Protecting and Fixing up Loading Docks and Loading Bays
Loading docks and bays are a magnet for damage. No matter the size or volume, you can’t expect trucks to back into them day after day, hour after hour, and not rip them to shreds. Combine the impacts of hundreds of bumpers and the dropping and bouncing pallet trucks, trolleys and goods and damage is unavoidable.
Worn out and trashed loading docks are not good for business though. Truck drivers need to see the docks clearly, and when the paint has fallen off with the concrete their lives get harder. You also need to make sure the floor on the dock isn’t slippery, regardless of the conditions, or you could be in for even worse accidents.
Different ways to Protect
For these reasons you’ll often see a shiny dock kitted out with diamond plate steel, chromed like a wannabe sports car. The problem is that the steel isn’t necessarily so easy to see, it’s also expensive and can cause damage to the trucks if they make any errors during parking.
Just painting all the concrete and hoping for good drivers is an optimistic plan at best but can leave you with a lot of dust and rubble to sweep off the ground at the end of the day.
What’s needed is something tough yet flexible, something that can be applied anywhere and everywhere it’s needed, easy to patch and bright.
Durabak for Docks
One of the reasons why the US Navy uses Durabak on the decks of their Nuclear Aircraft Carriers is because it’s incredibly tough and resilient, yet it’s also very grippy and easy to patch up.
Durabak is a polyurethane product which you can apply just like paint. Unlike paint it forms a rubber-like layer of protection on the surface it is applied to. Because the Durabak adheres to steel, concrete, paint and itself it creates an impermeable membrane, almost like shrink wrapping with heavy duty rubber. Durabak is available in smooth and slip-resistant textured finishes with real rubber granules for added non-skid. Durabak is available in 16 colors including safety yellow and bright red and can be mixed or tinted to achieve any color.
It’s easy to apply Durabak you just need to prep the surface and then roll it on. Durabak is one part, so you don’t need to mix in hardener or reducer, color or texture – truly foolproof. You’ll get a really great professional result with rollers and it will last for years and years.
Durabak is used by some of the nations largest retail brands to protect the parking bollards from the non-stop impact and stay bright red and highly visible to motorists. It’s also suitable for slip-resistant flooring for foot traffic or vehicle wheels where a slip can be costly. Aluminum, Wood, Fiberglass, Concrete, Steel and other materials bond well to Durabak and can be protected for years by a standard 2 coat application.
If you think that Durabak might be helpful for you give us a call and talk to an expert about it today on 303-690-7190
