Can't see the region you're looking for? You can find a list of our global locations here
Traffic from patrons of all sizes and species presents a unique situation when selecting interior finishes for veterinary care. Broken and chipped tiles can painfully dig into feet with a single misstep, while harmful bacteria can evade cleaners and flourish within cracked areas, eventually finding its way into your pet’s paws. Surfaces with thick layers of wax or polish can be the equivalent of an ice rink to anything walking on four legs. Your furry friends need commercial durability that can handle traffic from shoes and claws, seamless finishes to enhance hygiene and superior cleanability.
Altro slip-resistant flooring is a top choice for veterinary care – providing pets with an ample grip while their owners travel safely. Its seamless, heat-welded installation prevents bacteria and contaminants from hiding below the surface, keeping your facility fresh and clean.
Older animals in particular benefit from additional padding to compensate for leg support lost with age. Combine Altro slip-resistant flooring with our thicker smooth flooring for a safe, comfortable interior solution. In addition to underfoot comfort, these products also offer additional sound insulation in multi-level facilities and busy areas.
Selecting the most effective flooring surface is the foundation of designing pet-friendly interiors. Sharp nails, shedding and the occasional “accident” can negatively affect multiple flooring types. Simultaneously, your selection should offer plenty of comfort underfoot to both your patrons and their animals.
The following are pet-friendly priorities to consider for commercial floors and walls.
Broken and chipped tiles can be a potential health hazard for pets in multiple ways. Rigid, uneven surfaces painfully dig into paws, while harmful bacteria can evade cleaners and flourish within cracks. It is important to choose flooring with proven durability that can withstand constant heavy foot traffic, from multiple animals, and heavy rolling equipment loads without damage or surface erosion.
If flooring is susceptible to staining and moisture, the evidence can linger for years to come. Surfaces with any exposure to pets should be impervious to liquid penetration and resistant to surface staining.
If flooring is susceptible to staining and moisture, the evidence can linger for years to come. Surfaces with any exposure to pets should be impervious to liquid penetration and resistant to surface staining.
Products installed should provide the highest levels of stain resistance against common staining agents such as urine, bleach, and disinfectants — a must for busy veterinary clinics
Walls take extra abuse in these areas from carts, people and excited pets. In corridors one practical and economical solution is wainscoting. For many years veterinary clinics have installed wainscoting to protect their walls from chair or table damage, scuff marks from footwear, and other dogs jumping and scratching. By running Altro wall panels horizontally for this purpose it allows walls to be well protected in a more cost efficient manner
Lessening the sound within the animal hospital does not only make for a more calm and healing environment for sick pets but it can also make staff more comfortable working in an environment that is consistently loud. Acoustic ceiling tile is a must for these areas but designers should also consider flooring options that offer acoustical benefits.
Hurt pets need to have the proper traction underfoot to avoid tripping and falling. Wood and tile floors can be slippery for dogs, especially larger breeds. Solutions with a slip-resistant or embossed surface finish allow them to properly grip the ground beneath them while their owners travel safely.
While polished concrete is an easy fix, it is unforgiving and uncomfortable for pets. Older animals in particular benefit from additional padding compensating for leg support lost with age. Pets can appreciate the underfoot comfort that comes with thicker flooring solutions.
Where veterinary technicians can spend the majority of their shifts on foot, underfoot comfort is another factor to consider for efficient design in these spaces. Choosing the right flooring that promotes this is not only beneficial for the staff but also for many dogs as well, particularly those with hip and joint issues.
Altro Wood Comfort, Altro Wood Acoustic, Altro Orchestra and Altro Serenade are all ideal options for outpatient care. These thicker flooring ranges help prevent joint and muscle fatigue with ample underfoot comfort, while their smooth, seamless surface allows for truly thorough cleaning and disinfecting between patients.
For more information on ergonomic flooring and preventing muscle fatigue, register for our Designing for Underfoot Comfort CEU presentation.
A modern, well-designed interior space will welcome patrons into your facility and give them a comforting area to wait for their companions and interact with staff.
In any facility where dogs and cats congregate, the risk of animal borne disease grows. Illnesses like Parvo, Bordetella and feline URIs are of top concern. There are various strategies to minimize risk of infection, among these is maintaining a frequent and thorough cleaning regime. Just like human hospitals, surfaces must be routinely cleaned and disinfected, and just like in hospitals, interior surfaces must be durable enough to withstand the repeated application of these chemicals.
Growing evidence has shown that antimicrobial additives can actually create more harm than good long term for both human health as well as the environment. In addition to pollution concerns, prolonged exposure to an antimicrobial additive or ingredient can prompt dangerous mutations in bacteria and viruses. To learn more, see our brochure Separating fact from fiction: biocides.
As a result, inherently hygienic materials such as vinyl have become the preferred alternative when considering interior finishes. Altro floor and wall products are free of antimicrobial additives, and our vinyl floors and walls help promote patient safety without detrimental impact over time.
For more information, view our Crucial cleanability for healthcare environments whitepaper.
_Altro-Operetta_06.jpg)
A modern, well-designed interior space will welcome patrons into your facility and give them a comforting area to wait for their companions and interact with staff.
