A working floor is a different job
A commercial floor coating is chosen around how the space works. An auto repair bay sees dropped tools, jack stands, hot fluids and solvents. A warehouse sees pallet jacks and forklifts running the same lanes all day. A machine shop sees cutting oils and metal chips. A retail back room sees carts, cleaning chemicals and constant foot traffic. Each needs a different balance of hardness, flexibility, chemical resistance and texture, and the specialist should ask about all of it before recommending a system.
Loads and abrasion
Rolling loads concentrate force on small wheels. Hard plastic wheels on a pallet jack can wear through a thin coating in a lane long before the rest of the floor shows wear. For heavy traffic, specialists usually recommend thicker systems, such as broadcast or troweled systems, rather than a thin roll-on coat, and they pay close attention to joints, where wheels hit edges. Ask how the system handles the specific equipment you run.
Chemicals and containment
Coatings are tested against specific chemicals, and resistance varies by product and by exposure time. Bring a list of what's actually used in the space, including cleaners, and ask the specialist to match it against the product data sheets. Where spills need to be contained, coatings can be turned up the wall as a cove base so liquids don't run under walls or racking.
Traction and the rules that apply
Workplace floors fall under OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule, which requires that walking-working surfaces be maintained free of hazards such as leaks, spills, snow and ice, and that workroom floors be kept clean and, to the extent feasible, dry (29 CFR 1910.22). A coating doesn't make a business compliant on its own, but texture helps: broadcast aggregate or anti-slip additives give grip where floors get wet or oily. Ask for texture options and how each affects cleaning.
Preparation still decides everything
Commercial slabs often carry years of oil, sealers, curing compounds and old coatings. Mechanical preparation, by grinding or shot-blasting, removes that and opens the surface. Oil-soaked areas may need extra cleaning or a primer made for contaminated concrete. And moisture testing matters as much here as in a home: older slabs on grade, and newer ones without a working vapor barrier, can push enough moisture to blister a coating. See surface prep and moisture testing.
Downtime and scheduling
Shutting down a bay or a warehouse aisle costs money, so cure time is part of the choice. Fast-curing chemistries can shorten downtime, but they leave the crew less working time and may be less tolerant of moisture, so they suit some slabs and not others. Specialists often phase large floors in sections. Get the schedule, the return-to-service times and the conditions they depend on in writing.
Questions to ask
- Which system do you recommend for our equipment and chemicals, and why?
- How will you prepare the slab, and how will you handle oil-soaked areas?
- How will you test for moisture, and what happens if the results are high?
- What texture will you use, and how will it affect cleaning?
- How will you phase the work, and when can each area go back into service?
- What does the written warranty cover?