Ensuring that your Nashville business is safe for people with disabilities is important for providing customers and clients with a great experience. Here is how to ensure that your flooring is ADA-compliant.
Flooring and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA was established in 1990 to prohibit discrimination based on disability. This far-reaching act has improved the lives of millions of Americans and extends all the way to the flooring that you choose for your business. Tennessee ADA compliance is legally mandated, meaning your business needs to adhere to the rules and regulations set forth to accommodate people with disabilities. So what do you need to do to ensure your Nashville business’s flooring is ADA-compliant?
Proper Materials
Not all flooring materials are ADA-compliant and safe for people with disabilities to navigate. Uneven hardwood flooring, especially in older buildings, is typically not compliant. It creates a tripping hazard for anyone and is harder to navigate for wheelchairs and other walking aids. Certain types of carpeting (especially with a high pile) are not compliant with the ADA. Compliant carpeting is low pile, with level cuts and a firm cushion. ADA-compliant flooring also needs to be slip-resistant but not too rough. Materials like brick or rock can be difficult to walk on or navigate with mobility devices. Ideally, flooring should be slip-resistant, firm, stable, and durable. Some great options for providing all of this include vinyl, laminate, commercial carpeting, and hardwood. When installed properly by a reputable Nashville flooring company like Ozburn-Hessey, these flooring types are ADA-compliant and great for any aesthetic you’re looking for.
ADA-Compliant Transitions
Another important aspect of safe flooring is that any transitions between floors are not tripping hazards. Transitions between rooms and types of flooring are important for design but also safety. Depending on the materials, different levels of transition are necessary for ADA compliance. Changes in level can only be ¼-inch or up to ½-inch when beveled properly. As these regulations can be difficult to get right, it’s important that you don’t go the DIY approach. Work with a flooring company in Nashville that’s prepared to work within the ADA compliance laws and regulations. At Ozburn-Hessey, we can help ensure your commercial or retail space’s flooring is installed correctly.
ADA-Compliant Stairs and Ramps
Whenever flooring is a factor on a ramp or stairway, it needs to adhere to the same standards as other types of flooring under the ADA. Carpeting on stairs or ramps needs to be low pile and not pose a tripping hazard. It needs to be properly secured to prevent threads from pulling up or sticking in the wheels of mobility devices.
Get Compliance Right With Ozburn-Hessey
No matter what type of flooring you’re looking to put in your commercial space, there are certain rules you need to adhere to under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Work with the experts at Ozburn-Hessey to ensure that your floors are installed properly. Give us a call today for your free consultation and estimate.
