The Idaho Statesman featured us in their Business Insider Magazine in a story about lean manufacturing, and how businesses like ours in the Treasure Valley are becoming more efficient and producing less waste in the process.
The story itself is available to Statesman subscribers, and you can view it here.
Did you know that there is an official industry standard for slipperiness? The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed Standard F462-79 – Consumer Safety Specification for Slip-Resistant Bathing Facilities. They evaluated bathroom surface materials under wet and soapy conditions with a test material that most closely resembled the human foot.
A range of bathtub and shower surfaces, including gel coat, porcelain enamel, acrylic, terrazzo, ceramic tile, and fiber glass reinforced plastic were tested to create the foundation for this standard. Both smooth and textured applications were included.
Testers determined measurement guidelines for slipperiness (“coefficient of friction” is the frictional force across the surface divided by the vertical force created by the person when walking) and “slip resistance” (the way a surface acts in opposition to the movements of the person that can result in sliding or falling) and came up with a coefficient of friction of 0.04 as a minimum passing grade. They settled on this number because most bathroom falls or slips occur on untextured or untreated surfaces, some which rated as low as .003. In fact, virtually all smooth, non-textured surfaces, including acrylic, porcelain and some gel coat applications missed the .04 cutoff.
Best bath textured gel coat shower and walk-in tub floors all meet or exceed the ASTM standard. Our technique takes advantage of the ability for liquid gel coat to flow and set into very small and intricate “divots” in a mold. It ends up as the best compromise between slip resistance, cleanability and comfort under foot. Conversely, in the case of smooth cast acrylic, manufacturers have to rely on molding textures that are limited to how small they can be thermo-formed from a sheet, hence why they can fall short of the standard for slip resistance.
We are pleased to announce that all Best Bath shower products are now backed by a 30 year limited warranty. All showers are manufactured with durable plywood cores, composite materials and tough gelcoat finishes, and are warranted to be free from all manufacturer defects under this expanded 30 year warranty.
“It is incredibly important to us that our customers have the security of knowing that their shower investment is built to last for the life of the building,” stated Jeff Mooney, VP of Sales for Best Bath Systems.
Best Bath commercial products are manufactured to match the life of the building and exceed ANSI standards for strength and durability. They are ideally suited for the bathing needs of private residences, hospitals, independent living communities, and university dormitories where safety and accessibility are of the utmost concern.
All bathing units are designed and manufactured using extremely durable materials. Walls are comprised of six layers. Two layers of composite laminate surround a plywood core. A skin laminate is laid and covered by a barrier coat. The surface is a hard-wearing gelcoat finish. Shower pans are built on a self leveling base and layered with a composite laminate, skin laminate and barrier coat with a gelcoat finish. The plywood reinforcement throughout all walls eliminates the need for additional backing during construction and allows for easy installation of safety grab bars, shower seats and other accessories during installation or at a later date.
Our products are manufactured either as one-piece units, ideal for new construction or as multi-piece units for quick installation in bathroom remodeling projects. All seams are completely waterproof and pre-leveled floors eliminate mud setting and ensure that the building will be safe from water damage.
Prefabricated showers also eliminate the many steps necessary when installing ceramic tile: hanging cement backer boards, applying thin set mortar, laying tile, adding reinforced bracing for safety bars, grouting and grout sealing. Best Bath showers merely require screws, adhesive and, in the case of multi-piece units, a line of caulk at the seams. All installation materials are included with the shower. This significantly reduces labor costs, and virtually eliminates the pitfalls that come with tile surrounds, including grout degradation, difficult safety bar installs and relocation, inadequate floor slopes and unseen water leaks. Gelcoat walls are grout-free, easy to clean and maintain and do not attract dangerous bacterial growth.
