Choosing Flooring System
By: Mike Niese and Ken Thomas
In order to make an informed decision about athletic flooring systems, it is important to consider everything below the surface of a floor system to best understand its structural and athletic performance characteristics as well as its longevity of performance.
Many component configurations comprise the system structure, and there are a multitude of system designs on the market. The quality of any system depends greatly on the quality of each individual system component, the quality and integrity of the total system design, and the quality of installation. In the best designs, the strengths of all components are integrated in such a way that the strength of the total system is greater than the sum of all the parts.
The key point is that there is a wide variety of available flooring systems specifically designed to meet various needs, and they are not all created equally.
Total Cost of Ownership/Life-Cycle Cost
Understanding total cost of ownership and life-cycle cost is important in differentiating products based on overall best value of your total investment. This topic is far too involved to be able to adequately cover all the details within the context of this article, so only the key points of consideration will be mentioned.
Essentially, total cost of ownership equates to all costs related to owning a product through its expected useful life. This is very different from the typical way floors are valued (value equals low bid price). In the real world, there are numerous items of cost that are not part of the purchase price of the floor but are a normal part of owning a floor. These include things like daily maintenance, periodic/annual maintenance, refinishing/recoating costs, specialized equipment (vacuums, scrubbers, etc.), specialized coating or chemicals, etc. Most of these items have both a material and labor cost component.
Another key factor is the life expectancy of the floor. It is very important to understand the parameters of expected life of the floor. Do the parameters include the aesthetics of the floor? The point is that some products don’t really wear out; they just “ugly” out, or they may require very high levels of maintenance to keep them looking good.
All of these factors need to be considered when computing the total cost of ownership. All too often, products are selected based on low price on bid day rather than on the lowest total cost of ownership. Another way to look at this is if you choose to go with the better flooring choice, your additional cost is only the difference between the cheap floor and the better floor. If you go with the cheaper floor and find it must be replaced in a few years, you have wasted the entire purchase price amount.
When comparing the real costs of owning an athletic floor, ask yourself these questions:
* What is the life expectancy of the floor being considered without any consideration for replacement or refurbishment?
* Where has the floor been installed for this same period of time? (Get references information for verification.)
* Can the floor be totally refurbished to a “like-new” condition?
* What is involved in the refurbishment and what does it cost today to perform such a service?
* How long will your facility be out of service?
* What local companies are equipped to perform this work?
* What is the cost of maintaining the floor on a daily/monthly/annual basis?
* Are there hidden costs associated with owning or maintaining this floor?
* Is this product a recent look-alike, having no documented history?
Once you have completed the task of selecting, specifying and putting your project out to bid, your work is not complete. If your project is structured as a “low bid wins” project, many things can happen through the bidding and contracting process that result in you not getting the floor you chose. Bids are often placed that do not comply with the project specifications. If particular attention is not given to holding the specification, your floor can easily become the floor based on installation price only. It takes great effort and coordination between the owner and architect to assure specifications are held.
Other Things to Consider
Warranties, guarantees and promises of ongoing service are only as good as the company backing them. Choose the best floor with the best manufacturer that will stand behind their products. Insist on getting historical facts of the ownership and people working there. Manufacturers offering installation references, both recent and dating back, is a good choice.
Look for companies that have been the flagships of the industry, companies that have been and continue to be innovation leaders. Capital investments indicate the desire of a company to be in business for the long haul.
Look for installation companies with a reputation for quality and ones that have factory-trained professionals using workmen certified to install the floor being purchased.
Remember that long after the construction fences are pulled down and the trailers have disappeared, and long after the architect has turned over the keys and maintenance manuals, you will be living with the results of the procurement process.
Mike Niese is the vice president of technology & research for Robbins, Inc., www.robbinsfloor.com, and Ken Thomas is the vice president of marketing.
