FAQ - Imola Tecnica

What kind of maintenance is required for raised flooring in commercial areas?

Raised flooring made of porcelain stoneware is an excellent choice for commercial environments subject to intensive use and high foot traffic. Its resistance to wear and chemical agents ensures that it always maintains an impeccable appearance. Consequently, routine maintenance is extremely quick; from a technical standpoint, a regular annual inspection of the underfloor cavity is all that is required. Furthermore, the lack of any need for major, non-routine interventions—combined with ease of cleaning—minimizes long-term operating costs, while preserving a space that enhances the company’s corporate identity.

How is a raised floor integrated with the utility systems in a shopping center?

A raised floor system creates a practical cavity beneath the walking surface—an ideal space for housing and protecting data networks, as well as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems in modern workspaces or public-facing facilities. The panels used for raised flooring in commercial areas can be easily removed with the help of professional suction tools; this allows you to inspect the underlying systems at any time and reconfigure the layout of your premises or shopping center without the need for disruptive and costly construction work.

What happens to the raised flooring in my business premises in the event of water leaks or flooding?

In commercial settings, such as bars or restaurants, unexpected issues can arise. Our IT 2.6 porcelain-on-porcelain system offers a solution that is completely inert to liquids. In the event of accidental leaks, the use of porcelain stoneware ensures total non-absorbency, preventing the need for costly replacements and lengthy operational downtime. This allows for a rapid restoration of the space, minimizing the impact on your day-to-day business operations.

What kind of maintenance is required for a raised floor in a retail store?

A raised floor made of porcelain stoneware is particularly well-suited for high-traffic environments. In addition to providing a distinctive design, which serves as a true “calling card” for the store, it offers an exceptionally robust, hygienic surface that is easy to clean on a daily basis, ensuring an impeccable appearance over time. From a technical standpoint, aside from a regular annual inspection (to check for any dust accumulation in the underfloor cavity or potential issues with the subfloor), it requires no special care; this significantly reduces the need for extraordinary maintenance and lowers the long-term cost of the flooring.

How does a raised floor integrate with a store’s utility systems?

The cavity beneath the floor surface can easily accommodate all the networks required for a retail business—from cables for computers and cash registers to HVAC, fire protection, and plumbing systems. A raised technical floor makes the space underneath accessible at any time for maintenance, while also offering a fully reconfigurable layout: you can adapt and update your store’s configuration to suit changing display needs, without ever requiring construction work or demolition.

What happens to a porcelain stoneware raised floor in a retail space in the event of water leaks or flooding?

Our IT 2.6 stoneware-on-stoneware system is completely inert to liquids. In the event of accidental water-related incidents, or when the surfaces in your store require frequent washing, the use of a porcelain stoneware base helps minimize long, damaging periods of business closure, allowing for a rapid restoration of the premises. Furthermore, because it is entirely non-absorbent, it serves as an ideal solution for creating technical flooring that resists rising damp, making it perfect for the renovation of ground-floor retail spaces.

Do your systems comply with the CAM criteria for public procurement?

Absolutely. All Imola Tecnica flooring systems come with original certifications and documentation attesting to their high percentage of recycled material. They fully comply with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM)—mandatory for Green Public Procurement (GPP) in Italy—and contribute toward earning credits for LEED and BREEAM sustainability protocols.

What are the main advantages of a raised floor?

Choosing a technical porcelain stoneware floor offers technical and operational benefits that revolutionize space management:

Immediate inspection: the removal of individual modules allows access to the system networks at any time without construction work;
Layout flexibility: dry operation greatly simplifies the redistribution of spaces, proving to be one of the major advantages of raised floors during complex redevelopment projects;
Acoustic comfort: the high mass and density of the ceramic material dampens vibrations, reducing the noise of footsteps and systems;
Optimized management: entrusting the design and installation of raised floors to a single general contractor eliminates buck-passing, providing the client with a turnkey floating floor within a defined timeframe.