Warm, welcoming finishes can help alleviate anxiety in these areas by providing pets and owners with a familiar environment rather than a cold, sterile palette associated with traditional healthcare settings.
They are also areas that often see the most foot traffic; this means these areas are frequently subjected to more abuse and occasional “accidents” of pets. The finishes used need to resist this wear and tear. Slip resistance, comfort underfoot and bacteria resistance are all design elements to consider in these areas.
Design inspired flooring options like Altro Orchestra, Altro Wood, and Altro Lavencia LVT make great choices. These products come in contemporary styles that create a clean, and calming environment for furry clients. Warm wood tones and light linen textures form a soothing space, while maintaining the durability of the materials used.
For the walls, consider using Altro Tegulis or Altro Whiterock PopArt for creative and inspiring designs.
Finishes used in hallways and similar high-traffic areas should be capable of enduring consistent foot and wheeled traffic without compromising their looks or performance.
Altro adhesive-free flooring provides busy hallways and circulation areas with practical design options. These ranges are ideal for time-sensitive projects where disruption needs to be minimal and partial shutdowns are not a feasible option.
Altro Fortis Titanium 15 is an ideal wall protection option for these spaces. These lightly textured panels are specifically designed to be dense, impervious and resistant to bumps from rolling equipment moving through high traffic areas. Installed either vertically or horizontally as wainscoting, they can be a great economical choice for wall protection.
Diagnostic Imaging units consist of x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI rooms used for radiology screening. Equipment associated with these spaces can drastically vary in weight, especially in the case of MRI machines that utilize multiple large magnets totaling thousands of pounds. Flooring solutions specified for these units should prioritize high indentation resistance to ensure that they are capable of coping with extreme weight.
When specifying flooring for use in diagnostic imaging units, it is important to be mindful of the material’s composition. Materials containing ferrous metals - those primarily composed of iron - are attracted to any form of magnetic pull. These include aggregates that can be blended into certain types of flooring that regardless of size, can distort an MRI image and complicate diagnostics. Altro flooring is free of any ferrous metals and use aluminum oxide aggregates, making them safe in areas with highly sensitive equipment.
We also offer durable, high-performance static dissipative flooring for rooms where vets keep/use enhanced imaging equipment. Altro Walkway 20 SD is a static-dissipative option to reduce damage risk to sensitive equipment in computer rooms and laboratories.
Environments where pets are constantly getting cleaned are bound to be wet throughout the day. Along with wet floors, grooming pets will generate a lot of stay hair, making it essential that groomers are able to clean these floors with ease.
These contaminants can make for a slippery surface which is why we recommend using flooring that offers some measure of slip resistance. Altro Reliance 25 and Altro Walkway 20 are excellent choices for these areas as they offer a great balance of underfoot traction and cleanability.
Discover more about our specialized floor and wall solutions for wet environments with our brochure, Transforming spaces in wet environments.
Boarding facilities and areas receive constant attention and abuse. Besides heavy foot (and paw) traffic, surfaces must resist teeth and claws, while providing for easy maintenance in case of the inevitable spills and “accidents.” Where these areas are frequently hosed down, flooring with added slip resistance is a must.
Reducing noise within these environments is essential for making a calm and inviting setting. Boarding areas can get especially loud, so selecting a flooring solution that can reduces the in-room noise is important.
At Altro, we create flooring solutions with inherent antimicrobial protection without the need for added ingredients or biocides. Our flooring does not have grout lines that promote mold and bacteria and also have enhanced chemical resistance to harsh cleaners and disinfectants, allowing facility owners to deep clean without worrying about damaging the floor
_Altro-Symphonia_14.jpg)
Altro Symphonia and Altro Operetta provide impressive chemical and stain resistance in ORs, enduring frequent cleaning and disinfecting without fading or discoloration. Both can be combined with Altro Whiterock wall cladding for a seamless, floor-to-ceiling hygienic surface. Used in hospitals around the world, these products are ideal for veterinary operating rooms.
Discover more about our floor and wall solutions for these specialized environments with our Operating Rooms brochure.
Just like humans recovering from a surgical procedure, dogs also benefit from post-operative rehabilitation. A growing trend in modern veterinary medicine is the use of hydrotherapy on dogs.
After the initial period of rest is completed, hydrotherapy can be one of the best forms of recovery. Buoyancy helps to decrease pain and minimizes the weight placed on joints and muscles. Hydrostatic pressure reduces edema, general soreness and swelling of post-operative areas. It also creates phasic stimuli to the sensory skin receptors, causing a decrease in hypersensitivity. This reduction in pain perception allows pets to move with greater confidence.
These areas highly prioritize slip resistance similar to any other wet environment. We recommend the use Altro Aquarius safety flooring for these areas. This product was developed for lasting performance in wet and dry environments, shoes or barefoot. This 2mm safety floor has been extensively tested on a variety of shoe types (and bare feet) to ensure peak performance.
Combining Altro Aquarius flooring with Altro Whiterock provides a hygienic, watertight seal from floor-to-ceiling that prevents water ingress while allowing for thorough cleaning and disinfecting between patient sessions.
For more information on appropriate finishes and detailing for these areas, register for our Designing for healthcare: wet environments CEU presentation.
