Flood-proof Flooring
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Flood risks can be substantially reduced with the selection of new technology flooring and wall coverings using water proof, mold and mildew resistant materials like epoxy coatings. These coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Now they are being used increasingly in living spaces.
Flooded epoxy floors can be pressure washed and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off, with floors ready for occupancy within hours. These flooring
surfaces are class III laboratory qualified, meaning the surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up.
Old technology flooring, including carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to such severe contamination and damage, that after flooding, they are essentially unrecoverable. Carpeting and wood often harbor health-damaging bacteria, mold, and mildew after being flooded. Sewer, petroleum, and many types of organic matter brought into living spaces by floodwaters all need to be neutralized and removed.
The costs of flood remediation often include the labor expenses of removal, hauling and landfill expenses, as well as contamination cleanup and replacement costs.
It is not just floors within flood plains or hurricane areas that are at risk from flooding. Plumbing problems, from overflowing bathtub or laundry and kitchen appliances, can create the same damage as natural disasters. Sewage and other contaminants need to be removed; warped and shrunken surfaces have to be repaired or replaced.
New designs in homes offer beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain flood waters. Area rugs create an elegant look on top of these easy-to-maintain surfaces.
The beauty of epoxy flooring can enhanced and personalized by using colors. Colored chips, glitter, decorative stains, and artwork and decals can be laminated into these attractive floors. Epoxy flooring is a solid choice when rebuilding or remediating flood prone properties or living spaces.
Kits of materials are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.
