Phenolic Trailer Flooring: A Guide
The flooring of the trailer must be sturdy and powerful enough to support the full load you are likely to put on it. This makes it an essential part of your trailer and needs to be preserved accordingly. For a high quality trailer flooring, ATE recommends Phenolic Birch Plywood Trailer Flooring.
What is Phenolic Trailer Flooring?
Phenolic trailer flooring is a hardwood, Latvian birch plywood covered in a phenolic resin that makes it waterproof and easier to wear.
What are the benefits?
- It has an anti-slip mesh pattern on one side that eliminates the chance of slipping under humid conditions.
- The top side is dark brown and slip resistant and the bottom side is smooth ensuring no dirt is sticking down.
- All four edges are coated with (FSC ® certified) acrylic resin paint, which improves longevity and ensures it is longer lasting.
- The plywood sheets are made to a high standard which makes them resistant to corrosion and moisture.
- The wood coating is phenolic resin, and it is this coating that makes it waterproof.
The flooring is probably the most commonly used part of your trailer at the end of the day, and will see the most wear. Phenolic birch ply flooring may not be the cheapest but the investment is worth it. This is because you will not only have a structurally sound floor, but it will last longer and need not be replaced as often as less expensive floors.
What can I do to ensure my flooring stays in good condition?
- Try to keep your trailer indoors when it is not in use. Phenolic birch ply is a flooring of high quality, but it is still wood. Being left out in the elements also determines how long it lasts. On the other hand, if you have nowhere to store your trailer inside, use rubber matting or a PVC trailer cover to protect the floor is another option.
- Another point to note is that if you need to cut down the phenolic plywood to fit your trailer, at least 2-3 coats must be used to seal the sawn edges again. This is important, as it ensures that the edges of the trailer are properly treated, and the durability improved.
- Keep your trailer in sloping position with the floor. Any water runs off the floor instead of sitting on top by jacking the jockey wheel up. Since the flooring is made of wood the condition is influenced by any amount of sitting water.
At ATE, we have a range of three different sizes of trailer flooring. One of the sizes relates to the width and length of the flooring and the two we stock are 2500mm x 1250mm and 3050mm x 1525mm. The other size relates to the thickness of the trailer floor and the two we stock are 12mm and 18mm.