If you manage a facility, there are a lot of areas you have to juggle to keep everything moving forward efficiently. From employees and product deliveries to customers and shipments going out, you need to have everything running on the right schedule without interruption.
One of the areas that can get accidentally overlooked in all of the day-to-day management is your facility's floor. Why does the floor matter? It's the base for everything you do. All the movement throughout your warehouse relies on it, so keeping it in good shape is vital.
Without taking good care of the floor, you can end up with significant problems throughout your facility that could deeply impact multiple areas of your business. Does your facility need to put more care into its floor? Here's what to consider when taking stock of your facility's flooring.
How Old is the Current Floor?
The age of your current facility floor matters. The longer a floor is in use without any kind of protective updates, renewal, or even replacement, the higher the chance that something will go wrong. That could lower your company's efficiency and set you up for future issues.
If your floor is nearly new, consider protecting it with a durable concrete coating, so it will last for a long time, and you'll have fewer worries about its quality and durability. If the floor is older, especially if it's already showing some wear, having it coated is a way to make sure there's no additional damage done.
What Kind of Durability Does the Floor Have?
Depending on the type of floor you have and the materials it's made from, it could range from extremely durable to not very durable at all. Most floors are somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, with moderate and reasonable levels of durability.
Floors made from solid, high-quality materials are generally going to last longer than floors that are made from materials that can more easily degrade over time. But either way, protecting your floor with a coating can add to its durability for years to come.
Do You Know Your Traffic Volume?
How much traffic your floor is getting is a big part of whether it will last a long time. High-traffic floors see more wear and tear faster than floors with a lot less traffic. If you have a high-traffic floor, you want to make sure it's being properly protected because it can start to wear out quickly.
Traffic volume may ebb and flow throughout the workday or may be stronger on certain days of the week. What products you have in your warehouse, how often they are shipped out or picked up, and how frequently you receive deliveries can all play a role in traffic volume.
What Type of Traffic Is Your Floor Seeing?
The type of traffic matters just as much as, if not more than, the traffic volume. Why? Because a forklift carrying heavy pallets is harder on the floor than a person carrying a stack of boxes. If your warehouse sees primarily foot traffic, there's a good chance your flooring will last longer.
For warehouses where a lot of heavy equipment is always moving around, floor durability is going to be a serious concern. The right floor type and treatments can go a long way toward making sure the floor is protected for as long as possible.
What Can You Do to Improve Your Floor's Durability and Lifespan?
One of the best ways to protect your floor, and improve both its durability and lifespan, is to work with a company that offers industrial-grade concrete coatings in commercial spaces and facilities for a number of industries.
By choosing this kind of coating, you can have a facility with a protected floor that's in good repair for the long term. This protects the floor from further damage and reduces the instances of slips, trips, and falls among employees, as well.
Not only that, but a well-kept and well-protected facility floor means less chance of dropping or otherwise damaging products, which can help keep your company's bottom line strong and healthy for the long term.