Healthcare facility flooring should be durable, easy to maintain, should last more than 10 years and look like it belongs in a boutique hotel, not an institution, according to an article on the Medical Construction & Design website.

Traditional hard flooring requires some of the most expensive maintenance, but the initial cost is attractive. Solid vinyl tile and luxury vinyl tile offer more options in the look and feel of the flooring, such as wood- and stone-look floors. Rubber tile and sheet flooring is a good choice if a facility has strong sustainability goals.

Linoleum flooring has the benefit of getting harder as it ages, releasing its natural oil into the product and enabling it to self-heal if cut or gouged. Epoxy or poured flooring is seamless and can have an integral base to help with water containment. This product can have a grit integral to the product to help with slip resistance.

Carpet has been was known to absorb smells and stains and be bad for roller traffic, but with the more prevalent use of carpet tile, in-house facilities crews can repair, replace and spot clean more easily.

Read the article.