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Five Challenges of Choosing a Service Shop Floor
Five Challenges of Choosing a Service Shop Floor
Shop owners and service managers have enough to do; the shop floor should be the last of their worries. The right floor covering can make a big impact on safety, efficiency and the bottom line.
Slip Resistance
An auto shop floor can be a slip-and-fall accident waiting to happen. The floor undergoes daily exposure to oil, grease and fluids. In car wash bays and service drives, puddles of water create an additional hazard. It is vital that the floor have a slip-resistant surface texture to keep customers and employees safe.
Chemical Resistance
Besides being slippery, the oil and fluids that drip from vehicles can wreak havoc on the integrity of a shop floor. Many of the fluids common in auto repair are acidic or alkaline and can corrode materials like concrete. Surface sealants like epoxy can minimize the risk of damage from corrosives, but shop owners must be vigilant about watching for signs of wear and reapplying when needed. Inert flooring materials like fully vitrified ceramic tile are inherently chemical resistant and will not break down under chemical exposure.
Durability
The right floor covering can improve your bottom line by saving on capital costs and protecting the concrete slab underneath. Don’t be tempted to go with the least expensive flooring option; the long-term cost of repairs and frequent maintenance will soon erase any short-term savings. Look for a flooring option hard enough to stand up to the stress of your business day in and day out. The best floor will last as long as your facility.
Your floor provides the base for tire racks, toolboxes, lifts and other equipment, so look for flooring that can handle heavy weights, including small point loads. Obviously, it must stand up to rolling traffic without cracking or wearing down, so check for abrasion resistance. You also want a floor that can handle sharp impacts like dropped tools – a super-hard floor will fit the bill.
Appearance
An auto workshop is a functional, utilitarian space, and aesthetics are often the last thing on a shop owner’s mind. However, your shop’s appearance makes a big impact on customers. A floor that looks clean, new and attractive leaves a more professional impression than one that is worn or permanently stained.
To keep your floor looking new, choose flooring that is crack resistant, stain resistant and durable. The additional expense up front will be worth it a few years down the road, when you would have to repair or replace a cheaper, softer floor.
Ease of Cleaning
A floor that is stain resistant will be easier to clean than one that is more absorbent. Be careful if you are relying on a sealant for stain resistance; some sealants react with hot tires to cause tire marks.
While some surface roughness is necessary to make the floor slip resistant, don’t go with more texture than you need; the rougher the surface, the more it will hold on to dirt and grime.
Argelith Ceramic Tiles has been making durable industrial flooring for nearly 150 years. Argelith’s fully vitrified ceramic tile is chemical resistant, super hard and designed to last for decades. It is the specified flooring material for service shops by BMW, Mercedes, Audi and other top automakers. Find out more at http://www.argelithusa.com.
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