I am building an upscale luxurious entertainment center.  The floors
in the lobby are a neutral color travertine marble. The cabinetry is
dark stained cherry wood.  The countertops are wild looking granite
with lots of movement.  I am having trouble determining what type of
flooring material to use in the service areas behind the counter.  The
floors in the service areas have a tendency to be wet and /or greasy. 
Most of the non-skid flooring materials that I have looked into, like
slate, are too difficult to properly clean or require too much
maintenance to remain effective.   I don?t want to use mats, because
they are also difficult to clean and often become a trip hazard.  What
type of flooring material should I use in this environment?

Hello n2film,

Thank you for your question.

I appears that what you might require is a treatment for the flooring
material of your choice rather than a non-slip material in itself. For
example, Safety America produces Non-Slip 21:
http://www.safetydirectamerica.com/

"Non-Slip 21 is a professionally applied, tested and monitored
anti-slip treatment for floors in commercial, institutional, and
industrial properties to minimize risk of slips and falls. .."

The picture on this page shows a tiled floor.

Some of the further details they list show:

Suitable for most granite, glazed and unglazed ceramic tiles, PVC,
limestone, slate, terrazzo, concrete, terracotta, epoxy, linoleum,
marble, thermoplastic and many other floor surfaces

Endorsed by Ceramic Tile Institute of America 

Professionally applied and tested; five-year warranty with paid monitoring 

Monitored quarterly to confirm that treatment is still effective 

Cost-effective 

Suitable for exterior & interior flooring 


From their Frequently Asked Questions:

"...How much does the Non-Slip 21 treatment cost?

Installation charge per square foot decreases as the amount of area
increases. Generally, it's less than $1.00 per square foot if the area
exceeds 15,000 square feet. For smaller areas, charges can range to
$3.00 per square foot and sometimes higher, depending on the area and
type of flooring and the location. Quarterly monitoring charges depend
largely on location...

and...

...How do I maintain the floor after treatment with Non-Slip 21?

Keep it clean using a floor-cleaning chemical that removes soiling and
grease without leaving a slippery detergent residue. We highly
recommend Steri-Kleen from Safety Direct America. It's competitive in
price with other high-quality cleaners, but is unique and specially
designed for preserving slip resistance while doing an outstanding job
of cleaning..."

It appears to be a viable option.

If the aesthetics of the non-slip treatment are NOT a concern as it
will be behind the view of guests, then something like the product
offered by Interstate Products might be an option:
http://www.interstateproducts.com/nonslipproducts.htm

They produce several products and say:

"...A slip-resistant, epoxy non slip coating that cures to a hard,
flat, textured finish. Designed for interior and exterior use on
concrete, steel, wood, fiberglass, aluminum and other surfaces where a
slip-resistant finish is desired.

EFFECTIVE ON: Steps, ramps, loading docks, ladders, running boards,
showers, bathtubs, around machinery or anywhere water or other
slippery conditions exist..."

There are many products like these with varying aesthetics. Here are two more:

Protecta Kote
http://www.newventureproducts.co.uk/prod_main.php?pagename=pkote

This is possibly one of the most versatile paint products ever made ! 

Protecta Kote can be used for a huge variety of jobs from pickup truck
loadspace protection to wheelchair ramp safety. It is incredibly easy
to use and will last for many years before any re-application is
necessary.

Protecta Kote can be applied with a brush or a spray gun and will
produce a very tough non-slip textured surface. It is resistant to
heat, acids, chemicals, salt water and fuels.

SureStop
http://www.surestop.com/

"...STOP . . . slippery terrazzo, concrete, quarry and ceramic tile,
polished marble, granite, and natural stone...

...An excellent solution when water, soap, grease, oil, chemicals,
blood, dust or other unsafe materials make mineral floors slippery.

Professionally, we will degrease and clean your existing floor. Then
the Sure Stop Non-Slip Floor Safety Treatment is installed.

The floor will be cleaner and lighter in appearance. Glossy tiles will
loose a minimal 10% of the sheen. Our multiple step chemical process
is fast and economical with low down time.

On some natural stone surfaces our Sure Stop Deep Penetrating Sealer
will be installed.

The Sure Stop Non-Slip Floor Safety Treatment will render quarry,
ceramic, and porcelain tiles, concrete, terrazzo, polished granite and
marble non-slip. . . we guarantee it!.."

 
So, as you can see, there are a number of possible colored and clear
treatments that will make your choice of material non-slip while still
aesthetically pleasing.

A few more links for other similar products:

Safe Step
http://safestepnon-slip.com/

Best Non-Slip
http://www.bestnonslip.com.au/pages/default.cfm?page_id=11245

And a list of 57 more at the Thomas Register:
http://www.thomasregisterdirectory.com/coatings/floor_nonslip_coatings_0027761_1.html


Eliminating mats, you may well find one of the above coatings to be
your best bet. Other flooring materials that are not mats and not
coatings seem to be extremely industrial in look, or made for outdoor
use. For an idea, look at this page:

Dodge-Regupol
http://www.regupol.com/index.html

Here you will find rubber tiles, cork, and even sports tracks and
runways. But I don't think these will be for you.


There is some discussion online of a material made by Armstrong called
"Crosswalk". The only page with any information I could locate needed
to be translated:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.iproasrl.com.ar/prod_pisos_vinilicos_crosswalk.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Armstrong%2Bcrosswalk%2522%26num%3D100%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8

It might be that it has been renamed as shown on this page at
Armstrong as Safeguard Hydro:
http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/product_details.jsp?item_id=692

"Slip-retardant sheet for safety in wet areas with barefoot traffic
and soft-soled footwear.

Meets or exceeds ADA slip-retardant performance ranges. Recommended
for wet areas. Low profile for easy maintenance. Styled for all
commercial interiors."

It is shown is faux stone finishes.

You might browse their pages for other ideas as well, or call to
locate "Crosswalk".

All in all, I think one of the above treatments may well be the most
efective and aesthetic solutions for you.


Search Strategy:

non-slip floor
non-slip flooring OR material

I trust my research has provided you with options and ideas you may
not have considered to make your flooring non-slip.

If a link above should fail to work or anything require further
explanation or research, please do post a Request for Clarification
prior to rating the answer and closing the question and I will be
pleased to assist further.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by n2film-ga on 27 Jan 2004 09:19 PST

We have used coatings in the past without much success; they usually
end up creating huge maintenace issues with a very poor appearance. 
The armstrong product seems promising, I have requested samples.  Can
you recommend anything else based upon what you know?  What type of
flooring materials do most restaurants use in their kitchens or bars
use behind their counters?

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 27 Jan 2004 10:11 PST

Hello again,

From the reading and research I have done for you, it appears to me
that caoting vary widely in their look and performance. You'll note
they are composed of a wide variety of chemical formulas. Personally,
I think asking for coating samples and checking with a viable way to
go.

In my experience, most restaurants and bars use rubber mats in the
kitchens and back bars. They are of the thicker, expanded mesh variety
(I'm sure you have seen them) and come in numerous styles. If you
like, I can find a few sources of these for you, but they fall under
the broad category of mats which I thought you strongly wished to
avoid.

For example, see this:
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/144/N/2568/VIP_Tuff_Dek_Mats.htm

or these:
http://www.acemart.com/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AM&Category_Code=F7

Do let me know if you would like more follow-up.

Best,

-=clouseau=-