Our expert answers to your flooring problems

1. Was my original floor the correct floor?

We often come across projects where the existing floor did not meet the right specifications for the area where it was installed. There are lots of reasons why this happens including budget constraints, downtime restrictions or just the wrong flooring system recommended in the first place.

This can be completely avoided with experience and there are very few environments, where we have not installed floors and been able to provide the right answer.

We pride ourselves on being a true turnkey solution provider, helping with every aspect of a flooring job ranging from groundworks to product selection, install and warranty, giving our customers complete peace of mind – not just a single source solution, but the right one.

2. How can I make sure I get the right floor cleaning regime in place?

The flooring products we use come from Stonhard – an international manufacturing and installation business with over 100 years trading history for floors of all types - and the one quality they all share is that they are impervious - so no fluid ever gets through. So you can clean with confidence. They are also all HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) accredited – that’s a highly sought after control and quality standard. Which all flooring should aspire to meet. Floors that don’t clean up well are a major cause for concern. So we advise, not only on the correct floor, but the appropriate cleaning regime for it, from the reception lobby through to high care production areas. Incorrect cleaning limits the durability and longevity of flooring so getting it right is a must do. We offer a range of floor cleaning products to assist on any particularly problematic areas, along with slip testing to ensure floors are fit for purpose and designed to minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls.

3. I am not sure my floor is compliant with the latest hygiene and hazard control standards

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a globally-recognised system to prevent and control hazards in food production environments.

Stonhard’s resin flooring range is HACCP-accredited meaning choosing from our Stonhard product range goes along way when managing a HACCP compliance plan.

Resin flooring is an ideal product for food and beverage manufacturers because it is seamless, impervious, easy to clean, with good drainage and slip resistance and chemical, temperature and impact resistant too.

4. My floor is very slippery when wet – I am worried about health and safety

Slip resistance is a critical factor when opting for a new floor.
A PTV (pendulum test value) value of 36+ is classed a ‘low’ potential for slip. This is usually the preferred range for industrial resin floors. However, this comes with its own challenges. Some floors with this level of defined texture can become a nuisance to clean if the correct cleaning method isn’t used, so a balance must be achieved between the two.

We draw down on extensive test data from the thousands of systems we have installed over the years to help our customers make good decisions in this area and are adaptable. What works in one part of the facility might not fit the bill in another. We install floors with multiple, or even no textures, to suit a large variety of environments – with health and safety a number one priority.

5. My floors are cracking – what can I do?

A crack in a resin floor can appear due to a range of reasons including substrate movement, poor installation, temperature changes or impact damage.

Sometimes these are beyond anyone’s control, so we provide a warranty programme called Stoncare for the entire install, covering product defects, installation and aftercare on all Kemtile-installed floors.

To check your floor stays as good as possible we offer annual free inspections and draw on this warranty if we need to make any repairs to maintain high standards of flooring integrity and longevity.

6. I want my floor to look the business!

Aesthetics – or how your floor looks - is a major factor when choosing a resin floor. There are several options available under the Stonhard range of systems - from quartz based decorative systems right through to a high gloss industrial finish. Traditional hand trowelled polyurethane screeds have looks and durability – it’s a very good all-rounder. But watch out for UV stability, the flooring can gradually change colour over time. This does not affect the technical performance.
Where aesthetics is key, we would recommend more colour stable systems like Stonclad UT, Stonclad UR and Stonclad GS – which also come in a variety of textures. 

7. My floors have delaminated – what can I do?

Floors delaminate for several reasons.  Poor or inadequate preparation is often the cause. Without a solid bond between the substrate and resin flooring, any thermal shock on the resin floor will easily delaminate the resin topping from the substrate.
Mechanical preparation is essential to provide longevity; this is usually done by encapsulated shotblasting or mechanical grinding. You also need anchor grooves – essential on PU floors – which ‘anchor’ the PU resin floor into the concrete substrate and assist on the bond, specially in areas of temperature fluctuations. Liquid or chemical penetration can also cause delamination.  This often starts from small damage on a resin floor, usually in a wet area, and over time these chemicals or other liquids get into and under the damaged area and weaken the bond.  Good maintenance, including renewing expansion joints, can help.
We are happy to provide a free of charge flooring survey across your site to highlight any potential issues or suggest improvements to an existing floor to provide better longevity.

8. Why do I need to renew expansion joints and how often?

Expansion joints are designed to move dependant on the loadings, temperature, and structure of the building. Often expansion joints are overlooked and when not replaced can affect the integrity of the wider floor.
As they deteriorate, they tend to give way to any chemicals or discharge, which then leads to failure and delamination. Joints become stretched and brittle over time, especially when exposed to chemicals, which can include high concentration cleaning agents.
We generally advise that customers replace expansion joints every 3-5 years dependant on condition – something we can pick up on as part of our annual floor survey and ‘Stoncare’ programme.