The initially higher cost of installing a thicker, fit-for-purpose flooring solution can lead businesses to opt for a cheaper alternative, however this logic often backfires and ends up costing the company more money over time.
This point was exemplified by a formula on lifecycle cost considerations devised by Flowcrete Group Ltd.’s Technical Director, Grant Adamson. The equation takes the initial expense of a floor and adds annual maintenance costs such as cleaning, repairs and upkeep as well as the price of replacing a failed floor, including the costs incurred by shutting down production. The formula is:
Lifecycle Cost Considerations (LCC) Formula
- LCC = C + MPW + RPW
- The capital cost (C) of a project includes the initial capital expense for engineering, products and installation.
- Maintenance (M) is the sum of all yearly scheduled operation and maintenance associated with floor repairs.
- (R) is the replacement cost of a failed floor, including the financial impact of shutting down production.
When you take a 15-year view of flooring, the longevity of polyurethane systems makes it one of the cheapest materials available. On average a 100 m2 polyurethane floor will cost approximately £8,400 over 15 years, whereas epoxies are typically £9-10,000, carpet comes in at £15,000 while vinyl flooring and linoleum can cost in excess of £19,000.
In some circumstances, the cost of a floor failure can exceed even what the above formula is able to calculate. One particularly illustrative example of this is in the food industry, when a food borne illness outbreak starts out as contaminant build-up in the hard to clean gaps and cracks of a deteriorating floor and from there goes on to infect produce.
To find out more about specifying a floor that will provide a high performance, fully optimised finish for the long term, get in touch with the experts by clicking here (for food industry specific advice email thefoodteam@flowcrete.com).
