Resilience and Protective Flooring Products

12/13/05

Products discussed in this article: X-Derm, Z-Grip, Paw-Grip, Safe-Grip.Elephant Bark Rubber,

So you're looking at your concrete floor in your garage or basement and you're thinking how much you would like a weight set but don't want to chip the concrete with 30 lb dumbbells. Or maybe it's your wood deck that needs protection from spills or heavy objects falling on it. The real question is how to choose a flooring product that will protect the floors from the wear and tear of your application while offering a great surface for your use.

Comfortable flooring options are typically limited to carpet, which can be impossible to clean. Liquids can also easily be absorbed into a carpet requiring a shampooing that may never get rid of the stain (or smell). Plus, carpet really doesn't offer damage prevention to subfloors as the fibers tend to yield to heavy objects with no real resilience.

Another option is rubber flooring, like Elephant Bark Rubber, X-Derm, or Z-Grip. Rubber has the advantage of being naturally resilient, nonabsorbent of liquids, and easy to clean. These three qualities--explained in detail below--make rubber a preferable alternative to carpet.

Resilience is key in a protective flooring product because the capability of a flooring product to bounce back from the impact or weight of a hard or heavy object is imperative. Carpet tends to retain any impression made in it and other types of flooring products may crack or dent under extreme pressure. Rubber matting products, especially those made from recycled rubber tires, not only absorb the force of objects, but also rebound rather quickly with minimal loss of original form. Rubber's natural resilience enables rubberized flooring to withstand repeated compression without long-term damage to the product or flooring.

Since rubber does not absorb liquids, spills seeping beneath the surface are typically not an issue. So if you're cat has an accident on a rubber floor, you don't have to worry about a lingering smell being trapped in the fibers of the flooring.

Any spills can be easily cleaned using a damp mop with mild detergents without risk of stains setting in or harboring mold or mildew. For dry spills, a broom or vacuum is usually suitable to clean rubber floors.

So rubber floors are superior to other types of flooring when preventing damage to subfloors for the reasons mentioned above. This makes rubber flooring the best choice for preventing damage to your subfloors.

Jeffrey Stephens

12/13/2005

Resilience and Protective Flooring Products

04/12/09

Products discussed in this posting: Corrugated Fine Rib, Super-Grip Scraper, Door Scraper, Shark Tooth, Maxx-Tuff, Eco-Sport.

Why buy protective flooring which is also considered resilient flooring? Well, it is less expensive in the long run. As Jeffery tells below, resilient flooring is one which bounces back after use and has been less affected by the conditions. We offer different variations of protective flooring and resilient flooring.

Protective mats and protective floor covering imply that there is a precious subsurface being guarded by the “protective mat.” In other words on the surface of the floor, something is taking place which may harm the current floor or flooring. The most common cause for concern is water and dirt. The latter two are commonly tracked into commercial and residential locations. This type of foot traffic is generally easy to pinpoint and the dirt and debris is generally limited to specific areas. For one, entry points (e.g., commercial entryways) and the foot traffic pathways are a source for concern. Floor protective mats means that these high foot-traffic areas are protected from wear and tear. Moreover, since protective floor covering is only needed seasonally, these protective floor mats can be removed and replaced when the season ends.

We offer rubber floor protection mats which are water impervious. This means that water and debris stays on the surface of the mat and does not trail to the subfloor. Also water and dirt does not affect our rubber mats. Clean them with a mop or even a hose and they are as good as new.

Corrugated Fine Rib – Can be used Indoors or outdoors and can be purchased in any length up to 50 continuous feet.

Super-Grip Scraper – Heavy scraper action, and still available in rolls up to 50 continuous feet.

Door Scrape Mat – Awesome Rubber Door Mat!

Now floor protection could also imply that heavy or abrasive debris is falling on to the surface of the floor, hence the need for floor protection mats. This is generally the case for factories or assembly lines. The protection is dual in nature here. The parts maybe heavy and the floor covering will need protection from possible damage of dropped parts. Otherwise, the parts maybe more precious than the floor and will need to be protected from damage if the do get dropped. In this case a thicker layer of floor protective mats or sometimes called rubber protection mats are required. We offer a few mats which will behave as protective floor covering depending on where and how they need to be used.

Shark Tooth – ¾ inch thick, Tough, Recycled, sold in tiles.

Maxx-Tuff - ½” thick, nice looking and still sturdy.

Eco-Sport - sold in ½ inch and 1inch gauges. A floor tile which can cover an entire room or floor.

Last but not least would be flooring which can cover and protect wood decks or similar outdoor applications. In this case floor needs protection from the elements. The rubber protection mats need to also be able to handle the external elements and not weather so easily. For this our Eco-Sport product which is made from recycled tires is ideal. Since tires are made from high quality rubber product designed for long term (un der stress) outdoor use, recycled tire rubber mats are an excellent way to protect outdoor floors.

Mr. Elasticity

04/12/09