With Halloween quickly approaching, we’ve gathered a collection of floor horror stories to help you avoid the same fate! You’ve seen the warning, yet here you are. So let’s begin!
Don’t let these common monstrous mistakes could keep you up at night…
1. Trick or Treat
Don’t be tricked into compromising quality, durability and lifecycle cost savings for cheap, sup-par materials.
It is always tempting to cut corners and try to save costs at planning stages but hear our warning – taking a lifecycle approach will leave more room for treats in the future!
2. Lured to the Dark Side
Every building, facility or plant has a purpose and is subject to a diverse range of conditions. Don’t be lured into choosing materials that cannot stand up to the demands of your environment.
Ensure that your floor finish is tailored to your service criteria to avoid being spooked in the future.
3. Rising from the Depths
Moisture rising up from the substrate has most likely been ignored at the planning stage causing unsightly blisters and blemishes in the finish.
Excessive moisture vapour in or below the concrete slab can lead to costly and gruesome damage. Choose permeable, breathable finishes or moisture vapour control systems to prevent your floor from enduring a painful and early death.
4. Spooky Substrates
The wrong primer has been used, or even worse – no primer at all! This creates one monster of a problem.
Resin floor coating systems won’t just bond to any old substrate; the slab has to first be primed with a suitable product to prevent detachment further down the line.
5. Potion Problems
Your applicator has used far too many newts’ eyes and not stirred the potion for the length of time cited in the spell!
Mixing resin floor components prior to installation is like witchcraft; it’s an exact science. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and you’re unlikely to go wrong.
6. Eerie Adhesion
Always ensure that the cobwebs have been thoroughly cleared away before installing your brand spanking new floor.
Contamination and debris remaining on the surface of the floor prior to installation will be trapped between the layers, haunting your for all – or at least before you carry out costly repair works to take care of adhesion problems and undulations in the finish.
7. Unreliable Repellent
The resin coating system that you’ve chosen offers insufficient resistance to blood, slime and other nasties that are used in your facility.
You must consider the degree of exposure (immersion, intermittent splashes and spillages or infrequent contact) as well as the temperature of the chemicals and solutions within your facility, as some substances may be fairy inert at room temperature but deadly corrosive to the floor finish when heated.
8. Troublesome Temperatures
Although not quite as hot as the fires of hell or as cold as a vampire’s skin, make sure that your floor has been designed to withstand varying temperatures within your facility.
When subject to temperature swings, the floor will naturally expand and contract. If flooring materials are unable to move with the underlying slab, or your floor hasn’t been designed to include movement joints, this will lead to hellish cracking!
9. Undead Installers
When it comes to choosing a reliable applicator, make sure to always use trained and qualified professionals – not a zombie who quotes a lower price.
Credentials, experience and a manufacturer’s recommendation is extremely valuable when it comes to applicators, as resin floor installation is a skill.
10. Standard Slayers
Finally, don’t opt for slashed prices and slayers of high standards! Always make sure that you choose your products from a reliable, trusted and leading manufacturer of resin flooring materials!
If you’ve listened to our warning and would like more information on how to prevent any of the horrors outlined above, please feel free to get in touch with us below.
And Happy Halloween from us all at All Things Flooring!