A raised floor is an elevated structural floor above a hidden void where cable management raceways, electrical wiring, and facility cooling systems are contained.
Raised floor systems have a variety of applications and aside from data centers they are often utilized in offices, call centers, command centers, 911 call centers, libraries, classrooms – and pretty much anywhere that an efficient cable storage system is needed.
Raised flooring systems have an average lifespan of twenty years (as stated by manufacturers), but require ongoing maintenance and attention in order to avoid the weakening of the tiles which could lead to a devastating partial or full floor collapse.
Critical Facilities Solutions have been installing, strengthening, leveling, and replacing raised access flooring for over twenty-five years and offer a full-range of flooring services to ensure you never have to worry about your flooring system again.
The lifespan of a raised floor is about twenty years, although with each passing year its weight-bearing capacity decreases as pedestals and stringers deteriorate. In addition, floors may delaminate or gaps may appear. If you are uncertain of how much weight your floor can take or what is required to bring the whole system aesthetically and mechanically up to standards, our inspectors will evaluate your entire substructure and provide alternatives and solutions.
We identify and remedy any flooring issues you may have. These services may include levelling to eliminate H & S risks, tightening floor panels, panel edging work, and stringer installation between pedestals to provide extra lateral rigidity to the floor.
Good ventilation is crucial to an effective data center. CFS supplies and installs floor grills and perforated panels to match your existing ones, or provides ventilation management to a new-build data center or comms room.
We can engineer, build, and install special frames to support heavy equipment, new units, or to brace an existing support.
Sealing a concrete sub-floor prevents the oxidation of concrete and the resulting dust which can enter the ventilation system and wreak havoc. After a thorough cleaning, the sub-floor is treated with an acrylic sealant to seal in concrete, dust, and contamination.
We supply panels of all types and specifications. Anything from an extra heavy grade 42mm core on down to a lighter, office grade 28mm core – in both standard and gridlock types, vinyl, laminate, or bare. All panels are fully tested by a NAMAS accredited lab and are certified as being fully compliant. Most of our panels have a 3 times working load safety factor, class ‘0’ spread of flame resistance, and a 25 year guarantee. If the panels you need are not common or are at the end of life, we can easily source them or find top-quality replication panels.
Building a new facility that needs raised flooring constructed? We’ve been doing that for over 25 years, without subcontracting. All of our installation engineers are permanently employed with us and are raised flooring installation technical experts.
This means zero downtime for your facility, whether you need a complete floor replacement or simply cost-effective refurbishment work. Replacement includes both new tiles and understructure.
It is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of valuable cooled air is not reaching IT equipment in data centers due to unsealed floor openings such as cable entry locations. This valuable lost air contributes to hotspots, cooling inefficiencies, and increasing infrastructure costs. We supply and install a range of products such as blanking panels and Koldlok products to combat this.
One of our specialties is resurfacing existing floor panels when the cost of a complete new floor is not an option or raised floor replacement panels aren’t available.
We can supply and fit bespoke steps, ramps, and handrails leading to your data center.
To minimize risk to a data center, fire prevention is essential beneath the sub-floor. We can install whole sections of fire retardant products, or repair small holes using a number of different fire-retardant materials. We then inspect and issue certification.