For right now, this is the only photo we can release. (Our competitors would love to have a product like this!)

More importantly, YOU are going to love having a product like this.

For now, the only specs we can share are:

• Lighter
• Easier
• Very Smooth and Refined
• Cost Effective

Expect more information later in 2017. If you'd like to get notified about our new product line, for yourself or your clients, be sure to fill out the Newsletter form at the bottom (Don't worry, we absolutely do not spam. Hate spam; can't stand it! We prefer to provide awesome cable management products!)

5 Tips for Choosing the Right Finish Material for Your Raised Access Floor

One of the really great things about Netfloor USA Cable Management Floors is that they get wires out of the way, so your office/building/library/control center/etc. looks like a place that people want to work and visit.

We carry a nice range of floor finishes that we've tested to work very well with Netfloor USA raised floors, but we don't expect every customer to want to use our floor finishes. There are a near-infinite amount of possibilities: colors, textures, styles. Every customer has a color theme in mind, and interior designers pay attention to every little detail when it comes to floor finishes.

So one of the questions we get asked most often is: What kind of finish floor should I use on my access floor?

1. What type of finish floor should I use? We recommend to use a high quality, commercial grade finish. We typically recommend a thickness of 4mm or thicker. Having a stiff backing material is very important. Typically the thicker and stiffer the finish, the better.
    
2. Should I use an ESD (electrostatic dissipative) finsh on top of my raised floor? The question of ESD or not really depends on your specific application needs. As a general comment, the majority of our customers do not choose an ESD finish unless there will be unusually high amounts of electrical equipment, and/or very sensitive equipment that could be damaged by electrostatic discharge.
    
3. What type of adhesive should I use for the floor covering? As far as mastic type (adhesive type), when we perform the finish floor installation, we usually use carpet glue dots or tape. They allow the finish floor to be easily removed to re-organize wires under the floor. If ease of removing the finish floor isn't a concern, or the finish floor does not have a smooth backing that will accept carpet dots or tape, then going with a more traditional mastic or glue is fine. If you do, the most important thing is to apply with full coverage.
   
   We have seen a lot of carpet/flooring installers who will spray or roll-on the glue very unevenly, which results in a bad finish overall.
    
4. Is it hard to access the wires and cables in the raised floor once I put a floor finish on top? No, not really. The typical construction schedule looks like this: Install the cable management floor. Install wires and cables. Install other building components like walls, etc. Install the finish floor. By the time you're ready for the finish floor material to be installed, most of your wires and cables should already be routed inside of the raised floor.
   
   If you do need to make changes like adding additional cables or re-routing cables, then yes, you will need to peel up the floor finish. But, it's a very simple process, and it sure beats having to go through concrete trenching to run more wires!
    
5. Isn't it 'double the effort' to have a cable management floor AND a floor finish? Well, the short answer is "no." In the vast majority of cases, regardless of a concrete sub-floor or an access floor, you are probably going to have some sort of floor finish like carpet, tile, etc. Some of Netfloor USA's products come with a finish floor material embedded on the top, underneath a clear wear layer. But if you're looking at the lightweight ECO system, or the heavy-duty CamasssCrete cable management floor, you should know those are bare panels and we will want to discuss floor finishes that will stand up to your particular application, and look good in the process.

Check Out This Video of a Floor Finish Being Installed on a Cable Management Access Floor (And Wires Being Installed) It's Less Than 2 Minutes!

Regardless of your specific needs, Netfloor USA is here to help! We are easy to work with, and love helping our customers find a great cable management solution. Please feel free to contact us, and let's see how we can help!

Would a Tech Firm Benefit From Access Flooring?

We got a call the other day from a tech startup firm. It was pretty exciting, because I had actually heard of their product (it's a new app/software package) a few weeks ago. I thought to myself: "This is cool! These guys are on the cutting edge!"

Maybe I was a little surprised because, of all the things they have to think about, one of them did some research online about access floors and found us. Their list of questions was long, and their time was short. So after a quick but very detailed conversation with them, they said they liked our product and wanted to use it. They were getting ready to move from their current location (it's a "communal incubator" in New York City) to a slightly larger, slightly less communal shared office space.

Oh, There's One More Thing

Why would a small tech firm that is just starting up care about access floor in the first place? Their biggest concern is getting their product into beta testing and releasing it to the public (Hello World!). Oh, and scoring that first round of venture capital would certainly help things move along. So why would they care about access flooring?

That is a very good question, and the answer is because even though in the 21st century everyone seems to be talking about 4G Wi-Fi hotspots, we live and work in a more wired world today than we did 5, 10, 15 years ago. Many tech startups are heavily reliant on servers, graphics, video, apps, and web development. Therefore, there are going to be a lot of cables and a lot of power wires associated with this type of tech work.

What do startups have? They has a couple dedicated people who are willing to do whatever it takes to turn their idea into reality. It also carries with it a lot of risk and uncertainty and that risk and uncertainty should be minimized as much as possible.

With a low-profile cable management floor, you minimize your risk and uncertainty. Maybe I've been hanging around access floors too long, but we're like a super awesome FUD-destroyer.

Been There, Done That

Most businesses that I've toured, whether large or small, have very messy server rooms. Unless we are talking about a dedicated data center, most businesses have a problem with wires. If you're a small tech startup firm, the last thing you need to worry about is your power and wire situation.

A Netfloor USA low profile access floor lets you run all your wires and cables in a neat and orderly fashion, and when you need to add or change cables out (because of your explosive growth, of course!), it's simple to do.

Maybe this seems like small potatoes to you, but an access floor gets wires and cables out of the way of your creativity.

If this sounds interesting, keep reading our blog or some of our articles, and if you have more questions, give us a call or use the contact form.

Oh, and by the way, we'd be happy to join your beta testing program!

We're constantly growing our floor finishes line to offer you the widest selection of access floor finishes, from wood, bamboo, tile, and more.

Each of our floor finishes has been carefully designed and built for the rigors of a commercial environment. Further, we offer specifications you simply won't find anywhere else! Product qualities that ensure success on your raised floor environment.

Why Do I Need Access Floor Rated Finishes?

Access floors (and the floor finish that goes on top) are subjected to forces that a standard concrete or wood subfloor never see. Your access floor has to withstand concentrated loads, rolling loads, seismic forces and more. While all of Netfloor USA's products easily handle these, it is just as important that your floor covering was designed to withstand these forces as well.

Putting a thin residential grade carpet on top of an access floor will not provide the desired results. Using a thicker, higher grade carpet will.

All of our access floor finishes are designed to be thicker, stronger and more resilient, making sure you get a modern and durable surface for your raised floor.

How Are These Raised Floor Finishes Different?

Thicker

They are thicker than a standard finish, which makes them more rugged and provides for a more uniform surface.

Stronger Backing

The backing or base of the finish, whether it is carpet, tile, etc., is very important. Not only does it provide the backbone and cushioning aspect of the floor, it helps overall stability and provides better uniformity when looking out across the entire space.

Proper Tile or Plank Size

When using plank type finishes, as you typically see in a wood finish, the industry standard is a narrow plank. With a raised floor, the plank size should be wider than 12", or better yet, 24". This allows for better structural integrity and uniformity across the entire floor.

Whether you are considering an access floor for a retail store, office space, data center, command control center, newsroom or library, the floor finish is a vital piece of the whole system. Give us a call or email, and let us know how we can help you succeed on your next project!