TYPES OF FLOORING IN HOSPITALS

Introduction
Hospitals see thousands of patients a day and require quality floors that can withstand heavy
foot traffic while creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. With expansive surface
areas, hospital floors are a crucial design element when it comes to the quality environment
and successful operation of any healthcare facility. Appropriate flooring for a hospital must
meet strict health code requirements as well as create a positive and welcoming atmosphere
for a large, professional staff, patients and their families. Hospital facility executives have the
responsibility of selecting the best flooring system that will promote patient and staff safety,
perform within hygiene and infection control protocols, improve patient experience and
contribute to successful outcomes, reduce maintenance costs and offer a long usable life.
Hospital Flooring Requirements
Hospitals receive thousands of patients a day and require quality floors that can withstand
heavy foot traffic while creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. With expansive
surface areas, hospital floor types are a crucial design element when it comes to
environmental quality and the successful operation of any clinic and hospital facility.
From a planning point of view, a hospital is a complex unit that consists of various
elements:
• Entrance areas and corridors are exposed to high levels of pedestrian traffic.
• Waiting rooms and family rooms require a comfortable and intimate atmosphere.
• The operating theatres must offer maximum hygiene and be cleaned with the
highest speed and efficiency.
• Furnishings leave pressure marks in the floor in the patient rooms.
Appropriate hospital flooring materials must meet strict health code requirements, as well as
create a positive and welcoming atmosphere for professional staff, patients and their families.
Hospital facility executives are responsible for selecting the best suitable hospital floor that
will improve patient and staff safety, performance within hygiene and infection control
protocols, the patient experience will contribute to successful results, it will reduce
maintenance costs and offer a long service life.
What characteristics should the ideal hospital floor have? We leave them below:
• Durability to withstand heavy rolling loads.
• Resistance to disinfectants, blood, urine and acids.
• A non-porous surface that resists dirt and prevents the growth of bacteria.
• Sound absorption to create a relaxing environment.
• Endurance to provide comfort to staff working long shifts.
 • Low VOC emissions to improve indoor air quality by relying on medical grade air
compressors.
• A simple maintenance regimen.
• A long service life that supports sustainability goals.
Hospital Entrance Areas
Luxury Vinyl Tile: This resilient product is low maintenance and is built to last. LVT is one of
the most popular products in flooring today. It’s easy to install, incredibly durable, essentially
waterproof, and excellent in high traffic areas. In addition, commercial LVT uses a
photographic print process on the tile which allows for almost endless design possibilities.
Luxury vinyl is usually referred to as individual planks ranging from 4” x 48” up to 9” x 72”
with many sizes in between that have a hardwood look. Also popular in the luxury vinyl format
are tile looks ranging in sizes from 16” x 16” to 18” x 36” again with many sizes in between.
Price varies from ₹18/- to ₹225/- per Sq. Ft. based on the specification of the products.

• Installation - Some products come with a self-adhesive that is to be peeled, placed and
pressed. Other offer locking systems, where boards connect to each other and "float"
over the subfloor. Many can also be installed with glue, if desired.

Sheet Vinyl: This product generally comes in 4, 5, and 6-foot wide rolls and 2-3 mm in
thickness. This allows for a minimal number of seams and this can be a key factor where
aesthetics is a concern. Sheet vinyl flooring has been A mainstay in hospital flooring for
decades. Sheet vinyl can be flash coved, which will create a monolithic, seamless floor that is
easy to clean and maintain. This surface is also excellent for repelling microorganisms on their
surfaces. The price of Vinyl Floorings products is between ₹40 - ₹58 per Sq. Ft.
 • Installation – Full Spread: In full spread installation, whatever adhesive you are using
will be spread completely over the substrate of your floor, after which you will lay
down your vinyl flooring. Installation price is about $1 per square feet.
Perimeter Adhered: With perimeter adhered installation, adhesive is only applied to
the edges of your vinyl and the seams in the room you are installing in. Installation
price is about $0.5 per square feet.
Floating: When you choose the floating installation method, no adhesives are used.
Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT): VCT is always an economical option. These tiles are a mixture
of natural limestone, fillers, color pigments and a thermoplastic binder. Though the tile is
extremely durable, VCT is higher maintenance (stripping, waxing, polishing) than other vinyl
floors and the life cycle costs should also be calculated and considered.

Rubber: Premium rubber flooring has become very popular in hospital settings. Rubber
elevates interiors with seamless installation, unparalleled durability and versatile design
possibilities. The dense surface structure of rubber delivers proven strength under pressure,
standing up to even the toughest hospital conditions without sacrificing style. The price is
₹190 per Sq. Ft. Thickness of rubber flooring could be 15 mm,25 mm and 36 mm.

• Installation - Sheet floors, such as rubber flooring, are time consuming to install as the
sheets have to be cut to shape (which also creates a lot of waste). The rubber is then
glued to the substrate before any seams are heat-welded—and these need time to
cure before they’re ready for traffic. Even after the rubberized flooring has cured, it
will emit an odour that can last for weeks, which makes the environment unsuitable
and unpleasant for vulnerable patients.

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Linoleum: Though not as prominent as it was in the past, linoleum is still high on the list for
hospital choices. Like rubber, linoleum is a green product made with natural material
including linseed oil, cork dust and jute fiber. This product often stands with rubber to those
buyers with environmental sensibilities. Linoleum also has reputable antimicrobial properties
to protect against germs and comes in tiles which are in 7-foot-wide rolls.

