A slippery work floor is a danger to employees and to yourself, not to mention a lawsuit just waiting to happen. The good news is, your work area can have a non slip epoxy floor that’s slip-resistant and great-looking.
Epoxy Coating Specialists installs floor systems for businesses and for home, each customized to specifically fit your needs and your budget. Our team of installation experts help design & install epoxy and all resinous flooring systems in places like sports stadiums, airplane hangers, restaurants, schools, man cave garages—to name a few..
Contact us with any questions, and check out this blog to understand the differences between resinous flooring applications. We’ll help you feel confident when choosing the best non slip epoxy floor system to install.
What is “slip resistance?”
We’re going to drop some science on you here. Technically speaking, slip resistance is measured by the coefficient of friction (COF) caused by the surface medium.
Basically, a higher surface medium friction = more resistance (COF).
Epoxy Coating Specialists has tables which list the resistance, showing which flooring system is best by traction grit size and resistance rating.
We’ve been installing epoxy and other resinous systems for over 27 years, which has given us intimate knowledge of OSHA regulations. They have very specific ratings for certain job site situations. We can help you understand what those requirements are and how to address them.
How Floors Become Non Slip/Slip Resistant
To increase the COF in a floor system, we add function-specific structural elements that increase friction, including:
- Aluminum oxide grit
- Silica/mica sand
- Ground polymer
- Stone/quartz aggregate
All of these additives come in different mesh sizes for different COF results. The larger or more exposed the grit/sand size, the more friction.
We apply it in two different ways, depending on the size of the additive. We’ll either mix it directly into the epoxy before spreading that layer on the floor, or broadcast it (aerial spread it) across the layer surface. Depending on the floor system, we’ll add one or more layers for protection and/or aesthetics.
Non-aggregate floors
Of course, we can do a floor for you with no aggregate or media added. This will give your seamless floor system that “smooth as glass” look. This kind of floor gives you extreme cleanability, but drastically lowers slip resistance (COF) in the case of liquid spills.
Again, because Epoxy Coating Specialists customizes your flooring systems to be the right floor for the right space, we could add a sand-like aggregate that is very abrasive, but also has a high-grip aspect to the surface, in areas where COF is the most important.
There’s No Perfect Non-Slip Solution
Heck of a way to start a blog, isn’t it? We would rather get that up front rather than blindside you at the end.
The fact is, you can’t achieve perfection for a non slip epoxy floor system. You can, however, achieve the best choice, the one that’s right for your situation.
Here’s what we mean: Let’s say your warehouse is a state-of-the-art facility with a very branded look. It works not only for storage, but as a client-facing location. You want the floor to be as gorgeous as the rest of the environs, so that clients are impressed from lobby to boardroom to warehouse.
However, you need the manufacturing floor to be extremely slip resistant, especially in the event that some product spills.
This is where “perfection” becomes a matter of purpose. You’ll have to answer these questions:
- Which is more important—slip resistance or aesthetic preference?
- Where do you need the most slip resistance?
- How will employees or services clean the floor?
A 100% non-slip floor doesn’t exist, either, because enough contaminants can cause slippage. However, creating the right floor can add enough slip resistance for a non slip surface between cleanings.
We can help you determine which floor is right for your business’s schedule.
Customized for Function
At Epoxy Coating Specialists, we’ll ask you about your floor’s function. You might want a serious non-slip epoxy floor system around shelving and in high-traffic lanes. This will require a specific, heavier-duty grit and rougher floor surface to maintain a higher slip resistance.
However, in less-trafficked areas where risk of product spill or other slip-inducing surface contamination is low, a more decorative, smoother floor could suit your purposes.
Plus, you’ll need to understand that the most aggressive non slip epoxy floor systems can’t be mopped. They’ll need to be power-washed, with floor drains nearby. Many food processing facilities and restaurants have this kind of flooring, with smoother, easier-cleaning floor systems in other traffic areas, away from the places of most possible contamination.
Perfection isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. It’s the right-size-fits-here choice for function. That’s where ECS experts help in the consultation and design stages, showing you choices, sharing the knowledge, facing both function and legal requirements, and helping you know that the choice you make is perfectly right for your situation.
