Operating rooms need to meet strict infection control requirements. Surgical flooring is one of the most important elements in achieving them. Operating room flooring options must be hygienic, sterile, and sealed, but that’s just the beginning. They also have to be exceptionally durable. They have to maintain these qualities for years under the constant stress of heavy foot and rolling traffic. They have to be chemical and stain-resistant. They may even need to be electrostatic dissipative for the safe use of electronic equipment.
Vinyl Operating Room Flooring Options
Luxury vinyl tile and sheet vinyl both meet these qualities. The primary reason for this is that they can be heat-welded when they’re installed. This meets the requirements for a bacteriostatic, fungistatic floor. It also allows seamless cove-to-wall base installation.
- Durability – Obviously, hospital-grade versions for these types of flooring are very different than you might see in a home. Coatings are used to provide chemical and stain resistance. These coatings seal the floor against medical product or bodily fluid seepage. These coatings also provide the floor with resistance to scratches, dents, punctures, and wear.
- Air Quality – These flooring choices are also low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surgical flooring that is low in VOCs offers better air quality. An OR is fairly self-contained, so this is a crucial element that’s often overlooked when evaluating operation room flooring options.
- Installation – Slopes are easy to create with vinyl flooring materials. This ensures that reliable and predictable drainage occurs exactly according to design. Operating room flooring options like luxury vinyl tile and sheet vinyl are also efficient to install. They cure within a few hours, allowing quick installation. This also makes it easy for installers to stick to construction, renovation, or replacement schedules.
All Surgical Flooring Options Require an Experienced Installer
When choosing your surgical flooring, remember that you’re also choosing your surgical flooring installer. Work with a business that has experience in installing different operating room flooring options – one that can show you a portfolio of past successful projects and speak with you in a knowledgeable way about meeting every single requirement for your hospital or surgical center.
>> Contact East Coast Flooring & Interiors today for a FREE estimate on installing your OR flooring.