Too many things can go wrong with commercial and industrial flooring applications. But when a proper warehouse floor painting contractor is selected, then the customer can expect a long-lasting coating that can perform in each environment.
In places like Maryland and Pennsylvania, It’s easy to think that any coating application can be applied: just open up a can of paint, and slap it onto the concrete. But if the process takes that little thought, then the end product is going to leave very little satisfaction.
The truth of the matter is that much more thought and labor needs to be considered. What’s the condition of the slab? Is it coated? When will you install the coating system? Will there be a thermal imaging surveillance camera on site? Is the floor going to be cold? Or will the room be heated?
These are all vital questions that any commercial painting contractor needs to consider. And not only will these questions influence which paint should be applied, but also what type of prep work is required to secure sufficient adhesion.
Battery Floor Recharging Areas
Almost all warehouses have a recharging area for the batteries that power their forklifts. These areas are typically high volume with heavy duty traffic. And they are also subjected corrosive chemicals from the batteries.
So between the heavy duty machinery and the corrosive chemicals, a strong floor is required. And to ensure a strong floor is installed, adequate preparation is required.
The floor will need to be ground with diamond blades. Those diamond blades are strong enough to profile existing epoxy, concrete floor sealer, and concrete.
Once the floor is adequately profiled, an epoxy flooring system will need to be installed. This system should be at a minimum of 30mils in thickness.
But the top coat shouldn’t just be standard epoxy. It needs to be a novolac epoxy. Novolac offers superior chemical resistance. So when those batteries start to leak battery acid, the site owner can rest easy, knowing that an integral part of his facility is not being compromised.
Pedestrian Walkways
A company’s greatest asset is the people that work in the organization. And due to the value of all people in the company, they need to be kept safe and secure. And pedestrian walkways is one of the best ways to ensure their safety when they walk through a busy warehouse.
And the best way to keep them safe in a busy warehouse is to provide them with designated walking areas. These areas are well defined with safety colors, so forklift operators and pedestrians know exactly where a pedestrian should be at all times.
But there are a variety of ways to install these safety colors. And one of the best installation is a full 3′ aisle pedestrian aisle way:
These aisles are striking and clear as day. Pedestrians immediately know where to walk, and forklift operators will immediately see these aisles.
And what’s great about these aisles is that they are wide enough to honor more than adequate preparation to the concrete. Because of their width, a large walk-behind planetary grinder can abrade the concrete, which will allow for great profilling for the concrete.
But that additional prep work comes at an additional cost, usually double the cost of what pedestrian walk way lines would be.
But walkway lines are an acceptable form of pedestrian directional markers in many facilities:
As the picture shows, these lines can clearly identify where pedestrians should be walking. And at the same time, they’re bright enough to alert fork lift drivers that there may be pedestrians coming through.
However, although they may appear to provide the same appearance, their smaller size prevents floor grinding. If the floors were ground, the 4″ lines won’t be wide enough to cover the grind marks.
But although these lines don’t receive as much preparation as wide aisle ways, they are also a fraction of the price to install.
So each variety has its own positives. But regardless of which one you select, you can sleep easy knowing that your facility is incrementally safer by directing pedestrians an absolute place to walk so that they know, and the forklift and equipment operators know where they should be at all times.
Above all, warehouse floor painting contractors should hold a special place in the hearts of every facility person. Because without the proper floor coatings, a major asset of every facility can be compromised, whether it’s the concrete or personal. So no matter the purpose, the facility will benefit by becoming more familiar with warehouse floor painting contractors.