Higher COF Means More Specialized Tools
We’ll dip a little into the weeds here about cleaning a non slip epoxy floor system. Because a high COF means a rougher textured surface, mops and other friction-style cleaning tools don’t work well on them.
Mops leave liquid, contaminants, and even mop head strands behind. They don’t work to clean roughly textured floors. In areas where slip resistant epoxy floors are installed, you’ll need to use a power washer and floor-specific chemicals to clean and sanitize the surface.
We recommend Hotsy® power washers so the floor is sanitized. However, epoxy floor systems can’t take Hotsy, so urethane cement will be the key to having a work floor that’s both extremely slip resistant and yet attractive.
You’ll also want to think about floor drains. They’ll need to be strategically located, and you may even consider floor-specific drying equipment to get your surfaces ready for the next shift.
Your Epoxy Coating Specialists pro will help you find the right tools and equipment to make sure you achieve maximum results.
3 Non Slip Epoxy Floor Systems
At Epoxy Coating Specialists, you can choose from 3 different flooring systems:
- Epoxy
- Urethane Cement
- Polyaspartic
What’s the difference when choosing the best non slip epoxy floor system?
Epoxy Coating
Beautiful, durable, but doesn’t work for hot-pressure washing, so can’t have the larger aggregate/grit additives for highest COF.
Polyaspartic Coating
Because polyaspartic floors have a thin mil quality, larger aggregate/grit additives are not recommended.
Urethane Cement
For the best slip resistance, this is your best choice. Urethane cement can hold the largest aggregate/grit in place, and stand up to the hot power washing.
How you use the floor, your cleaning acumen, and your OSHA/Legal requirements will define the floor system. ECS can help you, walking you through the requirements, and showing you the customizable ways you can address your flooring needs. Your employees, your location, and your budget deserve nothing less.
What makes your current floor a good candidate for UC?
Because urethane cement is more industrial as a product, its application works better for more heavy-duty aggressive slip resistance. The urethane cement slurry mixture receives the broadcast aggregate better. Adding a decorative flair can be achieved with urethane cement if desired.
If your old concrete floor shows fairly robust wear and tear, you would need to resurface it first, and then cover with urethane cement. But most other floors where slip resistance is paramount can work well with urethane cement.
Urethane Cement Added Bonus
We’re not trying to push urethane cement as the best non-slip epoxy floor system for your situation. But if you have a green cement floor you need to cover, one where the substrate hasn’t fully cured, urethane cement is the only flooring system that can handle the high moisture vapor transmission.
This ability also includes water vapor issues that happen under cured, finished floors too. We’ll ask about this, and can help test the floors before any final decisions are made.
Other Considerations for Your Non Slip Epoxy Floor System
Once you know how the floor is going to be used, you’ll need to factor in other requirements for your final determination.
Time
If you have a short timetable, Epoxy Coating Specialists can create a plan that meets both your slip resistance needs and your installation schedule.
Budget
We all have budgets we have to follow. From massive installations, to the janitors closet, watching your dollars makes sense. Our team of installation and design specialists will make sure you have options to choose from to address the most important aspects of your project.
Location
Will the project area be near workers, or vacant during installation? How level is the substrate/current flooring? Will water vapor under the floor be an issue? What are the legal requirements in your area for your floor?
These criteria affect an installation—and we’ve dealt with them all. We can help you navigate to the best flooring solution for your location.
You Need Excellence from the Floor Up
Choosing the best non slip epoxy flooring system means choosing a project partner you can count on. You need expertise for guidance, innovation to adapt the plan to your needs, and a reputation for getting projects done on time and on budget.
You’re not just hiring work to be done. You’re hiring experienced consultants to make sure the right work is done, and done right the first time.
Keep that in mind when you’re ready to make your project slip resistant—and failure resistant.
ECS: On Your Side & By Your Side
When you bring Epoxy Coating Specialists into your project, you partner with a team dedicated to giving you excellent service and tier one results.
We go above and beyond, including working day/night/weekend or even holidays, to complete your flooring system on-time and on-budget. Got a massive project? Let’s talk. Thanks to the wide product inventory and years of experience at ECS, big or small—we do it all.
Contact us today with questions, or request a quote online. We look forward to flooring you, at ECS!