FLOORING
Resilient floor restoration: performance advantages
Given that delivering and maintaining safe and efficient environments is absolutely paramount, the obvious solution to tired and expired flooring would seem to be full replacement. However, this can be extremely expensive, and estates managers ought to consider the many advantages of restoration rather than replacement, as Simon Testa, managing director at resilient floor restoration specialist Stainbusters Cleaning and Hygiene, explains.
Healthcare estates teams manage some of the most heavily used and operationally complex environments in the public sector, of which flooring is just one element. The need to deliver safe and efficient environments is significant and must currently be achieved against a backdrop of wide-ranging challenges. An ageing infrastructure, increasing demand, constrained budgets, and ambitious sustainability targets, all have a major role in each and every decision within the estates field. Within this landscape, the condition and performance of flooring often play a more influential role than many people realise. Flooring is one of the most widespread and intensively used assets within any healthcare facility, from acute hospitals to primary care centres. In this type of setting, surfaces directly influence safety, infection control, noise levels, and the overall resilience of clinical and non-clinical spaces. When flooring failures become apparent from surface wear, discolouration, or any other damage, it not only visibly looks in need of attention, and means cleaning takes longer and becomes less effective, importantly it could also be a safety risk. As a result of predominantly the latter, many teams find themselves replacing floors far earlier than necessary. However, opting for a new replacement has its drawbacks.
New flooring requires a far bigger budget and more time for completion. There is the high impact on the environment to consider as a result of removing the old floor and disposing in landfill, and the process often demands partial decant or phased closure for the zones undergoing work – notably, there is a great deal of complexity involved. Resilient floor restoration is a practical alternative
that can support estates objectives more efficiently and effectively, while also addressing key challenges around budgets and sustainability. Rather than removing and replacing floor coverings, restoration renews the surface layer that is already in place. It is a concept that really is
Types of resilient flooring in healthcare
n Linoleum n LVT n PVC n Rubber n Vinyl
as simple as it sounds, but also one that is deserving of much greater visibility and credit than it currently bestows. It is a highly effective way to extend the asset life of a surface by reinstating its protective surface, performance, and appearance – all of which is achievable at a fraction of the cost and disruption of a full replacement – welcome news for healthcare estates.
Factors to navigate There are of course many factors that estate teams must navigate around flooring. Most notably, the high demand that surfaces are exposed to as a result of 24/7 usage and the substantial impact of high footfall and heavy equipment.
It is also not unusual for surfaces to remain in place far
beyond their original lifecycle, creating implications for having to manage an ageing infrastructure. Furthermore, there are stringent safety and regulatory
expectations around slip resistance and infection control, as well as net zero and carbon-reduction commitments that need to be considered. And when the time does come to change an existing surface in any way, there are operational pressures that make ward closures or decants extremely challenging. Resilient materials such as vinyl and linoleum are commonly found in healthcare because they are highly suited to these settings. These materials are well-regarded for their durability, ease-of-maintenance, and hygiene performance. Estate teams fully understand that surfaces endure
May 2026 Health Estate Journal 69
Surfaces directly influence the resilience of clinical spaces.
AdobeStock / xy
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