What type of resin flooring do I need to choose for Marine use?
With regard to the type of flooring most suitable for marine use, it is useful to identify the type of vessel upon which it will be installed. Ships intended for passenger transport generally have different requirements than military vessels and offshore platforms.
Whatever the case, the first distinction to be drawn is that between the work areas, the crew areas, and the public areas.
The work areas differ from the public areas in a functional sense, as the former are subject to greater chemical and physical stresses of various types, which require a different level of durability. For both it is necessary to determine the aesthetic requirements, in order to setting the design and any particular decorations or markings required on the flooring.
Finally, the last step is to define the thicknesses of the resin itself, which are essentially related to the system to be applied.
For indoor and outdoor public areas, Api proposes decorative FLEXIGEL® floors in the DECORO or DECORO SOFT versions, which have fast curing times.
With its unrivalled aesthetic impact, the FLEXIGEL® DECORO line is the most popular and widely used and has been applied on over 100 passenger ships. This flexible, resilient, elastic and extremely durable resin is ideal for both indoor and outdoor areas, as its colour remains unaltered even when constantly exposed to UV radiation at tropical and Mediterranean latitudes.
FLEXIGEL® DECORO flooring requires little maintenance, is exceptionally resistant to seawater and can be used to create countless decorations, thus rendering it an essential aesthetic and design product for ships and yachts.
The DECORO SOFT version was created to meet the need for a more durable surface with a greater thickness and a highly elastic underlay. It is suitable for all outdoor areas, indoor and outdoor sports areas and children's play areas on board the ship. It is also ideal for areas with particular acoustic requirements, as it provides for a significant reduction in impact noise, as well as the noise generated by the structure's vibration.
Both of these flooring products are available in a wide range of colours and teak effects, like the refined SYNTHETEAK version.
The main features of this innovative system are its non-slip properties, which are owed to the structure of the surface and the intrinsic peculiarities of the material itself and its extraordinary aesthetic effect, which makes it extremely similar to natural teak, without the limitations posed by the wood material.
The most popular and widely used Api product for indoor work areas is FLEXISECURIT® ER, a true safety guarantee that has been installed on more than 300 newly built cruise ships, work ships, and military vessels. This resin flooring, which can be produced with the non-slip properties required and with various finishing depending on the desired effect, is part of Api's new concept dedicated to kitchen flooring solutions combined with the FLEXIPLAST product’s range for high thickness and can be used in different areas, including canteens, on board repair shops, food stores, warehouses, launderettes, hallways and pantries. FLEXISECURIT® ER is certified for use in indoor areas and in all work areas which require flooring solutions with high levels of hygiene, durability, smoothness, resilience and resistance to wear and tear.
We offer a wide range of solutions dedicated to ensuring the customer's complete satisfaction, with a final result that guarantees optimal performances.