Hospital floor decorative materials should be environmentally friendly, durable, wear-resistant, non-slip, acid and alkali corrosion-resistant, easy to clean, and come in various types. Hospitals face numerous daily demands, ranging from cleanliness and accessibility to heavy wear and promoting a healing environment.
Your flooring is no exception and is an important part of creating a safe and long-lasting care environment. In this blog, we'll look at hospital flooring options for different areas of your facility and the fundamental requirements that floors must meet.
What is the material of the hospital decoration floor?
PVC flooring, non-slip tiles, anti-static floor paint, marble, terrazzo, and other materials are commonly used on hospital floors.
PVC and rubber flooring are good for general wards because they are environmentally friendly, antibacterial, wear-resistant, and easy to clean. PVC flooring has a multi-layer structure, a good friction coefficient, and clever dispersion of walking pressure and shock absorption performance. The requirements can have a certain silent effect, which can ensure a quiet rest environment for patients, and because most of the patients are weak, there are certain anti-slip requirements.
Anti-slip tiles have the characteristics of wear resistance, good anti-slip performance, not easy to moisture, high hardness, etc. It is recommended to be suitable for hospital halls, bathrooms, aisles and other areas. There are various styles of tiles, and choosing different styles will present different decoration styles. Of course, the most important thing for hospital floor tiles is to be environmentally friendly and consider the role of anti-slip.
🔺 Now, let’s look at hospital flooring options for different areas of your facility and the fundamental requirements that floors must meet.
Ⅰ. Corridors and clinical areas
Corridors are the hospital's main arteries and are heavily used 24 hours a day, foot traffic and heavy rolling loads such as equipment carts, stretchers, med carts, and wheelchairs are included.
To avoid unnecessary injury, corridor flooring must be made of highly durable materials that require little maintenance and promote slip resistance. While no flooring option can guarantee that slips and falls will never happen, choosing a non-slip flooring solution can help to reduce the risk.
Two main hospital floor options are rubber and LVT to meet these performance requirements. Both can save time during installation by pre-applying adhesive to the backing. The free-floating LVT option even eliminates the need for adhesive.
Protective coatings can be applied to rubber and LVT to prevent scratches and scratches and to reduce maintenance interruption, labor, water, and chemicals. Both have different textures, colors, and patterns. LVT is designed to mimic soothing natural textures such as wood and stone, but it is more durable and less expensive than traditional materials.
Ⅱ. Nurse’s station and treatment areas
Staff and patients spend most of their time in these areas, and nurses' stations are always open. Flooring should promote stress reduction, comfort, and 24 hours accessibility by using materials that allow for quick installation and low maintenance.
Many hospitals have abandoned traditional linoleum and vinyl composition tile (VCT) for nurse's stations and functional treatment areas to meet these needs. On the contrary, hospitals are opting for low-VOC LVT, bio-based tile (BBT), and sheet tile flooring.
We recommend flooring options with protective coatings within these categories because they resist scratches and reduce the need for waxing, buffing, and chemical cleaning. Installation times and disruption to these critical care areas will be reduced by using free-floating LVT and materials with adhesive backings.
Ⅲ. Emergency and operating rooms
Emergency and operating rooms must meet the most stringent infection control standards and be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You'll want materials that are easy to clean and promote cleanliness. Dirt and fluids are prevented from slipping beneath the surface of your floor by using smooth or low-texture flooring and proper installation.
LVT, sheet, and linoleum are excellent choices for these environments because they allow for the use of heat welding and flash coving during installation, allowing for the creation of a completely aseptic space. Coatings that resist chemical staining from medical products and bodily fluids can be applied to these materials.
You'll get a floor that doesn't require polishing, waxing, or spray buffing, which reduces maintenance disruptions and costs. These materials are used in buildings that promote indoor air quality while emitting low levels of volatile organic compounds (low VOC).
Ⅳ. Patient rooms
Patient rooms in many hospitals are designed to resemble home-like settings. Because these rooms do not require aseptic flooring, you have more material, adhesive, and installation method options. You have the option of specifying warm, welcoming flooring with natural textures.
LVT, linoleum, and sheet tile are excellent choices for stone, wood, tweed, and other natural looks that are more durable and less expensive than natural materials. They are all compatible with rapid installation systems. Textile flooring is a new option to consider, as it combines the feel of carpet with the durability and performance of tile.
CONCLUSION
The hospital presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to flooring tile selection. With so many areas to accommodate within each facility, it's critical to learn everything you can about hospital flooring tile options.
When selecting hospital flooring tile, consider the following factors: what areas of the hospital require flooring tile, what type of flooring tile is best suited for that area, the longevity of a product, durability, and what is required comfort-wise underfoot.
Aesthetics, point load and rolling load requirements, cleanability, and cost are all important considerations when selecting hospital flooring tile. It is critical to consider all factors in order to make the best decision.
Although there are various types of floor tiles available for hospitals, it’s always difficult to choose the right flooring tile for a hospital. Weigh the factors and products and contact us to help you through the process.
