3 key factors to consider when installing all weather surfaces for sports, playground surfaces and industrial floor solutions

An all weather sports surface, a safe playground surface or the right industrial floor solution: luxury or necessity? Whether we are in a playground, at work in a clean room or restaurant environment, or training on a synthetic or artificial rugby pitch, we are somewhat exposed to a potential injury. Slips and trips account for up to 35% of major accidents in the food and drink industry alone (source; hse.gov.uk). It is for this reason that the right sports surface or industrial flooring system for work as much as leisure is a necessity. Here are three important factors to consider when purchasing a floor surface for industrial flooring solutions, wet rooms, and sports surfaces such as an all weather pitch or a tennis surface, presented by Marie McSweeney, Manager of Irish based Playground and Sports Surface Installation experts McSweeney Sports Surfaces and wet room and industrial floor suppliers Mcresinfloors.com

1. Foundation

What's under the surface? The surface our shoes stand upon, is the final layer of a whole system, and the finishing element of a process. Laying the right sports surface, playground surface or industrial flooring application often requires surface excavation, heavy duty clearing and preparation.  Many layers may be put down in order to achieve the right balance of durability, shock absorption, grip and comfort. A typical multi layer surface that we walk on in our supermarket, warehouse or wet room environment involves just 2 – 4 mm of thickness, but let's take a quick look at what comprises this typical floor. A Viasol epoxy resin coated system as supplied by http://mcresinfloors.com will work upwards typically from concrete and include an adhesive primer. Then a levelling layer may be added before the top coat is applied. It is only then that the seal coat is applied and any finishing trim after that. So even in this simple example there are up to 5 layers beneath our feet on any typical sports surface, industrial floor or wet room floor surface.

2. Standards Adherence

If laying a tennis surface, a GAA all weather pitch or an artificial football playing surface, the governing body for that sport or discipline will have floor specifications and recommendations. Both the Lawn Tennis Association and the International Tennis Association have approved specifications for synthetic grass court and acrylic court surface installations. There are usually three forces at play for any sports surface installation: safety, durability and replication of natural surface dynamics. However, multi-sport playing surfaces can be achieved so that each sports requirements can be attained and exceeded. But this should be checked first. Usually GAA, Rugby and soccer can be catered for on the one artificial sports surface.

In a clean room or industrial floors environment it may in certain situations require attainment of recommended or approved specifications such as having a terrazzo floor rise a certain number of centimetres up the adjoining wall. In fact in many food preparation areas, the walls are now required to be of the same resin finish as the floor so maximum hygiene can be maintained.

3. Maintenance

So you've invested wisely in your new tennis surface, community playground surface and play equipment or industrial floor and it looks great. A wise decision is to include a recommended period of maintenance in your contract with your sports or industrial floor surface installation expert. They will have a supply of the correct resin and finishing materials for preventative maintenance and repair that will provide ongoing durability and aesthetic uniformity.

So in summary, any floor installation must properly account for safety, fitness for purpose, and durability. Each industry and sport's governing body will actually have an approved specification and this is in place for everyone's safety. Your professional sports surface and industrial flooring supplier will have knowledge of these requirements and be able to install accordingly and also achieve your aesthetic preferences which are of particular importance for playground surfaces, wet room floors and artificial sports surfaces.

For further information or technical advice, please feel to call + 353 (0)61 395786, or view either of our websites at www.mcresifloors.com

Author Bio : Marie McSweeney set up McSweeney Sports Surfaces with her Husband Mike in 2003. Mike liked spending time at home with the kids, and saw for himself how the use of an artificial putting green was very similar to a real one, but was practical because the maintenance costs were so low by comparison. This inspired McSweeney Sports Surfaces to develop their indoor and outdoor sports and play surface product portfolio in Ireland and the UK.  Since then the company has expanded its interest into industrial floors and wet room floors through its new sister company McResinfloors.com  Contact us at 00 353 61 395786 or [email protected]