With any construction or renovation project, making informed choices on materials, products and aesthetics is crucial for creating a desired appearance that also takes into consideration both functionality and safety. The right flooring not only helps with brand image, but it should be durable and help create a safer workplace.  This is particularly important in commercial settings which experience high foot traffic and potential safety concerns for both staff and customers.
Before selecting a flooring solution here are a few items to consider.

Condition Of the Current Floor

First and foremost, evaluate the condition of the concrete slab. If its new construction, the slab should be in good shape without the need of additional repairs.  If it’s a remodel project, check to see if there is any visible damage.  Are there large pits, divots and cracks? If so, the slab may need of a refresh prior to the application of the final flooring solution.
If the damage is minimal, the floor may only require some filling and patching in specific areas.  If there appears to have extensive damage, patching and filling may be required prior to the application of a resurfacer.  A resurfacer is applied to the top of the concrete slab, creating an even and uniform finish which then provides a workable substrate for any final flooring solution.

Seamless Flooring

Bacteria may seem small and mundane, but when allowed to flourish it can wreak havoc in any building, compromising the health and safety of staff and customers. Therefore, keeping bacteria and other pathogens in check is of the utmost importance in a commercial building.
No matter how thorough you clean, harmful bacteria and pathogens can find their way into small cracks, spaces and divots, creating the ideal environment for proliferation. A perfect example of these ideal breading areas would be grout/joint lines.
Resinous floor coatings can help add a line of defense against the growth of bacteria and other pathogens. Also known as epoxy and urethane systems, these systems help ensure a sanitary environment as they are applied in liquid form, creating a unified seamless floor covering.

Textured or Non-Slip Properties

Commercial facilities are high-traffic, hectic areas. A spill can happen at any moment, as many liquids and foods are commonly present in grocery stores, food and beverage facilities, restaurants, and more.  If a spill is not cleaned up immediately, it too can threaten the safety of staff and customers in terms of potential slip and fall incidents.
Resinous flooring solutions offer various textured or non-slip options to help aid against slip and falls. There are systems which naturally offer slight texture, or choose from various grit types and sizes to create a light, medium or heavy texture, to accommodate the needs of the specific area.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics are a crucial part of selecting a commercial flooring solution. Yes, the actual makeup, engineering, and properties of your flooring are important, but usually, your customers and staff will only experience your flooring on a surface level. This means your flooring design should be aesthetically pleasing and align with your brand philosophy.
Resinous flooring solutions offer all the properties mentioned above, along with virtually endless design and color options. Attractive flooring is possible through solutions like decorative flake and quartz systems or the very popular and beautiful metallic floor coating system. Some manufacturers even offer customs color options. There are plenty of aesthetic options for your commercial renovation or construction project that you won’t have a problem finding a solution that checks off all your needs while also satisfying your design goals.
For the absolute best flooring solution for your commercial construction or renovation project, keep in mind the previous tips. Just remember, the right flooring solution is crucial to the success of your facility in terms of health and safety and aesthetics.
Kendall Youngworth is a Senior Marketing Specialist at Tennant Coatings with more than 10 years’ experience assisting clients across many industries in the selection and installation of optimal concrete flooring for their facilities. Tennant Coatings of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a leader in flooring experience, knowledge, and expertise. Part of that leadership has come from creating durable, high performance concrete floor coatings that, together with Tennant cleaning equipment, create the widest range of solutions to meet virtually any flooring need.