> I hope that some of you will be able to help me out.  We are looking 
> at having the floors in our collections storage area replaced and I 
> was wondering what sort of things I should be concerned about, as I 
> have no experience in this area.  Do I need to worry about what type 
> of flooring is installed, what type of glue is used, off-gassing, 
> etc…?  Is there a certain type of floor and/or you would recommend?  
> Any help would be much appreciated—please reply off-list to 
> [log in to unmask]  Thanks in advance!

I would add a few notes to what others have said.

        1) Epoxy is an excellent choice for low maintenance and durability, 
can be expensive initially, but is very inexpensive to maintain.
        2) Carpet actually has a relatively high initial cost as well as 
higher ongoing costs.
        3) Off-gassing from materials and adhesives is a concern, but can be 
minimized with the newer "green" alternatives.
        4) Vinyl is inexpensive to install, but can be expensive to maintain, 
depending on use.
        5) Linoleum is seeing a resurgence as a "green" material, but isn't 
recommended in areas that can get wet.

If you want a resilient flooring, I would look at rubber.  Rubber has 
many of the acoustic and cushioning benefits of carpet without the 
concerns about dust, dirt, and bugs.  It is initially more expensive 
than vinyl (comparable to good carpet), but is among the least 
expensive materials to maintain and has a relatively long life span.  
It also typically has a very high recycled materials content.


------------------------------
Guy Hermann
Director of Museum Planning
E. Verner Johnson and Associates
Museum Architects and Planners
http://www.museumarchitects.com	

222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
v: 617.437.6262
f: 617.437.1272


-----------------------------

Guy Hermann
Mystic, Connecticut, USA
860-536-2994
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).