Can raised floors be built on sloping surfaces?

Absolutely. Micrometric calibration of the support heads allows for level adjustments. This versatility of stoneware floating floors allows designers to absorb existing slopes in existing floors, making it easy to install a raised floor with low levels even in complex structural situations.

Can the raised floor be used in humid environments such as bathrooms and/or kitchens?

Yes, installation in environments with a high risk of spills presents no problem for a porcelain stoneware raised floor . The sintered substrate is completely non-absorbent. For installation in bathrooms or industrial kitchens, we recommend the sealed-joint floating floor version : the intersecting joints are filled with waterproof silicone grout, blocking leaks at the root.

Can a raised floor be heated?

Certainly, modular panel radiant systems are foreseen, which are placed under the surface layer of the heated floating floor , to form a second plenum in which the low-temperature radiant system is set up.

How high can I install a raised floor?

Floating floors can be installed up to 1.5 m high, using accessories to stabilize the system.

Can a raised floor be used in a renovation?

Absolutely. Raised floors for renovations allow for work on existing floors, thanks to their easy installation without mortar or adhesives, reducing the impact of the renovation on existing spaces. This versatility allows designers to:

install a raised floor with low levels , resolving the structural constraints of the old attics;
preserve the historic flooring with a technical flooring , laying the new modules directly on the quality surfaces without scratching them;
exploit a low-thickness raised floor to conceal modern distribution networks while complying with the Superintendencies’ constraints.

How do floating stoneware floors behave in the face of fire?

The raised floor in porcelain stoneware is classified according to the UNI 13501-1 and 13501-2 standards, and the Bfl-S1 and REI 30 classifications can be obtained respectively.

What type of maintenance is required for a raised floor?

Aside from a regular annual inspection, which monitors only for dust accumulation or the emergence of problems with the screed, the floor requires no special maintenance. This radical lack of special interventions significantly reduces the cost of the technical flooring in the long run.

How does the raised floor integrate with the systems?

All networks can be easily routed within the cavity created by the supports: structured data cables, fire protection, electrical panels, or plumbing. Choosing a raised technical floor allows for the quick removal of each panel using special professional suction cups. This feature makes the space accessible for inspection at any time, preserving the stability of the raised technical floor and allowing for layout updates without the need for construction or demolition.

Can the same material be used for the raised floor both inside and outside the building?

Yes, breaking down the aesthetic boundaries of the building envelope is one of the most significant benefits of porcelain stoneware.Outdoor ceramic raised floorsare resistant to rot and freeze-thaw cycles, preserving their primary structure intact. This feature allows architects and designers to extend thefinishes of indoor raised floorsto outdoor spaces such as terraces or rooftops, maintaining a rigorous material and functional alignment.

Is a raised floor with stoneware supports noisier when walked on than one with chipboard or calcium sulphate supports?

No, the perception that ceramic is inferior in acoustics is a false myth debunked by technical data. Evaluating the impact noise of raised floors with stoneware supports , the sound insulation values are aligned with those of sulphate systems. The high mass and density of the sintered support (approximately 2,200 kg/m³) effectively dampen vibrations. The numbers confirm the parity of performance, ensuring high acoustic comfort even for technical floors in executive offices or open-plan spaces.

What is the minimum thickness required to install a floating floor?

The minimum thickness achievable with our IT2.6 porcelain-on-porcelain raised floor system is 5 cm. This consists of a 26 mm thick raised floor panel combined with a 2.5 cm metal support structure.
One of the key advantages of such compact raised floors is the ability to create a perfect interior raised floor even when the available floor-to-floor height is very limited. This low-profile raised floor, ideal for renovations and retrofits, is the perfect solution for those who want to install a thin raised floor without sacrificing the aesthetic and performance benefits of porcelain stoneware.

What happens to a porcelain stoneware raised floor in the event of water leaks or flooding?

