Effectively managing electrical, IT, voice and data cables in a work environment can be a challenge for any facilities manager.

You should first decide if you simply want to "hide" your cables, or if you want to professionally manage them. Managing cables means routing them in an orderly manner between devices in your network, whether those devices are servers, phones, monitors or other devices.

Hiding messy cables can be accomplished in many ways, from inexpensive plastic covers, to cramming wires into cracks and crevices in the floor and walls. These are stopgap measures that should be considered temporary at best, since there are far more organized and aesthetically pleasing options for routing cables.

In many cases, simply hiding cables is fine. If you are doing this for a residential application, few people will ever see your cable organizers running across the floor or up a wall. In a commercial or professional setting, however, the overall look and feel of your space as seen by your customers (and employees) can say a lot about your company. Not to mention, some solutions for "hiding" cables can be tripping hazards.

If you manage an office building, call center, command or dispatch center or a trading floor, you should look for a more robust, refined and flexible cable management solution.

Your Options

If you are looking for a professional, organized and safer solution for hiding your cables, take a look at cable management. We recommend 3 methods of cable management: Overhead cable management, Intra-furniture cable management, and Underfloor cable management.

Each of these three methods get your cables and wires out of traffic areas where they may be a tripping or shock hazard to employees and visitors.

Overhead Cable Trays

In overhead cable management, cable trays or raceways are installed which support your wires near the ceiling.

This is especially useful in industrial or production environments. The cable trays are mounted using vertical and horizontal supports suspended from the walls or ceiling.

In an electrical, telecom or server room, this solution is very useful and common. It simply doesn't mesh well with many finished interior designs, though. In a work environment, you need to get the cables out of the line of sight, which means you'll need another system.

Furniture: Hiding Messy Cables

Some furniture manufacturers offer built in channels which allow routing of cables and wires, keeping them off of the floor and off of the work surface. This is a very neat and clean method of running cables around the workstation.

Many cable chaseways are 4"-6" in width, allowing plenty of space for all types of wires and cables.

The challenge is, however, you still need a good way of running your cables to your workstations! As the size of your office or command center increases, the more cables you will have and the longer the distances they will need to be run.

MonMan partners with top tier console and workstation providers to help integrate cable management throughout the work environment. Contact us for information on work consoles.

Cable Management Floor

Finally, underfloor cable management provides a method of routing cables within the floor surface itself, which can then be finished off with options like: wood, marble, terrazzo, tile or carpet.

A modular, easy to install cable floor will help hide your cables by using integrated cable raceways. Whether your need to hide cables for a small 200 sq. ft. office, or a large 20,000 sq. ft. call center, you can be sure your cables are easily managed and effectively routed.

If you're an end user, architect or interior designer that has ever struggled to integrate access floor cable management into a building, we have the solution for you!

For too long, raised access floors have been thought of as a necessary evil, creating a useful under-floor space at the expense of drab, industrial-looking finishes. Covering up the raised floor with carpet wasn't much of an improvement, as carpet is being replaced with hard finishes. Not to mention carpet is typically a "dirtier" environment than a hard finish that harbors less dirt and germs.

Built in Performance

Our custom access floor panels, regardless of finish, have the best strength ratings in the industry. From 1,000 pounds per panel to 2,500 pounds per panel, we believe in true weight ratings that honestly reflect what each panel can support. Never before has such a wide variety of floor finishes been available on such a strong access floor. You will not have to make the tradeoff between form and function. Our panel finishes are resistant to scratching and gouging, and do not reduce the load capabilities of the base panels.

A World of Possibilities

From terrazzo to tile, bamboo to wood, Netfloor USA offers the widest offering of access floor finishes. Whether they are embedded  into the raised floor panel itself, or designed as a top finish, all of our finishes are designed to work well with access floor, to withstand the forces unique to a raised floor system, and, most importantly, to create an inviting environment that makes your customers say "WOW!" and your employees feel right at home.

A Variety of Heights

In years past, raised floors were limited to 12" heights or more, taking up precious floor to ceiling height, and making office spaces feel like industrial data halls. If your needs were simple cable management without any under-floor airflow, you still had to use a standard raised floor with the standard gray finish. No longer.

Sustainable Products

Many of our wood coverings are made from recycled materials, and many of them come from sustainable forest wood stocks, sourced in the United States. Combined with our use of recycled materials for our access flooring, Netfloor USA is quite possibly the "greenest" raised flooring manufacturer in the world!

Netfloor USA has not only the widest range of floor coverings; we also manufacture the widest range of access floor heights, from 1.5" to over 6 feet tall. Using a low profile access floor like Netfloor USA ECO or CamassCrete gets rid of the industrial look, creating a warm, useful environment that is cable and tech-friendly.

