Steps to Improve the Slip Resistance of Your Epoxy Flooring

 Floors, whatever option is installed in your homes or commercial areas, tend to be slippery when wet. Slips and trips usually occur with this and are part of the most common causes of injuries. It can be very dangerous and may cause serious accidents, especially if you are not cautious enough. 

It does not matter what kind of flooring option there is, may it be epoxy flooring which is naturally skid resistant, or ceramic floors that are only slippery when wet. Most flooring options and high-gloss surfaces are slip-resistant when dry. But any liquid or contaminants such as water, dust, oil, or solvents, can still reduce the effectiveness of non-slip properties. 

Epoxy flooring, which holds skid-resistant elements, is not a good choice in areas that are prone to spills or water. This is because this type of flooring is non-porous in nature. Porous floors allow liquids to flow through them, but the opposite tends to retain those liquids on their surfaces. And as someone who frequently goes to these areas, you would not want any accidents like these to occur.

Measures to Avoid Floor Accidents

However, these kinds of accidents on your epoxy flooring can be avoided with certain measures. There are various steps and ways you can do—from what you will put over the surface or what solution will you include to mix with the coating. 

But then, it all still depends on how severe the slip hazard is. You can have a flooring professional to conduct slip tests in areas with high traffic. This will let you know which of the available solutions would work best for your floors.

Knowing what kind of flooring solution will help prevent slips, trips, accidents and injuries, and those best suited for certain conditions of a particular area, will help reduce sudden and unexpected mishaps. 

Thus, measures such as adding anti-skid and aluminum oxide additives, using non-slip tapes, and installing rubber mats and carpet runners on high traffic areas will be very effective to prevent slips and trips. If you want to know more about these steps, keep on reading.

Anti-Skid Additives

One of the most common measures to improve your epoxy flooring’s slip resistance is to apply and mix an anti-skid additive to the final coat. This will create a surface that is soft and smooth enough to walk on but feel gritty on slippery moments to prevent slipping and tripping accidents.

A prominent and most recommended anti-skid additive, creating a non-slip surface for different flooring options, would be a ground polymer grit such as Shark Grip. This grit holds small micronized polymer beads, giving the floor a less abrasive texture. 

Thus, provides a comfortable feel, making it soft on the feet and skin. Applying this additive can make your epoxy flooring slip-resistance, reducing gloss and fine texturing the floors. Shark grip can be added not just to epoxy floors, but to paints and other coatings as well. It can be easily mixed with latex and oil-based paints and stains, too. 

However, shark grip can be less effective when applied on thicker final coats. It has the tendency to sink below the surface.

Aluminum Oxide Additives

For a maximum grip, aluminum oxide additives are the most ideal additive especially if it will be applied to industrial areas, or areas that hold the greatest amount of traffic. This additive adds an extremely aggressive, durable, long-lasting, and tough anti-slip properties when mixed to the final coating. It also does not change the coating’s physical properties while having them blend together well.

If compared to anti-skid additives mentioned above, the disadvantage of this one would be its grittiness, coarseness, making it uncomfortable to the feet and skin. This texture makes it a little difficult to clean as it holds up a lot of dirt as well. And as it is coarse and gritty, mopping the epoxy floor might be tough. Also, it can hold up mop strings too.

Use Non Slip Tapes

Instances such as not having the chance to apply additives anymore as final coatings on your epoxy floors have already been done can happen. In cases like these, you still have another option to improve the slip resistance of your floorings. It is to stick non-slip tapes on areas that are prone to slipping. This kind of tape has abrasive particles bonded to one side. It makes the surface gritty and grainy, similar to sandpapers. 

With non-slip tapes application, surfaces can have better grip which can help prevent falls. One of the most convenient advantages of this kind of tape is that it can be installed over irregular surfaces. These are recommended to be applied on smaller areas like staircases, decks and floors. It is also ideal to be applied near to areas where people frequently wash their hands or on floors with elevation changes such as ramps. You have a range of options to choose from. 

They come in various sizes and levels of coarseness, all depending on which areas you intend to apply them. Though they are inexpensive and easy to install, they must be regularly checked and replaced as they are only a shorter-term solution unlike those additives mixed with coatings. Their anti-skid properties can sometimes be worn out easily, when colors begin to fade and their edges are curling.

Install Rubber Mats

As a temporary solution for slip hazards, putting rubber mats on areas prone to slipping can be effective. They can be easily put over the surface and removed especially when there is a more suitable solution, improving the slip resistance of your epoxy flooring. There are different rubber mat options available, varying in surface designs and patterns. 

It may be plain smooth, or have textured designs. The textured ones allow better grip when wet. This makes them an ideal choice for bathrooms, and especially in areas where children often run around. These rubber, anti-slip mats are also perfect for areas prone to water and other liquid spills. They can absorb them by letting the fluids drain down through the holes or deep ridges, having the surface itself stay dry.

For areas at home having epoxy flooring installed, a possible alternative for rubber mats would be carpet runners. This will guarantee you that slipping will not happen anymore. It will also give you a more comfortable feel to your skin and feet. They come in different sizes, colors, and shapes, suitable to all the needs and preferences.

Key Takeaway

For a safer and slip-resistant epoxy flooring, you have to have your floors assessed in safety to know the appropriate measures you have to perform. The steps mentioned above are measures that can help you worry less about slipping, tripping, and causing accidents and injuries anymore. They are one of the quickest and most effective flooring solutions available, may it be a permanent remedy or just a temporary one, but will still make your epoxy floors skid-resistant.