At the moment the flooring in my lab is just rough (bumpy) concrete ...
Can somebody reccomend what i use, its must consider the following, chemical resistance, non-hazardous when wet ect.
Thanks,
I think you are going to have to make that concrete smooth before doing anything else, otherwise it will still be "rough (bumpy)" no matter what you
put on it. Once you get it smooth you could coat it with epoxy garage floor paint mixed with some sand. This would give you a chemically resistant
surface that is also non-skid. This was the floor covering in a commercial lab in which I once worked.
Presently I have smooth, painted concrete, and a large rubber mat laid down in front of my workspace.
[Edited on 11-1-2010 by Magpie]Picric-A - 11-1-2010 at 10:00
i was going to cover it with cheap hardwood to get rid of the small cracks and then apply flooring.
That seems very tedious but if worst comes to worse i will try that. Has anybody got a vinyl floored lab?Ozonelabs - 11-1-2010 at 10:29
We went the epoxy paint route- works very well as flooring.sonogashira - 11-1-2010 at 13:59
As you mentioned vinyl here is copy-paste extract from "The chemical laboratory - design, planning and operation" (Rosenlund). Maybe you will find it
useful. Personally I would go for polished black granite floor... and marble walls!
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring, either in sheet or tile form, has shown good performance
in laboratories where it has been installed for several
years. Vinyl exhibits good resistance to most inorganic chemicals
and to many aliphatic hydrocarbons. More vigorous solvents,
however, especially ketones, will attack or soften it.
Strong oxidizing agents can cause rapid discoloration, and heavily
colored organic compounds will often penetrate into the vinyl
flooring and cause permanent stains. Damage in all cases will be
reduced, of course, if the spill is removed at once.
When vinyl is chosen for laboratory floor use, the heavier commercial
grade is recommended over the thinner material often
used in homes. The cushioned type, while easier to walk on, does
not have sufficient ability to withstand laboratory wear and
tear. Neither does the no-wax type. Good maintenance should
include regular waxing, which will greatly increase the ability of
any flooring to resist damage from wear and from chemical
spills.
Sheet vinyl is best installed by professionals, whereas tiles can
be laid by amateurs if instructions are followed carefully. Sheet
flooring is usually considered more attractive and easier to
maintain. It has few seams to open up in time and become dirt
catchers or entrance points for moisture. In some materials,
seams can be "welded" by heat, thus forming a permanent seal.
Others will in time require additional sealer. Tiles, on the other
hand, can be laid with less waste and also have the advantage of
being replaceable if damaged. Whichever type is chosen, a supply
of extra tiles or a few scraps of sheet flooring should be kept
for possible future repairs.
[Edited on 11-1-2010 by sonogashira]Fleaker - 11-1-2010 at 18:51
Epoxy-painted cement is all that I've seen in serious laboratories.
Sometimes well-butted tile is used, but even then small globules of mercury may congregate.