Unlike chipboard or calcium sulfate panels, which are irreversibly damaged, our IT2.6 system is completely inert to liquids. In the event of accidental water damage, the use of a porcelain stoneware underlay guarantees total non-absorbency. This prevents the burdensome disposal and costly replacement of the raised floor, allowing for immediate restoration of the premises. Thanks to these characteristics, it represents the ideal solution for creating technical floors resistant to rising damp for ground floor renovations.

What is the load-bearing capacity of a raised floor with safes and heavy furniture?

These are “normal” applications in most cases, as they almost always involve furniture and partition walls. For particularly demanding requirements, to ensure a high load-bearing capacity for the raised floor, it is possible to reinforce both the panels and the structure, while maintaining the absolute stability of the raised technical floor.

Do raised floors made of porcelain stoneware comply with CAM (Minimum Environmental Criteria) standards?

Absolutely. The inherently inorganic and eco-sustainable nature of ceramic material ensures, by default, compliance with the requirements set out in the IT2.6 standard. Having a raised floor that is inherently CAM-compliant is a decisive strategic asset: it simplifies and accelerates the validation process for construction companies, providing a raised floor that meets the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) and facilitates approval by the project management team during public procurement tenders.

How does the cost of a raised access floor vary depending on whether the core material is chipboard, calcium sulphate, or porcelain stoneware?

A raised floor with a wood-based (chipboard) core is the most economical solution, while one with a calcium sulphate core is the most expensive. As for panels with a porcelain stoneware core, we at Imola Tecnica, by directly overseeing the entire production chain, are able to offer highly competitive pricing for the complete, finished system. Furthermore, choosing the IT2.6 stoneware-on-stoneware system significantly reduces future maintenance costs associated with material degradation, ensuring an excellent long-term return on investment for General Contractors.

Can the raised floor be used in seismic areas?

Yes, there are supporting structures that are suitable for raised floors to be installed in seismic areas.

How is the raised floor integrated with the systems?

All types of systems required (electrical, data, fire, hydraulic) can be installed inside the gap created above the floor. The modularity of the floor allows it to be inspected at any time and maintenance can be performed with no building works.

What kind of maintenance is required for the raised floor?

Besides a regular inspection on an annual basis, which only monitors the possible accumulation of dust or the onset of problems in the screed, the floor does not require special attention.

What kind of fire behaviour does the raised floor have?

The raised floor is classified according to standard UNI 13501-1 and 13501-2, and classifications obtained are Bfl-S1 and REI 30.

Can the raised floor be used in a renovation project?

Certainly.
The raised system allows you to operate on existing flooring, thanks to the simple installation without mortar and adhesives, allowing you to reduce the restructuring impact on existing areas.

Is the raised floor walkable?

There are specific flooring systems that allow vehicles to transit, thanks to reinforced structures.

Up to what height can a raised floor be?

Floorings can be installed up to 2 metres in height, using accessories to stabilise the system.

Can the raised floor be heated?

Certainly.
There are radiant systems with modular panels, which are placed under the surface layer, to constitute a second plenum where the low temperature radiant system is set.

Can the raised floor be used in environments such as bathrooms and/or kitchens?

It is possible to install the raised floor even in environments where the probability of falling liquids is greater, such as bathrooms and kitchens. In this case, the “sealed” joint version must be used, in which the joints between the panels are grouted with silicone fillers.

How does the raised floor behave under significant loads, such as furniture, safes, glass supporting walls, etc.

These are “normal” applications in most cases, since furniture and partitions are almost always expected. When faced with particularly demanding requirements, it is possible to reinforce both the panels and the structure to fulfil such specific cases.

Can inclined surfaces be created with the raised floor?

Inclined surfaces are possible by using specific supports and any accessories to stabilise the structure. This is applicable to obtain inclined surfaces on flat screeds, and vice versa.

Can mobile walls be installed on the raised floor?

The raised floor can support the walls commonly used to separate the environments, where it is installed in.

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