What information do you need to choose a chemical resistant floor?
A floor faces chemicals, heat, cleaning and traffic all at once, so a good recommendation needs details on each. RCC (Rema Corrosion Control) uses the checklist below. Be realistic, especially about housekeeping, since the floor has to survive how the area is actually run.
1. Chemical contaminants
- Liquid concentrations
- Splash, spill or immersion. Consider floor drainage, whether a trench is used and whether chemicals sit on the floor for long periods.
2. Thermal shock (temperature differential)
- Is the area indoors or outdoors?
- Is it cleaned with hot water or other hot solutions?
- Is it cleaned with high pressure steam?
- Is process spillage hot?
- How often does hot water cleaning, steam cleaning or hot spillage occur?
3. Housekeeping
- How often is the area cleaned? Be realistic.
- Is there an automatic flush?
4. Traffic
| Duty | Typical traffic |
|---|---|
| Light | No cutting action, such as foot traffic or light carts |
| Medium | Rubber wheeled equipment and heavy foot traffic |
| Heavy | Steel wheeled vehicles often on the floor, or constant forklift traffic |
5. Working conditions during installation
- Will temperatures be cold during installation?
- Will there be moisture during installation?
- Is only a short downtime available?
6. Past history
Give details on any significant flooring failures or problems, so the same problem can be avoided.
Why does thermal shock matter for flooring?
A sudden temperature change, such as hot water or steam on a cool floor, makes the floor and the concrete beneath it expand at different rates. Repeated often enough, that can crack or debond the system. How hot, and how often, guides the choice of a more heat tolerant material.
How do I get a flooring recommendation?
Send PCT your answers to the checklist and we will work with RCC to recommend a floor and coordinate installation. Request a quote, or see RCC and our corrosion protection products.