Warsaw, 27 September 2024 – According to the Polish Chamber of Commercial Real Estate, at the end of June 2024, the market of modern warehouses and industrial space in Poland amounted to over 33.5 million square meters. The report of the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC) “Sustainable Certified Buildings 2024” indicates that more and more warehouses are applying for environmental certificates. A good solution for this type of “green” facility are resin floors from the Flowcrete LE group, based on durable epoxy resins, with low VOC emissions confirmed by the Indoor Air Comfort ® Gold certificate.
What floors work well in warehouses?
In warehouses, the basic task of floors, which constitute the top layer of the floor, is to protect the concrete base from damage and the stored goods from dust. The main operational loads are related to the movement of people and vehicles, impacts of pallets with goods, and leaks of various substances as a result of damage to product packaging.
Resin floors are durable, strong, watertight, non-absorbent coatings that are easy to keep clean. They can be made using various technologies and contain various additives, e.g. quartz sand, which allows one to adjust their anti-slip degree and mechanical strength to the conditions in the building. In the case of buildings developed following the principles of sustainable construction, the selection of finishing materials is of great importance, including indoor air quality and CO2 emissions.
Why is it worth using Flowcrete LE floors in “green” warehouses?
Flowcrete LE is a group of resin floors built of solvent-free epoxy resins, with low emissions of volatile organic compounds, so-called VOCs. These chemical substances, abbreviated as VOCs, have a major impact on the quality of air in rooms, and therefore also the health and well-being of their users.
Floors from this group are low-emission versions of well-known and proven floors made of traditional epoxy resins, while their strength parameters have been maintained.
The low VOC emissions of the Flowcrete LE flooring range have been confirmed with the Indoor Air Comfort ® Gold certificate. This mark is granted by Eurofins based on regular laboratory testing of materials and audits at the production plant. It means that the floors meet strict air quality requirements, as well as emission limits indicated in environmental certification systems such as LEED, BREEAM, or WELL, and also in the regulations of the European Union taxonomy. In addition, the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are available for all Flowcrete LE floors, containing detailed information on their carbon footprint throughout their life cycle.
Flooring systems adapted to the conditions of use
In the case of “green” warehouses with mainly pedestrian traffic and medium forklift traffic, it may be sufficient to cover the concrete substrate with a low-emission Flowcoat SF41 LE epoxy resin coating, in a smooth or anti-slip version.
Wherever the substrate is exposed to intense mechanical and chemical loads, e.g. in high-bay warehouses, epoxy-quartz floors with mechanical trowelling technology, with low VOC emissions – Peran STB Public – are effective. This floor, made of clear epoxy resin and coloured quartz sand, combines high scratch, abrasion and impact resistance with attractive aesthetics.
In warehouses subject to environmental certification, where electrostatic discharge-sensitive electronic devices, flammable materials or substances at risk of explosion are stored, antistatic floors are used that meet the requirements of PN-EN 61340-5-1 and PN-EN 61340-4-5. An example of such a solution with low VOC emissions is the Peran ESD STB LE floor, an epoxy-quartz system that, thanks to the use of conductive additives in all layers of the coating, has an excellent ability to discharge electrostatic charges to the ground while being mechanically durable.
Due to the wide range of materials and technologies, it is crucial to select a flooring solution for the conditions in the warehouses and the specific requirements related to, among others, environmental certification. Experts of the Flowcrete brand, a leading manufacturer and supplier of synthetic resin floors, are available to help in this regard.
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