Diamond Plate Flooring at a Glance

Get to Know Diamond Plate Flooring

Diamond plate flooring is used throughout numerous industries as a common flooring option.  As a definition according to the Diamond Tread Plate Factory, “Diamond pattern tread plate flooring has a male/female interlocking design and can be installed over structural members to provide a solid, skid resistant flooring.”  Diamond plate flooring generally has a diamond shaped raised surface and is used on walkways, stair treads, truck beds, vault covers and mezzanines, among hundreds of other applications.  It is easily fabricated and can be sold in stock sized plates or custom fabricated according to customer requirements.  Diamond plate flooring is an easily accessible product.

How Slip Resistant is Diamond Plate Flooring?

The only slip resistant property of diamond plate is its raised pattern, which is only helpful in dry environments.  Wikipedia defines coefficient of friction as: “the ratio of the force of friction between two bodies and the force pressing them together.”  It can range from near zero to greater than one; only bare diamond plate flooring is indefinable as it is varies from situation to situation.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have created standards and recommendations on what is an acceptable COF for slip resistant floors.  The chart below shows their recommendations:

guidelines for coefficient of friction

Many things can compromise the COF of flooring.  Water, oil, lubricants, dust, cleaning solutions and wear are only a few things that can turn non slip flooring with a low COF into a dangerous situation.  It is important to ensure that any slip resistant surface maintains a high COF even when compromised.

Nelson and Associates, a safety engineering firm, has classified three types of hazardous flooring in their document “Slip and Trip Type Falls”, and diamond plate flooring can fall into each class. 

  • “Class one” “slippery” flooring is smooth surfaced and is hazardous when wet or dry.  Diamond plate flooring that has a raised diamond pattern instead of a sharp edge is considered “Class one” and can be slick when dry if worn. 
  • “Class two” flooring is considered acceptable when clean and dry, but if the surface is compromised it becomes insecure.  Diamond plate flooring that has moderately sharp edges falls into “Class two” and is slippery when wet. 
  • “Class three” flooring is considered “nonslip.”  Textured rubber, sharp-edged diamond plate flooring and flooring that has been treated with a grit or paint application all fall into “Class three.”  Diamond plate flooring with highly raised, accessible sharp edges can be considered to be part of “Class three” however this diamond plate is still not as slip-resistant as sharp-edged grating or metal flooring coated with a metal non-slip surface.

Diamond plate flooring, when compromised, is slippery.  It does not provide the traction necessary to keep people on their feet.  Metal flooring that is coated 100 % with a metal non-slip surface, that has a surface hardness between 55-63 on the Rockwell “C” scale and has a bond strength of at least 4,000 psi is a high traction solution, will keep people from slipping.  This all-metal flooring maintains a COF of at least 0.85 at all times, even when submerged in oil.  As indicated by the COF chart, 0.85 far surpasses all agency recommendations.

Replace Slippery Diamond Plate With Nonslip Metal Coated Flooring

Just like diamond plate flooring; flooring coated with a metal non-slip surface is easily fabricated to fit any situation.  It is available in stock sized lengths and widths and can be custom fabricated for easy installation.  It is available in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum and the steel product can be galvanized for versatility in any outdoor situation.  Like diamond plate, it can also be used on walkways, stair treads, truck beds, vault covers and mezzanines, among hundreds of other applications.

Why take the chance with slippery diamond plate flooring when a superior non-slip metal flooring product is available?  For more information on this high traction non-slip metal flooring, view our non-slip product offerings or call 800-754-7668 or 313-923-0400.

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