ESD Flooring Selector Guide
To protect sensitive electronics from ESD you need fault-tolerant static-control flooring that performs consistently - regardless of environmental conditions or variables, such as footwear.
Using evidence-based design principles, our comprehensive ESD flooring selector guide gives you the tools and information you need to choose the right floor for your specific application.
ESD flooring materials should always be tested and qualified as an ESD flooring system – i.e. in combination with a person and whatever footwear is designated for the space. In this video, Dave Long, president and founder of Staticworx, Inc., explains industry standards for static-control flooring - and explains the test methods necessary to properly qualify an ESD floor. Dave also explains why the ESD Association/industry no longer relies on resistance testing alone. And why it's crucial to test both electrical resistance, measured in ohms, and charge generation, measured in volts.
What is your application? If you're qualifying a floor, it matters. ESD flooring should always be qualified and specified based on ANSI/ASTM, ATIS, or other industry-specific standards.
Universal standards - based on application and environmental conditions - vary by industry. For electronics manufacturing and handling applications, where special ESD footwear is required, specifications should be based on ANSI/ESD S20.20-2014.
Specifications should reference test methods ANSI/ESD STM 7.1 and STM 97.2.
Standards for ESD flooring materials for electronics manufacturing and handling:
Floors for end-user spaces where electrified (operational) equipment is in use, refer to standards specific to the industry – e.g. Motorola R56, ATIS-0600321.2015, for telecom and dispatcher spaces, FAA 019f for FAA flight towers, Army Corps of Engineers, Spec #: UFGS 09 62 38, for construction of military services, etc.
Standards for most end-user spaces:
Regardless of the type of ESD flooring material you choose - rubber, coatings, carpet, vinyl, or interlocking tiles - your ESD floor must be properly grounded.
Depending upon your ESD application, your floor must also comply with the parameters for static control flooring outlined in industry standards such as Motorola R56, FAA 019f, ATIS 0600321.2015, UFGS 09 62 38 (Army Corps of Engineers), and ANSI/ESD S 20.20.
Grounding an ESD floor is not rocket science. But for optimal performance and to comply with ESD standards, it must be done correctly. This short video provides all the information you need to properly ground your ESD floor.
We realize an ESD floor is an investment. Whether you're an architect, contractor, facility manager, or property owner, you have a lot at stake – time, money, perhaps even your reputation.
If you choose to work with us, here's what you can expect:
Anti-static Flooring: The Basics
The Problem
Every application for ESD flooring is different. Without detailed technical knowledge, architects can easily specify the wrong ESD floor.
The Impact
The wrong floor will perform poorly and could leave sensitive electronics without adequate static protection.
The Solution
Serve your clients better by learning how to specify the right static- control floor for their application.
"All professionals involved in specifying flooring should know about the potential consequences of not specifying the right product and ensuring it is installed properly. Dave's information can help us better protect our clients and avoid potential lawsuits."
~ Michael James McKeon, AIA, LEED AP, MCPPO Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc.
Our newly launched Static ESD Knowledge Base helps architects, specifiers, contractors, and property managers choose the best static-control flooring for each type of application, helping to meet the specific needs of their clients.
On our new kb site, you'll find informational hubs packed with articles tailored specifically to architects and designers; contractors and installers; and property owners and facilities managers. Along with comprehensive articles on static electricity and ESD flooring, you'll find a wide range of technical articles, the latest ESD Standards and Test Methods, plus a complete video library, featuring are our newest technical and cartoon videos.
While you're visiting, be sure to stop by our blog for informative posts on static and ESD flooring.
Let's start with the definition of ESD: ESD is an abbreviation for electrostatic discharge: the pulse of static electricity that occurs when a charged person contacts another object. Anything from sliding out of a car seat or walking across a static generating floor can build up a dangerous charge. Most associate a static discharge with that sensory "ouch" that we feel and see; the zap, the mini bolt of blue lightening. However, the majority of static discharges, anything below 3500 volts, are totally undetectable to humans. Like common cold germs, ESD events are occurring around us constantly, causing damage to sensitive microelectronics inside computers and electronic devices.
The best way to avoid ESD events is to prevent static generation in the first place. In the case of ESD, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. If the environment prevents static generation, it's impossible for an ESD event to occur. A static free environment is created by eliminating normal static generating surfaces like carpet, rubber and tile. We loosely define those surfaces as ESD flooring. Other common names are anti static flooring, static flooring, conductive tile, static resistant flooring, non-static flooring, and grounded floors.
Define: anti static flooring: The term anti static refers to a condition where static generation is inhibited during contact and separation with a different material. Anti static flooring can either be static dissipative or static conductive. (See also, Dissipative Tile)
Please note: The term anti-static has been replaced by the more accurate and descriptive term "low charge generating".
Generation 1 epoxy coatings - resins with high concentrations of carbon or graphite - perform well in ESD tests, but come only in black. Gen 2 coatings, with a buried conductive ground plane and shiny top coat, are difficult to install and do not always pass S20.20 voltage tests. Gen 3 coatings use nanotechnology w/full infusion of conductive particles, for an attractive system that passes all ESD tests.
If you're an architect or designer charged with specifying or selecting a static-control floor, you know that aesthetics is only part of the picture. The most attractive ESD floor will fail if it's specified for an incompatible space or fails to meet the proper industry standards. And product failure can result in liabilities that no architect wants to—or should have to—deal with. By following industry protocols, you can avoid the mistakes that sometimes get specifiers in trouble.
Specifying building materials of any kind is a challenge, requiring patience, skill, and a general knowledge of the product and its place in the ecosystem. Providing the right specifications for electrostatic discharge (ESD) preventive flooring presents an opportunity for architects and design/construction professionals to help prevent static-induced equipment failures, electronic product returns, critical communication errors, and personal injuries.
Here are some of the clients we've helped
All Staticworx® products are shipped in Staticworx® packaging.
We have installation experts in all 50 States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
Mexico, and Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Ontario.
