Increase Warehouse Safety and Aesthetics with Epoxy Coating
Epoxy floor coatings have been a preferred choice in many warehouses and factories across the country.
Here’s why.
To say we take flooring for granted is an understatement. When it comes keeping warehouse work areas safe, flooring is extremely important to avoid mistakes and injuries. Though tape or a few thin lines of paint are commonplace markings, there are better ways to keep your warehouse safe. Not to mention it can even look great too, improving efficiency and boosting worker satisfaction.
If you haven’t considered it yet, epoxy coatings for your floor can make a huge difference in all these factors. By sealing your floor with textured epoxy, you can mark your warehouse’s layout while keeping your team safe.
In this post, we’ll explore just how epoxy floor coatings can achieve all that.
What is an Epoxy Flooring?
As the name would suggest, epoxy flooring is a two-part mix of epoxy resin and a hardener that’s spread over other surfaces such as wood, concrete, or tile, to name a few. The chemical reaction creates a bond between the resin and hardener. This, in turn, adheres the epoxy to the surface in a process called curing. Epoxy flooring is a favorite choice in various commercial and industrial settings for its relatively quick and easy application, durability, and safety qualities.
There are a few specialized kinds of epoxy flooring that offer even more benefits depending on what the space is used for. For example, there are anti-static epoxies that are perfect for electronics storage areas as well as UV-resistant epoxies for outdoor warehouse areas or places that get a lot of sunlight. Self-leveling epoxy is a tried-and-true standard, keeping floors level, safe, and easy to clean.
With that in mind, be sure to do your research (or talk to an expert) to choose the right epoxy for the job.
Why Choose Epoxy Instead of Other Floor Coatings?
Epoxy floor coatings have a high reputation within commercial settings for a handful of reasons. Work areas, especially warehouse and factory floors, need to be as safe as possible. Epoxy offers flexibility and qualities that other floor coatings – such as industrial paint – simply can’t compete with. For instance, epoxies with added texture can reduce slip hazards, make cleaning up spills easier, and take a beating from heavy equipment or other activities that cause wear and tear.
Transparent epoxies can also protect any paint underneath, making sure safety markings don’t get scuffed or eroded away underfoot. And speaking of feet, anecdotal evidence from warehouse workers suggest that epoxy coatings are much kinder to their feet and legs than harder materials such as bare concrete.
Combined with application flexibility, ergonomics, and safety, epoxies also look great, allowing your work space to look clean and crisp while making organization a breeze due to the bright, protected markings.
How Epoxy Floor Coatings Increase Warehouse Safety
As mentioned above, epoxy flooring brings a wealth of benefits when it comes to warehouse safety. Epoxy comes in various colors, textures, and finishes that can improve slip-, trip-, and spill-resistance without sacrificing the ability to clean it easily. You can also choose different colors to mark different areas of your warehouse, improving navigation and increasing efficiency.
In addition to protecting floor markings, epoxies with a high-gloss finish can help reflect light, brightening the workspace and potentially saving money on utilities associated with lighting. Moreover, epoxy floorings are non-toxic, meaning you don’t have to worry about volatile organic compounds or fumes during or after application.
How Safety and Aesthetics Aren’t Mutually Exclusive
While aesthetics might be something easily overlooked, especially in a warehouse or factory setting, a work area’s aesthetics has some overlap with safety. Beyond marking specific work sections, epoxy coatings can also be used to mark off restricted or hazardous storage and work areas, warning employees with obvious signals that won’t get easily worn away such as paint on bare concrete or wood.
Beyond that, looks aren’t everything but they do help. The mix of epoxy on concrete can give your warehouse or work floor new life, making the room seem brighter, cleaner, and newer. This is especially useful if this area might be used as a showroom for potential customers. Indeed, epoxy can help add to your business’s professional branding, using the same colors as your employee’s uniforms and your organization’s logo to tie everything together nicely.
Of course, this all lends to improving employee satisfaction. Giving them a clean, safe place to work with consistent branding can lend to the pride they feel in where they work and what they do. It might not seem obvious, but this leverages the fundamental truth that workers who don’t hate where they’re at do better work – and epoxy floorings are a cost-effective, flexible, and relatively easy way to take advantage of that.
Don’t Forego Warehouse Safety
Whether your warehouse or commercial space is brand new or could use some help, epoxy flooring can be just what your work space needs to improve its safety and appearance. Contact the experts at Icon Painting today for a free quote and learn what kind epoxy treatment is right for you and your business.