Facility managers usually select the materials needed for floor coatings applications in the context of minimizing costs and still achieving quality performance from the selected floor coatings system. It is not just a process of going to the store and buying the coating products — prior to actual purchase there is already a material selection process that facility managers went through to come up with the best product that meets facility needs.
In designing the floor coatings system, facility managers study the properties and costs of potential products. The specific conditions of the floor dictate what properties should be considered for this particular application. For example, if the floor surface is concrete and it shows cracks and holes in the substrate, then a 100% solid epoxy concrete filler or surfacer maybe considered in order to achieve the correct solution to the existing floor condition.
The cost of floor coatings also plays a major role in the selection process. When manufacturers price their products, they may cost it based on product performance, or the materials that went into making the product, or even the properties that they designed into it. Facility managers weigh cost against the product properties that deliver good performance for their very specific requirements.
Material selection therefore involves comparing the properties of potential floor coatings products as to their performance on facility floors. The optimal combination of all coatings properties should be achieved, reconciling both the technical and cost properties. Often it is a difficult and rigorous process to go through. A material selection guide is needed to obtain the optimal combination of properties and to identify the best floor coatings product for the given application.
