Flooring for Shops and Storage Areas
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Solutions & Applications · Shops & Storage
In storage areas, the floor ceases to be a finish and becomes a wear surface. It is not judged by its appearance but by three factors: how deeply a static load is imprinted, how much force is required to move a pallet truck, and how much dust the surface itself produces.
Reverse specification
In every other part of the building, the flooring specification leans towards softness: acoustic comfort, comfort underfoot and impact absorption. In the storeroom, the trend is reversed, and the reason is obvious:
- Any elastic layer that provides decibels also provides rolling resistance. The pallet truck sinks slightly and the operator has to push harder, on every journey, every day.
- Every soft layer is subject to permanent indentation. The legs of load-bearing shelving exert constant pressure on the same point for years.
- Wear and tear is destructive, not aesthetic. Wheel marks, dragging of pallets, falling objects.
That is why solid floors, rather than acoustic ones, are specified for storage areas — and that is why the same flooring that is suitable for a classroom is unsuitable for a storeroom.
| Requirement | What does this mean in the specification? |
|---|---|
| Resistance to scratches and dents | Compact structure, reinforced wear layer, documented indentation value |
| Low rolling resistance | Smooth, hard surface — without a rubber underlay |
| Low-cost maintenance | No waxing or polishing — no periodic maintenance required by staff |
| Dust control | Sealed surface; exposed concrete is continuously ground |
Two families of solutions — and where the rationale changes
The term ‘storage space’ covers a wide range of conditions, and the choice of material varies between them. However, it is not simply a choice between ‘rubber or resin’: there is an intermediate family of modular tiles that also suits forklift truck conditions.
| Family | Typical scope | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber in rolls or tiles | Shop warehouse, back-of-house, staff areas · adjoining the sales area | Manual pallet trucks, trolleys |
| Modular heavy-duty tiles | Commercial and industrial environments with heavy footfall; installation over existing flooring | Forklift trucks, heavy loads, extreme stress |
| Resin-based concrete coating | Loading and unloading, car parks, chemical exposure, outdoor areas | Forklift trucks and vehicles · water washing |
Rubber flooring for back-of-house areas
Where the storage area is located at the rear of the shop, the flooring continues the design concept of the sales area but with more demanding requirements:
- iD INSPIRATION HIGH TRAFFIC 70: Reinforced wear layer for the highest traffic category.
- iD CLICK ULTIMATE 55–70: Adhesive-free click, when the space needs to be back in use immediately.
- ETRUSCO xf² 2.5 mm: Solid linseed oil, single-colour matt, carbon-negative cradle-to-gate and Cradle to Cradle Silver.
- LINO LOOSE-LAY: PVC-free, adhesive-free linseed oil on a roll, for refurbishment whilst the premises remain in use.
- ECLIPSE PREMIUM: Homogeneous vinyl flooring for heavy traffic with reinforced PUR treatment, available in 66 colours and maintained by dry polishing. As a homogeneous sheet flooring supplied in rolls, the joints are heat-sealed using strips in the same colour as the floor.
- VENETO SICURO xf² R10: Linen oil with R10 slip resistance, for loading and unloading areas and entrances where water enters.
- VENETO xf² 3.2 mm: the heavier-duty version of linoleum, where the standard 2.5 mm thickness is insufficient.
Pay attention to thickness and references. In storage areas, thicker versions of the same range are often specified — for example, 3.2 mm linoleum instead of 2.5 mm, or an R10 anti-slip version instead of the standard one. A different thickness does not constitute the same product; it is a distinct product code with different performance characteristics and a different price. When submitting a quotation, the version specified in the design documents must be explicitly requested.
At ARGYNET, we specify the entire system — substrate, primer, coating or render — and calculate materials per m².
Modular heavy-duty tiles
The iD TILT HIT range bridges the gap between the two extremes. Interlocking, adhesive-free tiles, designed for heavy loads and extreme stress — the name HIT stands for ‘high impact’:
- Resistance to heavy loads in high-traffic commercial and industrial environments.
- Installation over most existing floors: without removal, with minimal disruption to operations.
- Highly durable wear layer and excellent dimensional stability.
- Best-in-class resistance to scratches, scuffs and stains.
- Reduced rolling and impact noise — comfort without compromising on durability.
The last point requires clarification: the tile reduces rolling noise, which is not the same as low rolling resistance. The surface remains hard and compact — which is why it can withstand the load of a forklift. The acoustic improvement stems from the tile’s structure and mass, not from a soft underlay.
Resin-based concrete protection
Where there is chemical exposure, washing with water, outdoor use or vehicle parking, the approach changes radically: the floor is the slab, and the aim is to protect it, not to cover it.
Priming and dust control
SINMAST S2 WB is a two-component, water-based epoxy primer with osmotic behaviour. It acts simultaneously as an adhesion promoter, a chemical separation bonding layer and a vapour barrier:
- Solvent-free and free from volatile organic compounds — odourless and water-soluble.
- Suitable for confined spaces with inadequate ventilation and for clean-rooms. In warehouses, where there is often no ventilation, this is not an environmental benefit but a prerequisite for safe working conditions.
- Anti-dust protection: seals the floor and stops dust — the contaminant that wears down the bearings of equipment and soils the goods.
- Adhesion to porous and non-porous substrates: concrete, aggregate-based screeds, mosaics, timber — as well as steel, aluminium and existing layers.
- For raised floor systems: seal the slab before installing the supports.
Top coat
SINMAST RM 42 is a hard and elastic, high-gloss, two-component acrylic-polyurethane-based paint:
| Property | Performance |
|---|---|
| Mechanical strength | High resistance to impact and abrasion, even at high temperatures |
| Chemical resistance | Oils, greases, petrol, diesel, dilute solutions of acids and bases |
| Exposure to weather conditions | UV, ageing, freeze-thaw cycles; suitable for coastal environments |
| Scope | Concrete, industrial flooring, car parks, metal surfaces; interior and exterior |
| Pedestrian traffic | After 24 hours (typically at +20 °C) |
| Vehicle traffic | After 72 hours |
The last two lines are planning parameters, not technical details. In a warehouse that never stops, they determine the phasing: which section is painted when, and how long the diversion of traffic will last.
Design series
- Handling equipment: manual pallet truck or forklift. The answer should specify the equipment category, not the product code.
- Point loads: based on the arrangement of load-bearing shelves and the live load per level.
- Chemical exposure: oils and fuels from equipment, cleaning agents, any spills of goods.
- Slab condition: flatness, moisture content, need for priming and sealing.
- Work window: depending on curing times and phase behaviour.
- Continuity in the retail environment: where a consistent look is required, select from the same product family.
Resilient Flooring for Storage Areas
Resin-based Concrete Systems
Related Solutions from ARGYNET LAB
Pallet truck, forklift or chemical exposure? Three different families of materials.
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