Whatever your needs, be sure to check out the services we offer. We are proud to manufacturer the best access floor systems in the world, and we offer world-class design services to help your deliver your project on time, on budget, and beating expectations.

"How often do you change or move your cables?" I asked John, the 911 Director for a tri-county joint operations.

'More than you would think. We always have some new department moving in, or an old one on their way out. New dispatchers. New equipment. I guess we're almost always changing something around."

"And how much time does that take?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Looking around the sizeable room, I saw a hodgepodge of equipment, consoles and wiring. There were wires taped to the wall molding, wires dropped down from the ceiling and wires running down the walls, held up with duct tape. I nearly tripped on a wire someone had put underneath the carpet, leaving a nice bump as a tripping hazard.

"Way too much time." John replied.

What I saw before me was typical of nearly every single 911 Ops/command center I've ever been in. Despite local, state and federal grants, the pressure to keep up with changing populations and an ever-expanding mission scope, makes a 911 Director's job.....well....interesting.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

One of the great things about Netfloor USA low profile access floors is that they are so versatile. Whereas traditional raised floor is usually reserved for data centers or electrical rooms, they are "overkill" for offices and command centers.

Cable management floors are so simple and easy to install...but even easier when it's time to reconfigure your space or run new wires!

We have worked with countless 911 command centers, network operations centers and even TV control rooms, and they all want simple, efficient cabling that is easy to change out.

But it's not just ease of installation and use, it has to look good, too! Check out our blog post on access floor finishes. From bamboo to wood, terrazzo to tile and carpet, we have special floor finishes that can make a big difference in not only the look and feel of a command center, but the productivity of the workers.

So, how does cable management actually work with a Netfloor USA floor?

Let's assume you are expanding. Business is good and you just added 2 more workstations. Or, your county council just approved a grant to upgrade your systems to keep up with population growth in your town. You need to run power, voice and data cables to those extra workstations.

With Netfloor USA, it's a simple matter of exposing the cable trenches in the access floor, running your cables, and hooking them up to in-floor electrical boxes. Or, if you don't have electrical boxes, you can run your wires directly into the workstations!

When you're done with the wiring, simply lay the floor finish (carpet tiles, terrazzo, bamboo or wood panels, etc.) back down onto the access floor. The contact adhesive will keep them snug.

We can help you find a floor finish that's easy to work with. We have a selection of carpets, wood and bamboo panels, tiles and terrazzo-like finishes that all come in easy to remove panels. So you simply peel the panel up, lay your wires, and put the floor finish back in place. It's so much easier than working with concrete cable trenches, running wires above the ceiling or along the wall baseboard!

911 Directors and Dispatchers don't have time to waste running power, voice and data cables; they're too busy saving lives. A low profile, cable management access floor simplifies operations in a dynamic environment, allowing professional emergency workers to get back to their mission faster and more effectively.

Netfloor USA cable management access floors are simple to install, easy to use, and they make your life easier. Give us a call or email, and let us show you how!

And for the record, the blog image is of the NASA control room when Apollo 13 splashed down after returning safely from certain disaster on the way to the moon. It's a good thing no one tripped over any wires in the control room!

Happy New Year from Netfloor USA!

2013 was a great year! We introduced new floor finishes for our access floor lines, and expanded our distribution network. We have been making big strides in our efforts to get low profile access flooring recognized by all the industries we work in, and we are doing just that!

Low profile access floor offers unique advantages over traditional raised flooring and traditional cable management methods. In the past, access floor has been used in a few limited industries, like data centers. With the wired world we live in, and the advent of Netfloor USA low profile floors, many more industries are using low profile access floors to solve their cable management issues.

We look forward to a successful 2014!!!

Join the fastest growing access floor brand in the U.S.!

Many states/territories are open and available for distributors.

Benefits of being a Netfloor USA distributor:

• Unique Product
• Great Pricing
• Exclusive Agreements Available

Contact us at information@ netfloorusa.com to learn more about being a Netfloor USA distributor!

If you've spent any amount of time on our website, seen our product brochures, specifications or been to a site with our products installed, you already know the great product benefits that we offer like: cable management, ease of install, easy redeployment/reconfiguration and environmentally-friendly products.

Netfloor USA has developed several new ramp products with a slope so gradual, it's not even considered a ramp by the ADA.

(Want to check out the official guide from the ADA? Here is the HTML version. Please refer to Section 405.2 Slope: Ramp runs shall have a running slope not steeper than 1:12.)

But there's more to an access floor than the product itself. In fact, we feel the product should take a back seat to the overall design and execution of the project as a whole. Does the product, design and installation meet the needs of the customer?

