17 Feb Warehouse Floor Maintenance
The Importance of Warehouse Floor Maintenance
When it comes to taking care of a warehouse or distribution center, many warehouse managers are used to checking the status of and maintaining forklifts, warehouse rack, conveyors, loading dock equipment, and more. But how about the most used part of the warehouse – the warehouse floor itself?
Warehouse floor maintenance is key to a well-functioning operation. The state of warehouse floors has accumulating effects, either positive or negative, depending on how well they are maintained. Damaged floors lead to damaged equipment which leads to downtime and decreased productivity. On the other hand, well-maintained floors keep an operation running smoothly. Truly, the status of warehouse floors has a cyclical impact on the productivity of an operation.
Have you checked the status of your warehouse floors lately?
Common Warehouse Floor Problems
Cracks
Typically due to natural expansion and contraction of floors, cracks are not necessarily structurally significant to a warehouse but can worsen over time as equipment is run over it. As cracks worsen, their jagged edges can cause damage to equipment.
Joints
Floor joints are the most common point where warehouse floor maintenance is required because they see a lot of equipment activity. As material handling equipment is run over joints that are not properly maintained, the joints can become worn and damaged on the edges. In turn, the damaged joints can then cause damage to forklifts and other equipment.
Surface defects
Warehouse floor surface defects typically come in the form of floor erosion that can increase over time. Other defects may include spots where spills have occurred or there has been a build-up of some sort. As with cracks and joints, these defects, if left unattended, will undoubtedly worsen over time and have damaging effects on equipment that happens to cross their path.
It's a Cycle of Damage
As can be seen with all of the above common warehouse floor problems, damaged floors have a cyclical effect throughout the warehouse.
Equipment causes damage to floors due to their weight, dragging along crack joint edges, and frequent impact. Damaged floors then cause wear and tear to equipment, particularly to load wheels. Damaged load wheels, if not addressed in a timely manner, then cause further damage to weak points in warehouse floors.
The ultimate outcome?
- Decreased productivity
- Increased equipment downtime
- Increased warehouse maintenance cost for both equipment and floors
The Solution to Damaged Warehouse Floors
The good news? Even if you haven’t maintained your warehouse floors up to this point or if you have floor issues that need to be addressed, you can get on the right track in just a couple of easy steps.
1. Repair the problem with the right solution
Repairing damaged warehouse floors is a matter of filling in and sealing off cracks, joints, and other defects to create a new, smooth surface that’s easier to maintain moving forward. There are a number of solutions out there these days to help repair warehouse floors efficiently and cost-effectively. Lift Power is now partnering with Maintenance Solutions to offer Flash Floors, a complete warehouse floor repair system that only requires 15 minutes of downtime following the product application.
2. Keep the problem at bay with regular sweeping and scrubbing.
Following floor repair, it’s imperative to maintain and protect floors from further damage with the regular use of a sweeper scrubber. Sweeper scrubbers help keep warehouse floors clean of grime, dirt, and debris that could cause damage to floors and equipment over time. Additionally, prioritizing regular floor maintenance allows for the opportunity to inspect floors for any additional signs of damage, giving you the chance to address the issue before cracks, joint damage, or surface defects can grow.
Want to schedule a consultation for floor repairs? Call us today. And don’t forget to ask us about our sweeper scrubbers to maintain and protect floors in the future!
