Flooring
Slip-resistant safety flooring
Safety flooring is vinyl made to grip. Added grit or a textured surface helps people keep their footing where water, oil or soap can make a normal floor slick.
What safety flooring is
There are two main ways to build grip. In one, hard particles such as quartz or aluminium oxide are mixed into the top layer. In the other, a textured pattern is pressed into the surface. Particle floors keep grip as the surface wears, because the particles run through the layer. Each approach has its place, and the room's use should decide.
Safety flooring is a hard-wearing vinyl with small hard particles or a moulded texture in the surface. These give the sole of a shoe something to bite into, even when the floor is wet.
Ranges differ in how rough they are. A finer grip is kinder to bare feet and easier to wash. A coarser grip gives more traction in greasy or very wet places.
Where it suits
Use it where a fall would be likely or costly. That includes kitchens, pool and gym change rooms, bathrooms, laundries, plant rooms and building entries.
- Tested and given a slip rating by the maker
- Joins can be welded to keep water out
- Can be coved up walls
- Handles frequent washing
How it is laid and cared for
Installation follows sheet vinyl. The base is made smooth, the sheet is glued, and seams are welded. Edges at drains and doors need careful detail so water runs the right way.
Textured floors need a stiff brush or a scrubbing machine with the right pad to lift dirt from the surface. A quick wipe is not enough. A regular wash routine keeps the grip working as intended.
What to ask before choosing
Ask these before you lock in a product.
- Which slip rating does the area need?
- Will people walk here barefoot, in boots or in both?
- What will spill on the floor: water, soap, oil or food?
- How will the floor be washed, by hand or by machine?
- Does the floor need to fall to a drain?
Brands with safety flooring
Each link opens that brand's safety flooring part only.
Good for these sectors
Questions
What does a slip rating mean?
It is a result from a standard test of how much grip a surface gives. A higher rating means more grip, tested under set conditions.
Does it feel rough on bare feet?
Some ranges do. Finer grip options are made for bare-foot areas such as change rooms, so tell us who will use the space.
Does the grip wear off?
Over time, heavy traffic can soften any surface. Choosing a range with grip through the layer, and washing it properly, helps it last.
Tell us about your floors
Send the rooms, the floor you have now and your dates. We reply on the next business day.
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