Floor Wear Checking

Monitoring Floors Wear to Prevent Slips

All floors wear out, some more rapidly than others dependent upon the quantity of pedestrian and or vehicular traffic occurring. But how can this be assessed and monitored?

It’s quite simple really and there are 2 main methods: -

Floor Slip Monitoring – Test Type 1 – The Pendulum Test

A Floor Pendulum Test in conjunction with Surface Roughness Tests can be conducted at your location to assess the initial floor wear state. Once baselines are established, then just the Surface Roughness Test can be solely used on a regular basis to detect the changes that subsequently occur, but only on floors suitable for the Surface Roughness Test Equipment – see next test.

Floor Slip Monitoring – Test Type 2 – The Surface Roughness Test

On some smooth floor types, a test of the ‘­microroughness’ of the floor surface can be conducted using Surface Roughness Test Equipment. Once baseline test (Rz) Values are established (See Test Type 1 above) then subsequent testing on a regular basis can be carried out by FloorSlip or by you using a specialised handheld test equipment; easily used by a novice following instructions – approximate cost £2000 to buy. This tool is ideal for very smooth concrete or porcelain, terrazzo, marble floor etc. but will not work on soft floors such as wood or vinyl or floors with a rough surface or profile, use the Pendulum Test for that purpose.

What floor testing results do I need to achieve?

This is not as straight forward as one would expect. In very simple terms, to maintain a Safe Floor and Low Slip Potential, the Pendulum Test ideally needs to achieve a Pendulum Test Value of at least 36PTV and the Surface Roughness Test a minimum of 20µm on floors that will largely be contaminated with water, but this value will increase with fluids more viscous (thicker) than water.

Please see additional further information in the section on Test Results, explaining this in detail. 

Contact FloorSlip UK to discuss your floors and needs

Where do FloorSlip Test?

We can conduct both Pendulum Floor Testing and Surface Roughness Testing at your establishment across the UK.

How can we learn about Floor Testing? 

We can Train you in the use of the Floor Testing Equipment saving you money in the long term and Sell you the Floor Pendulum Test Equipment made in the UK to British Specifications. We do not sell the Surface Roughness Test Equipment but we would recommend contacting Spectrum Metrology. co.uk and discuss the 'Surtonic Duo 9' equipment