If you're an office or plant manager and have to order equipment or furniture, you may have decided to order phenolic wheels for the items instead of polyurethane wheels. Phenolic casters tend to be stronger in many cases, but they can literally leave a mark on the floor. The cause is somewhat of a chicken-and-egg situation as the causes of the damage can feed one another, leading to more and more damage. To stop the cycle, you have to take some definite action.

Clean and Fix the Floors

One cause of the marking is from debris on the floor: things like dirt, bits of plastic, and so on. These can stick to phenolic casters and harden, creating little cleat-like bumps on the casters. As you roll the equipment or furniture around, the bumps can chip the floor's surface. To prevent those bumps from forming, you need to keep the floors clean, sweeping and mopping regularly.

You also need to inspect the floor for any damage, from debris bumps or otherwise. Just as debris can stick to the casters, damage on the floor can chip the casters if they are in poor shape. The resulting chips can -- you guessed it -- damage the floor even more.

Clean and Fix the Wheels

Then you have to turn your attention to the casters. Because the casters can form those bumps from debris they pick up, you have to clean the casters and remove the bumps in case you missed some debris when cleaning the floor (and in case that debris ended up on the wheel surface). You also have to inspect the casters frequently for cracks and chips. Even though phenolic casters are normally strong, they can become damaged like anything else. The rough edges you find on cracks in phenolic casters can chip the flooring material, so you need to replace chipped or cracked casters if you find them.

Not as Confusing as It Looks on Paper

The situation isn't nearly as confusing as it sounds; really, you just have to keep cleaning the floor and casters and fixing (or replacing) damaged flooring or casters. But you do have to do it regularly to ensure that both stay in as good a shape as possible.

Have employees and visitors wipe their feet when they enter the building, issue booties if needed for people walking on the floor, and talk to caster sellers about newer casters that might be tougher and less likely to pick up debris. Phenolic casters can serve you well if you take the right steps. Contact a company like Specialty Casters for more info.

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