Setting the Comfort from Floor Level

The term "comfort" can be assimilated to the concept of well-being, although in general terms it encompasses broader concepts such as health. In general, it refers to an ideal state of well-being, health and comfort in which there is no distraction or discomfort in the environment which disturbs the users physically or mentally. It is therefore important to seek comfort in architecture as well.

Psychological aspects interact with the thermal, lighting, acoustic and other factors such as the scent of a given space creating our ability to adapt to it in what can be defined as architectural comfort. For instance, the lack of thermal and lighting comfort can be compensated for through the visual factors involved in the design of spaces, such as the use of colours, textures, spaces, volumes, etc. On the other hand, the degree of loss of acoustic or olfactory comfort decreases with the loss of the location or direct visual perception of the pollutant source.

Role of flooring

Often overlooked, flooring is one of the most important parts, in terms of surface area, of any interior space, whether commercial, residential or public. Flooring can become much more than a building element and can become a canvas on which to project a company's brand personality, create a certain ambience or even contribute to improving the comfort of the building.

Technological innovations, combined with design trends, have been progressively incorporated into most resin floor coverings. From high gloss, brightly coloured epoxy resins [link to the product page], to decorative Terrazzo[link to the product page] with a variety of finishes, from natural stone carpet systems [link to the product page], to decorative polyurethane systems[link to the product page]. Floor finishes based on flakes and quartz are just some of the resilient flooring options available for all these spaces.

These flooring systems not only provide aesthetic performance, but also offer excellent functional performance to suit the operational requirements of the space for which it is intended. One of the main characteristics of Comfort Flooring is the continuous seamless surface that offers various benefits: no joints where dirt and bacterial could reside, lower trip hazards, easy to clean, etc.

Exploring colour

Warm and appetising, bright and open or cool and relaxing? The choice of colour palette can have a big impact on the mood and ambience of any space. A simple change in the colour scheme of a floor can completely transform the space itself.

Colours communicate aspects of personality or brand and have the power to produce psychological and physiological effects and create the right ambience to achieve a balance between comfort and productivity, especially in commercial spaces such as stores, where the ambience can influence the mood of the shopper.

Usually, the flooring represents one-sixth of the floor area of the facility and therefore plays an important role in the design scheme. Resin-based flooring systems are available in a wide range of standard colours and, unlike other types of materials, can be colour matched or custom made using any colour palette such as the RAL or NCS colour palettes. This is a great advantage for corporate applications or where colour is part of the design criteria of the space.

Decorative and functional designs

The use of resins allows a wide variety of options to design the floor surface as desired. Complicated geometric or banded designs can be made by using aluminium or brass strips to separate colours or textures of resin, which is then poured into the desired area of the design.

Other options include the use of floor graphics, where any design, image or lettering is printed on a large fabric mesh, placed over the area of flooring in question and sealed with a clear or translucent resin, which can then be walked on and cleaned in the same way as other resin flooring systems.

Finally, another interesting way of creating designs or patterns on the floor is through the use of zoning or colour blocking, where different systems, or systems with different finishes, allow a fusion of textures, colours and patterns to be created.

Colour zoning also has a functional aspect in commercial and residential premises, allowing for differentiation of the different spaces to be used, such as corridors, waiting areas, rest areas, etc.

Seamless resin floor finishes can also be used to complement existing flooring designs. This is especially useful in repair or renovation situations.

Creating illusions

Depending on how we design our spaces, depending on the colour, materials, textures, lighting, etc., we will achieve very different effects.

The eye naturally follows the floor to the wall and finally to the ceiling. When these elements are all the same colour or the same tone, it is perceived as a continuous line. This effect will create the sensation that the space is opening up as you move away from it, creating the illusion of a larger space. A space with a floor of one colour, another colour for the wall and a third colour for the ceiling will produce the opposite effect, giving the illusion that the space is smaller than it really is.

Lighting also contributes directly to creating the illusion of large, open and bright spaces. A small, poorly lit space can create a feeling of claustrophobia for the occupants, whereas a well-lit space will give more visual spaciousness.

Another recommended trick is to use materials that help to reflect and amplify the brightness of the space. There are now a wide range of seamless resin floors such as Terrazzo that incorporate decorative aggregates, including recycled mirror glass shavings. These shavings reflect light from the floor space to create the illusion of a brighter, wider and deeper space without consuming more energy.

Acoustic performance

Contact with a source of noise increases feelings of stress and fatigue. It can cause sleep disturbance if the noise originates at night and can cause headaches and unpleasant sensations such as ringing or tinnitus and can reduce our performance and cause lack of concentration, which is why acoustic flooring plays a key role in reducing noise in commercial and residential buildings.

Almost all daily activities generate sound. With the floor playing a big role in how sound is generated and carried, from impact sounds transmitting from the floor of one room to a room directly below or foot traffic being heard from down a hallway for example, having a floor finish that improves acoustic performance is highly beneficial.

Nowadays there are resin acoustic floorings[link to the product page] with excellent levels of acoustic reduction which can help to create calmer and more relaxed environments, reducing the level of stress. These types of systems also have a very smooth finish layer which can increase comfort levels and reduces physical fatigue, ideal for applications in schools, residences, hospitals, homes, etc.

Lifecycle Costing

Lifecycle costing is a process that helps to understand the true cost of a building over its entire lifetime and, at the same time, takes into account whether the specified material is not only fit for purpose but meets the long-term requirements of its installation.

Not only does the cost of the nominal value of any flooring material have to be taken into account, but care, maintenance programmes and repair work have to be added to this cost in order to determine the real value of the system over its lifetime.

One of the main advantages of resin flooring is that at the end of its service life it can be easily and quickly renewed with a new coating, without the need to remove the existing flooring.

Resin flooring systems, which are much harder and more robust than direct competitors such as vinyl, linoleum, parquet, etc., offer a longer life expectancy, often equalling the life span of the building, as long as the appropriate care and maintenance actions are carried out.

Together, these factors ensure that resin flooring offers one of the lowest lifecycle costs of any type of flooring, thanks to its high durability, low maintenance requirements and minimal need for repair or replacement.

If you’d like to learn more about specifying and installing the latest in Comfort Flooring solutions, then click here [link to product page] or you can get in touch with a local Flowcrete flooring expert here [link to local contact page].