Different Types of Conventional Hospital Flooring

There are different types of hospital flooring available. The most popular choice of safety flooring in such high-footfall zone is vinyl. When it comes to doing up the interiors of a high-footfall place like a hospital, several factors have to be well considered before the planners start doing the interiors. Indeed, for a place like a hospital that receives thousands of people every day, it is only obvious that the flooring has to be resilient and highly durable.  Also, within the hospital, there are going to be different areas that will require different kinds of flooring. One type of flooring will not be ideal for the entire building. For instance, the flooring for the hospital’s operation theaters will not be the same as the flooring installed in the waiting room.

Conventional flooring types

From a very long time, vinyl composition tile, also popularly called VCT, has been the material of choice for quality hospital flooring. There are several reasons why vinyl remains the top choice of flooring in hospitals. Firstly, it is highly antibacterial which makes it an obvious choice for healthcare centres. It is also effortless to repair and offers complete ease in cleaning. Some hospital authorities have raised questions regarding some harmful substances being emitted during the manufacture of this flooring. To counter this, several manufacturers have come up with sheet vinyl flooring. This is produced with organic materials and is also Eco-friendly in nature.

Another popular choice for flooring in hospitals is rubber. One quality that sets this material apart from others is that it is durable in nature which makes it ideal for the place. Since it lasts a long time and does not get worn out due to heavy traffic, it is considered as a favorable investment when hospital interiors are done up. However, it has one downside in the form of its expensive price as opposed to vinyl which is a considerably affordable option than rubber.

Another flooring type that is seen in several hospitals is linoleum flooring. Linoleum does not match the durability of either rubber of vinyl and it is not easy to repair and maintain it. However, it is one of the cheapest options for flooring and is suitable for small hospitals and health-care centres when foot traffic is low.

In waiting rooms of several hospitals, you will find that carpet flooring is used. However, there are some hospital staff who are against installing carpet anywhere in the hospital since it requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep. As a cost-effective alternative, waiting rooms in hospitals have wood-finish vinyl sheets as they are not just durable but also offer a decent aesthetic value.

Though there are different types of flooring used in hospitals, vinyl is always the most favoured option. It not just fits the criteria of a hospital floor, but also fits the bill when one is looking for safety flooring. It is highly resistant to particulate matter, water and dirt which ensures less contamination inside the hospital premises. Also, it provides complete ease of installation as it can be directly put up on the sub-floor. This not just saves time in replacing the flooring but also saves costs if a major overhaul is required.