The flooring within a fire station needs to be able to withstand intense stressors, but without ever inhibiting the activities of the firefighters and their equipment. That can be a difficult task to achieve. Fire station floors will see heavy traffic, as well as the near-constant movement of weighty vehicles, bulky gear, and mobile equipment. The floor needs to be able to withstand hard item drops without incurring damage.
It’s a tall order, but one that is necessary for ensuring the safety of the firefighters, as well as the community. Flooring solutions ideal for fire stations includes resinous coatings. A concrete floor coated with either epoxy or urethane will be able to serve a fire station without fail for longer than other systems while remaining easy to maintain.
How Resin-Coated Floors Benefit Fire Stations:
1 – Tough Enough to Withstand the Elements
Few flooring types are stronger and more resilient than resinous coatings. They are specifically intended to hold up under heavy use – and abuse. There are small differences between epoxy and urethane to note. Epoxy is physically harder, but a bit easier to crack. Urethane can resist drop damage better but is slightly more susceptible to being pierced by sharp objects. Though either will be an optimum choice; the difference between the two is relatively minimal. Both are far tougher than other industrial flooring.
2 – Simple cleaning and sterilization
A firehouse will come into contact with water, from testing the reliability of the equipment to cleaning and maintaining the vehicles. You need a floor which is entirely impermeable to water, to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Resinous coatings are perfect for this purpose. When properly maintained, they create a single seamless edge-to-edge surface which gives water no opportunities to slip in and upholds the integrity of the floor system. Beyond that, they are also exceedingly easy to clean. They do not require waxing, buffing, or other extra efforts to maintain their shine.
3 – High slip resistance
Despite appearing shiny and slick, resinous coatings are extremely safe to walk on – even when wet. This is a major consideration in a fire station. Firefighters need to be able to walk or run with confidence, and resinous coatings allow for and mitigate the risk of falling and hazards on the job.
Black Bear is the Trusted Fire Station Flooring Installer of the Northeast
Black Bear works with municipalities and community firefighters to engineer the right flooring solutions for firehouses. Our timelines reduce disruption to operations and provide compliant and reliable flooring. Plus, we engineer LEED-certified floors to reduce energy costs and provide a more environmentally friendly product.
In addition to formulating cost-effective solutions, the Black Bear team creates custom colors and design elements to complement the firehouse including logo stencils and town shields.
Take a look at some of the projects we’ve completed for municipalities including the Burlington and Walpole fire stations and contact us for a free on-site consultation to learn how Black Bear can engineer the right flooring for your station.
