Over the last several months, we’ve discussed the importance of keeping your business’s raised access flooring well-maintained and up-to-date. As we’ve shown, a worn or damaged access floor is a recipe for disaster, creating hazards for your employees and equipment and opening your business up to significant liability in the event of an injury or floor failure.
So why not get your access floor replaced today? The two most common reasons we hear for companies not replacing a worn or damaged access floor are:
- It’s too expensive
- We can’t afford the downtime
The expense issue we’ll leave off the table for this article other than to say that the liabilities created by a damaged access floor can lead to expenses well above the cost of a new floor.
As regards the downtime typically required to replace a data or communication center’s entire access floor – well, we have an answer for that, too.
Avoiding Downtime With Live Access Floor Replacement
On average, downtime costs most companies about $100,000 per hour. When you factor that cost into the fact that an access floor replacement can take several days or weeks, that number soars into the millions.
Traditionally, when a facility was due for a new access floor, managing the equipment was as much, if not more, work than actually replacing the floor. Since the equipment racks and carts in which the infrastructure is installed rest on the floor being replaced, they obviously must be moved before the work can begin.
In the old days, this meant one of three things:
- Shutting down the entire facility while the floor is being replaced
- Relocating the facility’s equipment to a different location, spinning it up, and then putting it back into place once the floor installation is finished
- Playing a “sliding puzzle” game of moving one rack, replacing that section of flooring, moving another rack, etc., etc… until the entire floor is replaced.
Obviously, none of those are optimal, as each requires some or all your facility’s equipment to be taken offline to be moved. The processes of moving not only the equipment but also the supporting wiring and cabling, ductwork, coolant lines, and other infrastructure incur additional expense and lost time.
What Is Live Access Floor Replacement?
Fortunately, at JLJ and Associates Construction, we’ve developed a solution that allows us to replace an entire facility’s raised access flooring without even an hour of downtime.
When you choose JLJ to replace your raised access flooring, our team will use our patented, proprietary process to lift your equipment off the floor while it’s still up and running. Our unique equipment will carefully raise your racks and cabinets and secure them while we go about the work of replacing your floor.
Once your access floor has been replaced and inspected, our equipment will lower the racks and cabinets back into place, and you can enjoy the safety and convenience of a new raised access floor.
Live Access Floor Replacement FAQs
Can you really replace my floor with no downtime?
Absolutely. Jerry L. Johnson and Associates have years of experience replacing access floors of all sizes without costing the owners a nickel’s worth of downtime.
Is a live-replaced floor any different from a standard floor?
Not at all. We can apply our special techniques and processes to any manufacturer’s flooring system so you can choose the one that’s right for you.
How long will replacement take?
That will depend entirely on how large your access floor is, how many pieces of equipment you have installed, and the amount of cabling, ducting, and other infrastructure installed in your facility. When you partner with JLJ, and we perform a live replacement, the entire replacement will be considerably faster since there’s no need to relocate equipment before work starts.
Do I really need to replace my access flooring?
Look back at some of our previous articles. If your floor is damaged or worn, or if it’s approaching the end of its 25-year service life, then you need to consider replacement sooner rather than later.
How do I get started?
By calling JLJ & Associates 770-961-7600 and asking about live access floor replacement.
Need a New or Replacement Access Floor? JLJ & Associates Can Replace Your Floor Without Downtime!
JLJ and Associates is Georgia’s choice for access flooring. Our proprietary technology can replace your access floor while your equipment remains online! Call us today to find out how we can develop a solution that works for you! 770-961-7600
Related Articles: