Warehouse and factory floors endure significant wear and tear in demanding environments. From daily foot traffic and heavy machinery to exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals, these surfaces take a beating. Recognising the signs that your flooring needs attention is essential to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with regulations.
Maintaining your factory or warehouse floor not only extends its lifespan but also reduces long-term costs. Floors in good condition help you comply with health and safety regulations and minimise risks such as tripping hazards or unstable shelving caused by bumps, cracks, or uneven surfaces. Addressing damage early, like scuffs and scratches, can also prevent dampness and further deterioration. Here are 7 critical signs that indicate it may be time to refurbish or replace your warehouse floors:
1. Non-compliance with building regulations
It’s crucial to ensure that your flooring complies with the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act of 1977. Over time, this Act has been updated, incorporating guidelines like SANS 10400-Part J, which specifically address flooring requirements. These modern standards include robust measures such as ensuring water-resistant surfaces in specific areas, fire-resistant properties, and maintaining structural integrity. These regulations ensure that floors meet essential safety and durability criteria, such as:
- Safely support their own weight and any expected loads without compromising building functionality or equipment performance.
- Be fire-resistant and non-combustible where necessary.
- Be water-resistant in areas like laundries, kitchens, and bathrooms.
2. Patch repairs are common
Older floors may have been ‘patch-repaired’ to save costs or avoid downtime. However, patch repairs often lead to larger cracks over time and offer only temporary solutions. If your flooring has been repaired in this manner, consider a complete replacement. Robex offers quick-curing flooring solutions that minimise downtime, allowing operations to resume in just over 60 minutes.
3. Inability to withstand impact
As floors age, their durability diminishes. Cracks and surface wear become evident, and frequent minor repairs can strain your budget and disrupt operations. Upgrading to modern flooring not only resolves these issues but also ensures compliance with the latest safety and efficiency standards.
4. Uneven surfaces
Years of heavy traffic and equipment use can cause older floors to develop lumps and uneven areas. This creates safety hazards like tripping risks and unstable shelving or racks. If your floors are no longer level, it’s time to update them.
5. Cracks and chips
Damaged floors leave a poor impression on clients and investors visiting your facility. Cracks and chips in your warehouse flooring can make your premises look neglected. A well-maintained, clean floor reflects professionalism and care.
6. Increased risk of employee injuries
Different industries have specific flooring needs. For example, walkways in busy areas should have non-slip surfaces to reduce workplace accidents. If your flooring poses a risk due to slippery or worn areas, it’s essential to address this immediately.
7. Outdated flooring for current use
As the purpose of your facility evolves, your flooring should adapt. For instance, a floor designed for light industrial use may not handle the weight and impact of modern heavy machinery like forklifts. Ensure your flooring is fit for its current purpose.
Choosing the Right Flooring Solution
Robex offers advanced flooring systems tailored to the logistics and distribution industry. Our rapid-cure technology minimises disruption and downtime, providing durable and efficient solutions. Here are just a few of our recommend products:
RX Toughseal and RX Toughseal Demarcation Lines
RX Toughseal is a polyurethane protective floor coating that provides maximum strength and a long-lasting high gloss finish for heavy traffic areas. It is ideal for any surface that requires tremendous flexibility, abrasion resistance and extreme durability. The coating is ideal for concrete surfaces because of its resistance against a wide range of aggressive exposure.
RX Safety Flooring
Robex’s GripKits Safety Flooring systems are widely used across many industries where safety is a priority. The RX GripKits Safety Flooring products are excellent for spaces handling pedestrian traffic, vehicles, forklift trucks and automated handling systems. They are also an excellent solution for stairs.
RX Concrete Repairs
Our condition-specific concrete floor repair products take into consideration the climate, average temperatures and wear and tear on concrete floors over time. All the products in the Dura Quartz range are based on the latest synthetic resin technology combined with our computer-graded quartz aggregate. It is the ultimate answer to concrete repairs in areas of high wear, floor movement and chemical or effluent attack.
Ensure your warehouse or factory flooring meets modern standards for safety, functionality, and aesthetics. For more information, contact us at info@robex.co.za.
