A medical building is not one floor. It is a set of zones with different jobs.
Start with the zones
A lobby takes foot traffic and rolling chairs. An exam room takes daily cleaning and spills. A procedure room needs the strictest cleanability in the building. Write down the main stress of each zone. Then choose the material that handles that stress best. The lobby and the procedure room have almost nothing in common, so they should not have the same floor.
Materials by zone
| Zone | Main stress | Material to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Lobby and reception | Foot traffic, rolling chairs, first look | Commercial LVT or SPC rigid core vinyl |
| Medical offices and exam rooms | Cleaning, spills, quick repair | SPC rigid core vinyl, or sheet vinyl |
| Large open areas | Wide floor areas with heavy traffic | Commercial sheet vinyl, glued down |
| Procedure and sterile rooms | Strict cleanability | Heat-welded seams and a coved base |
| Staff work areas | Long hours on foot, spills | Rubber; use a sealed, vulcanized product where it gets wet |
Sheet vinyl for fewer seams
Sheet vinyl gives the fewest seams per square foot. That is why it is the traditional healthcare answer. Homogeneous sheet is one solid color from top to bottom, so stains and wear do not show as easily. Some sheets carry an antimicrobial claim. Mannington describes BioSpec as a homogeneous sheet with an anti-microbial element called "MCare". That is the claim of the manufacturer, not a FlooringInc claim.
Send us your room list. We will match a material to each zone.
Rigid core vinyl for offices and exam rooms
SPC rigid core vinyl is 100% waterproof, and its core resists dents. Our commercial flooring guide names medical offices as a best use. A damaged plank comes out and a new plank goes in. Damaged sheet vinyl needs a patch, or you remove the full section. For a commercial clinic, our veterinary clinic guide recommends a 20 mil wear layer as the minimum and 30 mil for a long service life.
Questions to ask before you order
- Wear layer: It is not published for every product. Ask us, and we get the number from the manufacturer.
- Cleaning chemistry: Confirm with the manufacturer that the floor tolerates your disinfectant.
- Seams: Decide which rooms need welded seams. A sealed seam is not the same as a welded seam.
- Samples: Order free samples. Test them with your own cleaning protocol before you commit.