One of the many areas that Netfloor USA has been changing the industry is in our ramp design. Standard ramps have a slope of 1:12, which is a standard mandated by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

Chances are, if you've been on a ramp, it's slope is 1:12. That means that for every 12 inches in linear travel, the ramp gains 1 inch in height.

And that type of ramp, with a standard slope or gradient of 1:12, works well in many scenarios. Select one of our custom handrails for the ramp, and you have a strong, robust ramp that is accessible to anyone.

If the access floor is 12" or higher, the visual cues, along with a handrail, quickly let visitors know that a ramp is ahead and they adjust accordingly.

But many of our customers are choosing ultra-low profile floors that are, in many cases, only 1.5" high.

Many of these installations are in high end facilities where a handrail is not wanted and a visible ramp slope interfers with the overall aesthetics of the space and flow of customer traffic.

Netfloor USA has developed several types of ramps with gradual slopes never seen before in the industry. These ramps allow several types of ramp design, from straight ramps to curved, fitting any floor layout and design.

Check Out This Video of Netfloor USA's Access Floor Ramps. From Basic Design to How They're Installed; It's a Great Video!

Traditionally, the access floor ramp has been a "choke point" where traffic must be funnelled. But in today's demanding marketplace, facility operators can not simply funnel traffic.

Wide open expanses and flowing pathways enhance overall visitor experience, and Netfloor USA's new ramp systems provide the ultimate in design flexibility.

So regardless of the application, whether it's for a TV broadcast newsroom, a retail store, a library, office space or data center, we can work with you and your design team to create a floor that is both functional, as well as easy to use.

The retail industry is brutal. There is enormous competition, and the rules of the game change on a daily basis. Successful retailers need to be agile enough to adapt to changing market demands, yet strong enough to retain long term brand awareness. Merchandising layouts often change on a monthly basis, if not sooner.

You need effective tools that help leverage your resources, not cumbersome obstacles that create more work.

The wiring for technology displays have large cabling demands: device power wiring, lighting wiring, data/signal wiring and security cable need to be routed from the electrical room to each display in an efficient and inconspicuous manner.

Low profile cable management access floor is the best method to accomplish seamlessly hidden wiring in a retail store.

These floors take up very little floor-ceiling height, usually 1.5"-2.5". They have built-in cable management raceways and trenches, and have a variety of electrical distribution floor box options.

You can top finish the access floors with nearly any material you like, from carpet to our many other options like: wood grain, terrazzo, bamboo, coconut and more.

What type of retail stores use Netfloor USA low profile access flooring?

Any type of retail store with electronic devices and equipment will benefit from a Netfloor USA floor. We have worked with several retail store chains in the telcomm, electronics, media (print and electronic) and sporting goods industries.

Once our customers get experience with setting up their stores with underfloor cable management, they find how much easier and more flexible it is that the old fashioned way of dirty, expensive concrete trenching.

Many retail organizations are turning to access floor to facilitate easier wiring in their stores. And when you want the strongest, most flexible low profile access floor, turn to Netfloor USA.

Netfloor USA. Beautiful. Functional. Floors.

We've been deep in R&D mode lately, developing and testing new toppings (top finishes) for our raised access floors. Over the next few months, we'll be deploying new exoctic finishes like coconut, bamboo, several types of wood grains, terrazo and more. Many of these are classified anti-static finishes.

Exciting Possibilities

Everyone we've talked to is extremely interested in these new finishes. Wood can bring a warm feeling to a work environment, while bamboo and coconut create a feeling that's modern and exotic.

At NetfloorUSA, we're committed to bringing exciting new technologies to the access floor industry. The benefits of access floor, especially cable management floors, are nearly limitless. But many people feel that an access floor can only be used in an institutional setting like a data center because of the drab finishes and sterile feeling when walking on the floor. With our new access floor coverings, we're opening up a world of possibilities where underfloor cable management can now be used: offices, retail stores, hotels, dispatch centers, museums and more.

Not Your Standard Carpet Tiles

If you wanted to improve the look of the standard gray-speckled, industrial finish on most raised floor, your only real option up until now has been carpet. But carpet wears out quickly, gets matted down, gets dirty and stained, and can contribute to sick building syndrome.

Our new products are thicker than other floor finishes to withstand the daily assault of commercial use. They are surprisingly flexible and resilient, which contributes to their longevity and utility. And many of them have built-in anti static qualities to ensure your electrical equipment stays safe (and keeps your hair in place!).

For building owners and operators, NetfloorUSA's new floor coverings combine the utility of access floor with a fit and finish that was simply unavailable until now. For designers and architects, our new products remove barriers to your design and strengthen the marriage between form and function.