Insulating Mat or Cork Flooring: What should you use on your factory floor?

Insulating Mat

You can spot cork flooring in residential settings. It is one of the go-to choices of environmentally conscious homeowners. However, the question is whether it is suitable for factories.

Factory floors include heavy foot traffic and adverse conditions. Besides, high-voltage areas require flooring with insulating properties. What would you choose? Insulating mats for electrical purposes or cork flooring?

Comparison Between Insulating Mat and Cork Flooring

Before moving further into the topic, let us understand the 

Pros and Cons of Insulating Mat:

Pros:

  • Protective equipment: Insulating mats for electrical purposes are safety gear. Besides, they have non-conductive properties. This helps an insulating mat form a shield between the ground and a high-voltage source. As a result, an insulating mat can save you from short circuits, arc flashes, current leakage, and others.
  • Anti-skid: Electrical safety mats may have a ribbed or dotted surface texture. Hence, this design increases the traction of the feet on the ground. This is how an insulating mat minimizes physical accidents.
  • Variety: Insulating mats for electrical purposes come in different classes. The classes have separate voltage-withstanding capabilities. In addition, they have different thicknesses.
  • Customization options: Reputed manufacturers offer customization options. As a result, you can tailor-make your insulating mat as per your required dimensions and colors.
  • Easy installation: The installation of electrical safety mats is simple and easy. It involves 3 easy steps.
    1. Subfloor preparation
    2. Application of adhesives (Optional)
    3. Use rollers

Cons:

  • High upfront costs: An insulating mat may have higher upfront costs. Nevertheless, it is cost-effective in the long term. It requires minimum replacements and maintenance. However, the insulating mat price depends on different factors:
    1. Brand
    2. Quality
    3. Size and thickness
    4. Quantity  
    5. Customization
    6. Additional shipping or delivery charges, and others
  • Unsustainable: Insulating mats for electrical purposes are not entirely eco-friendly. Though they consist of rubber material, they involve synthetic additives. Thus, after disposal, an insulating mat does not decompose naturally. The insulating mats for electrical purposes increase landfill wastes.

Pros and Cons of Cork Flooring:

Pros:

  • Eco-friendly: The material composition of cork flooring is sustainable. Its material composition includes cork oak tree bark. You know what the best part is? The harvest does not involve hurting the tree. In addition, it is bio-degradable and free of chemicals.
  • Enhanced comfort: Cork flooring acts as a thermal insulator. In cold, you might not be able to bear the cold while walking. Cork flooring provides ambient and comfortable flooring for you. Besides, it acts as an acoustic insulator too.
  • Anti-microbial: It has resistance against mold, termites, and mildew. As a result, it offers a healthy flooring option.

Cons:

  • Hard to install: Unlike insulating mats for electrical purposes, installing cork flooring can be tough. It requires the glue-down method. Thus, it can be time-consuming and complicated. Its installation requires expenditure and professional assistance.
  • Less durability: It can disintegrate under heavy loads and high physical stress. In addition, it is sensitive to humidity. It expands or contracts with the change in humidity. Moreover, direct sunlight exposure can fade your cork flooring. On the other hand, it is porous in nature. It swells with water absorption.
  • Limited variety: You might not always find the desired appearance of cork flooring. Unlike an electrical insulating mat, it does not have a variety of classes and customization options. As a result, it might not go with the interior design.

To summarize,

If you are looking for perfect factory flooring, you should choose an insulating mat. Cork flooring is eco-friendly, comfortable, and anti-microbial. Whereas, an electrical insulating mat is durable for factory settings. Moisture, sunlight, or humidity changes do not affect its properties.
Its insulating and anti-skid properties save people from electrical and physical accidents. As a result, choose insulating mats for electrical purposes and establish safe flooring for your workers.

FAQ

Why is electrical insulation matting made of rubber?

Electrical matting is made of rubber because of its insulating properties. Rubber has high electrical resistivity. As a result, it prevents the unintended passage of current during electrical hazards. Besides, rubber's molecular structure resists the free movement of electrons. It has a high dielectric strength. Hence, it can withstand high voltages without breaking down.

Which industries use electrical rubber mats?

All the major industries in the world use electrical rubber mats. They ensure electrical safety in their workplaces. The following are the industries:

Power industry

Manufacturing and processing units

Automotive sector

Aerospace industry

Construction industry

Data centers

Laboratories, and others

Which electrical insulating mat manufacturers should you choose?

You should choose an electrical mat manufacturer with a good reputation in the market. They should tick the following boxes:

Positive reviews

Client testimonials approving of their products and services

Quality-assured mats

Test and warranty certificates

Transparent pricing

Efficient supply chain management team

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