By Healthcare Facilities Today

Facility planners and designers want flooring that will deliver durability, ease of maintenance and sustainability, all while giving a hospitalitylike aesthetic, according to an article on the Healthcare Facilities Management website. 

"Flooring is one of the biggest decisions that is made on a project. It undergoes a tremendous amount of scrutiny." Jocelyn Stroupe, AAHID, EDAC, IIDA, ASID, principal and health care interiors design practice leader, Cannon Design, Chicago, said in the article. 

She adds that many of her clients want selections made on evidence-based design — not just the look and feel of the product. "Using strong criteria takes the decision to a different level," she says. "The data are out there on performance and durability of flooring, but sometimes you have to dig for it."

Kinetex, a recent textile composite flooring offering from J+J Flooring Group can be used as an alternative to hard-surface flooring, because Kinetex can withstand disinfection with bleach and is highly durable.

"We recommend it for patient rooms, patient care areas, nursing stations, corridors," said Keith Gray, J+J's director of product innovation in the article. "The only places designers shouldn't use it are those that will likely have constant spills, such as operating suites and water physical therapy chambers."

While Stroupe says this flooring poses an "intriguing idea," most of her clients are still opting for hard-surface flooring. "Hospitals are so challenged with managing the cost of their operating expenses, they need to be able to maintain floors quickly and easily, with a low number of FTEs. There's usually a limited window of time they can have access to a room or an area."

Ease of maintenance comes with the flooring options offered by nora systems Inc., according to the article. One advantage that nora's rubber flooring is that it doesn't need to be coated and stripped, Jim Bistolas, nora's national health care market segment manager said in the article. The rubber flooring can be cleaned with water only. 

"Not only does this simplify the process for the environmental services staff, but it creates a healthier place for patients with respiratory ailments and compromised immune systems," according to Bistolas.

Read the article.