• Installation - These sheets are glued down to the floor, although it is possible to install
them on the floor without gluing them. Linoleum also has a backing so it doesn’t need
an underlayment. It can be installed over an existing floor provided it’s smooth and
flat. With extra grout applied, they can even be installed over tiles.

Terrazzo: Terrazzo is a premium, highly durable option that requires minimal maintenance
and lasts for decades. It stands up well to rolling loads, is handicap-friendly and is now
available in largely recyclable materials. Terrazzo is a premium, highly durable option that
requires minimal maintenance and lasts for decades. It stands up well to rolling loads, is
handicap-friendly and is now available in largely recyclable materials. LVT offers much of the
same durability and even more design versatility.
 • Installation - Terrazzo installation includes both bonded and unbonded methods.
-Bonded systems include bonded under the bed, monolithic, chemically bonded, and
the most recent, thin-set method (epoxy resin).
-Bonded terrazzo is applied over a sand-cement mortar under the bed which sits on
top of a concrete slab.
-Monolithic terrazzo is applied directly over an extremely flat and high-quality
concrete sub-floor.
-Thin-set terrazzo does not require a concrete sub-floor. Instead, a flexible membrane
can be installed so that cracks do not appear on the surface.
-Unbonded includes the sand cushion method which uses wire reinforcing, an
isolation sheet, and sand dusting that absorbs any movement from the concrete slab.

Hospital Procedure Rooms

As for procedure rooms, the trend is toward welded sheet rubber with “Dri Fit” tape or two-
part urethane epoxy. (Dri Fit is a double-sided adhesive tape used for its strength and
durability.) It’s also worth mentioning, the advent of new acrylic spray adhesive that
manufactures are touting for under patient beds and operating rooms. Both options allow for
quick turnaround times with installation which is a plus for any hospital. Rubber flooring
withstands the movement of heavy hospital beds, x-ray machines, gurneys, and other
equipment. For comfort underfoot, rubber or linoleum are usually the front runners. They
are softer and more cushioned than sheet vinyl or VCT and may be effective for helping
doctors and nurses who are on their feet all day.
Epoxy: Epoxy is a paint, plastic, adhesive, or thermoset plastic material made by mixing two
or more industrial chemical compounds to provide a high degree of resistance against wear
and tear. It provides the most durable and sustainable flooring option. Epoxy flooring, also
known as resinous flooring, has a depth of at least 2 mm; if the depth is less than 2 mm, it is
called epoxy coating.

• Installation - Epoxy coating is typically applied over concrete floors to provide a

smooth, durable surface and increase the floor's load-carrying capacity. Mainly,
warehouses, industrial sites, and commercial buildings rely on epoxy floors to
maintain clean and safe conditions for workers, equipment, and inventory.
Hospital Patient Rooms
Research has suggested that patients like a “warmer” look and feel while staying in the
hospital. The trend in hospital patient room flooring is to make the accommodations more
home-like and less institutional which is said to help speed the healing process and reduces a
patient’s stress during their stay. Since patient rooms don’t have the same requirements as
other hospital areas, you will have additional options for a more aesthetically pleasing look.
LVT, sheet vinyl or linoleum are the best options here as they allow for extended design
opportunities, easy maintenance, as well as quick turn-around times on installation.
Emergency and operating rooms
Emergency and operating rooms must meet the strictest infection control requirements and
remain usable 24x7. Easy-to-clean materials should be used that promote cleanliness. Using
smooth or low-texture flooring and proper installation keeps dirt and fluids from slipping
beneath the surface of your floor.
LVT, sheet vinyl and linoleum are great fits for these environments because they enable the
use of heat welding and flash coving during installation, making it possible to create a fully
aseptic space. All of these materials can come with coatings that resist chemical staining from
medical products and bodily fluids. You’ll get a floor that eliminates polishing, waxing and
spray buffing — reducing maintenance disruptions and costs. These materials come in
constructions that promote indoor air quality with low emissions of volatile organic
compounds (low VOC).
Nurse’s stations and treatment areas
Staff and patients spend most of their time in these environments, and nurse’s stations never
shut down. Flooring should promote stress reduction, comfort and 24-7 access with materials
that allow rapid installation and minimize maintenance.
To suit these purposes, many hospitals have moved away from traditional linoleum and vinyl
composition tile (VCT) for nurse’s stations and functional treatment areas. Instead, hospitals
are turning to LVT, bio-based tile (BBT) and sheet tile flooring made from low-VOC materials.
We recommend flooring options within these categories that have protective coatings, as
they’ll resist scratches and minimize the need for waxing, buffing and chemical cleaning. Free-
floating LVT and materials with adhesive backings will reduce installation times and disruption
to these critical care areas.
Cafeterias
The best cafeteria floors are stain-resistant, easy to clean and slip-retardant. A patterned,
textured floor can benefit your cafeteria by both reducing and hiding scuffs and scratches.
Evidence-based design dictates hospital cafeterias should be comfortable environments that
promote relaxation and reduce stress. Hospital flooring options that meet all of these
requirements include sheet vinyl, LVT and tile. They afford great design versatility with vibrant
colours and natural textures while providing lasting durability.