Antislip Flooring

There are several methods to create anti-slip flooring.  One is micro-etching.  This consists of a surface treatment for flooring materials such as porcelain tiles that creates a series of microscopic grooves to allow grease or other slippery substances to go somewhere rather than pooling underfoot.  This method is not reversible and generally requires professionals to apply safely.  A second option is to place a non-stick coating on the floor such as polyurethane.  This is still best installed by professionals, and hasn’t achieved market penetration in the home.  It is widely used in industrial, service and construction settings.  A third option is anti-slip stripping and coatings. 

These are not used as a total surface replacement, but instead to provide stable points in high risk areas, such as stairs or showers.  These are almost always applied by amateurs due to the ease of installation.  Even those that are applied with trowels and edgers are relatively easy to apply and cure within twelve hours.  A more subtle solution is a surface treatment that seals the surface.  These make the treated surface easier to clean and inhibit the growth of molds.  This is normally used in outdoors settings.  Variations exist for wood or stone surfaces. 

Anti-slip flooring is vital for public places, workspaces and homes.  Whether due to risk of injury, litigation or OSHA investigation, anyone owning a place where people routinely live and work has incentive to protect against falls and slips. 

Options for a homeowner are more limited than for a business, but hardware and superstores often have anti-slip strips and coatings available to purchase along with all other supplies needed to safely install them.  For more ambitious solutions, many contractors can provide more specialized solutions.  For public places or employers, self-application is probably a bad idea. 

Especially for public spaces or workplaces, it is sometimes possible to get insurance breaks for attempts to improve safety such as programs to install anti-slip flooring.  In this day of aggressive lawsuits, it might be wise to recall the old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

When installing anti-slip flooring, the nature of the current flooring and needs of the activity on the site must be considered, as well as how long the place can be closed to normal business for installation.  Another consideration is whether an independent inspection must take place to ensure effective improvement over the previous condition. 

Whether looking at a home or business, from initial construction through to final use, care must be taken to protect the health and safety of those on the site.  This can mean creating trails through a worksite to allow people and supplies to move around after the rain to treated surfaces with dedicated janitorial staff to ensure nothing remains on the ground for long.