In 2006, the U.S. flooring industry reached a peak of $24.175 billion in sales and that record has yet to be broken.
It’s certainly not for lack of trying. There are an estimated 128,000 businesses in the U.S. flooring industry and in 2016 the flooring market grew by 3,1 percent to $21.3 billion. In all, 39 percent of flooring contractors reported sales growth in 2016.
Commercial buildings accounted for almost 35.9 percent of the total flooring market in 2016. Currently there are four key factors driving the floor protection industry: improved comfort, water resistance, durability and ease of cleaning.
Metal decking, specifically steel floor decking can offer many of these factors. In fact, there are many benefits to steel floor decking, which include:
- Durability: Steel is one of the strongest building alloys and provides plenty of protection against corrosion. The yield strength of your flooring depends on the steel specification used.
- Strength: Using steel in metal decking provides flexible reinforcement and also combines the strength of concrete if you’re covering established concrete with metal decking. Steel decking is designed to prevent any slips between the steel and the concrete in a slab and also prohibits any adverse movements in the supporting beams.
- Ease Of Use: Steel decking usually comes in pre-cut lengths or in bundles that have been pre-packaged. That means for decking purposes, the sheets of metal can be laid out quickly and easily.
- Safety: Not only is steel floor metal decking easy and quick to install, it’s also safe. As a concrete slab is being poured, its progress isn’t hindered by other areas. Some companies offer concrete flooring contractor services and stud welding, which allows one professional to install a concrete slab with metal flooring by themselves.
- Flexibility: Steel floor metal decking can vary in design and offers varying strength, flexibility and efficiency depending on what design is chosen.
- Longevity: Whether it’s exposed to weather, time, moisture or pests, steel floor metal decking won’t twist and warp in the face of any of these obstacles.
If you’re building a deck with corrugated metal, there are many advantages to that too. Corrugated metal is lightweight and stays in place. It’s got plenty of strength which makes it an ideal choice if you need to reinforce concrete. Corrugated metal decking differs from other types of metal materials because its ridges are flattened at the top and bottom of their crests and valleys. By squaring off the metal decking, it allows for a more efficient surface for concrete to adhere to.
Corrugated floor decking also comes in many sizes to fit a variety of needs. Deeper corrugations allow for deeper poor and thicker slabs for better strength. Corrugated metal also comes in a variety of types (substrates) including aluminum and steel.