touch with a local flooring expert!
All Things Flooring HQ would like to wish all their readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
