Natural Disasters

If your facility resides within an area infamous for flooding—whether the cause be overflowing riverbanks, breached dams, atmospheric rivers, burst pipes, or hurricanes—its flooring needs the ability to sustain whatever nature can dish out. But with so many flooring choices available, which is the right one? Read on to discover not only how to choose the correct flooring for a flood-prone facility, but how to choose one that fits the look, feel, and overall needs of your particular building. What to avoid Often, when trying to make a choice, eliminating what will not work is a good starting point. According to Chuck Boutall, director of education at the Restoration Technical Institute in Reading, Pennsylvania—a nationally recognized training facility for the restoration industry—the main materials to avoid in floors at risk of flood and moisture damage are wood, lignin (an organic polymer), cellulose, and latex. “Any type of wood or wood composites, or any type of lignin or cellulose-based flooring, is going to be affected by the flood waters,” he said. While carpet is not the best choice for a wet environment, a glued-down carpet is not necessarily bad, depending on the adhesive used, and can potentially be saved after a flood. According to Boutall, some facilities at higher risk for flooding might even choose an Astroturf-type carpeting. What to consider For a flood-prone facility, Boutall recommends the following three types of flooring. Concrete The best way to achieve a water-resistant flooring system is to have a finished concrete floor. With concrete, “typically, the worse thing you’ll have to do is strip off your surface layer and repolish it,” Boutall said. According to Jim Varnell, technical sales specialist at Curecrete Distribution—a manufacturer of supporting products for concrete application and enhancement located in Springville, Utah—the process of densifying concrete and cementitious terrazzo floors closes off the pores of the material and minimizes water absorption. “A densified floor has low water absorption, high abrasion resistance, little or no mold growth, and can be easily repaired,” Varnell said. Facilities that use and could benefit from concrete floors include schools, museums, stadiums, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, stores, and transportation centers such as train stations and airports. Another benefit of concrete is that it’s a low maintenance floor. “With a well-designed and implemented maintenance program, densified concrete can easily be maintained and kept at a high functional level,” said Varnell. However, concrete might not be the best fit for all facilities. “Some people don’t like the looks of it…and it’s also quite noisy, because it’s sound-reflective,” said Boutall. It’s also very important that the top coat is applied correctly; otherwise, moisture from the underlying concrete can cause the coating to bubble as the moisture tries to rise into the air. Varnell said that concrete—just like any hard-surface flooring—also runs the risk of becoming slippery when wet. And while it does tend to have an “industrial” look, Varnell added that “densified-polished concrete can fit into upscale decor, because it can be colored and can offer varying degrees of aggregate exposure, from fine to large.” Of course, the cost of adding a concrete flooring system will vary greatly based on the size of the facility, but most likely will be the least expensive of the three recommendations. According to Varnell, “Large jobs will be less per square foot and smaller jobs will be more. In general, a densified floor [alone] will cost US$0.20 to $0.35 per square foot. Densified and polished concrete [together] will cost between $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot. That includes both material and labor.” Ceramic/Porcelain Tile Next on Boutall’s list of recommendations is ceramic or, preferably in a commercial location, porcelain tile, due to its wear capability. However, you must be mindful of using the right types of adhesives that won’t be affected by a flood. “Some people today are using a latex-based adhesive, and depending on the type of latex and the mixture, there’s the potential for degradation of adhesion—basically, the tiles start popping off the floor, or they can actually get mold in the grout lines,” he explained. “I recommend an epoxy-type grout, and make sure the adhesive is unaffected by water.” Ceramic and porcelain tiles can be both beautiful and extremely durable, Boutall said, but they will most likely be the most expensive of his recommendations. Luxury Vinyl Tile One of the newest materials that Boutall recommends is luxury vinyl tile (LVT). He said that at least one brand of LVT has been proven to be not only water-resistant, but waterproof. “A lot of the [manufacturers] like to use the word ‘water-resistant,’ which means if you spill a cup of water on it and wipe it up in 10 seconds with a towel, there’s not going to be a lot of effect on the floor. That’s not a flooding event. So, there’s a huge difference between water-resistant and waterproof.” Another advantage is that LVT is less sound-reflective and thus quieter than both cement and ceramic/porcelain flooring. It also can deliver good design aesthetics to a facility’s decor. It most likely won’t be as expensive as the ceramic/ porcelain flooring, but it probably will be more expensive than concrete. An ounce of prevention We all know the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When it comes to a facility that is prone to flooding, what you’re aiming to prevent is the formation of fungi. When flooring materials capture moisture, they allow fungi, typically in the form of mold, to reproduce. The presence of such pathogens creates a hazardous situation for your building’s occupants, especially individuals who have lung illnesses or compromised immunity. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), once mold begins to form, you must completely remove water-damaged articles, such as carpeting or affected wood, from the premises to prevent the fungus from reproducing and causing harm to your building’s occupants. Continuously installing, removing, and replacing flooring is costly and inefficient. You can’t afford to leave it, but you might not be

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Natural Disasters

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