Thorough Control

Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mike Kennedy

Regardless of the type of flooring, a well-organized maintenance regimen will help floors and carpets last.

Buffing with a slow-speed buffer will remove scuff marks and light scratches. For harder-to-remove scuff marks, workers should use a nylon scouring pad, the manual says.

The furniture that presses down onto a floor can leave marks or gashes that shorten the life of a surface. The manual says that schools should use floor guards or casters to protect hard floors from chairs, desks, tables, and other furniture and equipment.

To restore shine to a hard floor, workers should apply floor finishes periodically. Before applying finish, the manual says, floors should be cleaned and dried; applying finish onto a dirty floor will trap the dirt under the finish.

The manual recommends that education institutions use a high-quality floor finish with a high solids content; it can be applied easily and provide good buffing results. “Apply finish to the floor by mopping in one direction to ensure a thin, even coat on the floor,” the guide says.

Workers should never use the same equipment, mops or buckets for applying finish as they have used for removing it. Even small traces of stripper will prevent the new finish from adhering properly. The guide suggests that the cleaning staff use a color-code system to mark its equipment to make sure the right implements are being used.

The CHPS recommends that schools choose more durable finishes to reduce the need for additional buffing, restoring and recoating. It also suggests finishes with non-metal polymer formulas, which can be removed with less hazardous floor strippers.

Kennedy, staff writer, can be reached at mkennedy@asumag.com.

Breathing easily

Focusing its attention on indoor air quality, the Asthma Regional Council of New England has put together a guide to help education institutions choose flooring for school facilities.

The guide, “Health Considerations When Choosing School Flooring,” recommends that administrators look beyond the most commonly selected materials, carpeting and vinyl.

“Carpeting, when not scrupulously maintained, may be associated with health problems,” says the guide. “A number of pollutants that are associated with respiratory illnesses, including dusts, mold and mildew, are captured and can grow in carpets and then get released into the air. Vinyl is also subject to mold and mildew when water pools below it.”

An alternative choice, the council contends, is vinyl composition tufted textile (VCTT). The dense low-tufted textile will gather less dirt than conventional carpet and has a backing that is impermeable to water. It is more thoroughly cleaned by vacuuming than broadloom carpet and retains the broadloom characteristics of noise and glare control, and seating comfort. Still, VCTT can lead to indoor air problems.

“Although VCTT is an improvement over broadloom, it is still carpet,” the guide says. “Its surface will retain some dirt, and when it gets wet (floods, leaks, spills) the surface can harbor mold and mildew within 24 hours.”

The council recommends different flooring for specific areas of a school facility:

• Classrooms: Consider terrazzo, ceramic tile or concrete floors, with washable rugs, mats or cushions as needed for children to sit on.

• Hallways and entries: Use durable non-porous, low-maintenance hard materials, such as terrazzo, ceramic tile and concrete, with textured surfaces, and walkoff mats. Second choice is linoleum with walkoff mats.

• Cafeterias and restrooms: The floor should be durable, waterproof and as non-slip as possible. Textured terrazzo, concrete and ceramic tile are the best choices.

• Kitchens: Either resilient flooring (linoleum, rubber) or hard flooring (terrazzo, concrete or tile). Resilient flooring is easier on the legs if workers will be standing on it for long periods. “With hard flooring, anti-fatigue mats may be needed to reduce the impact of the hardness on employees who stand for long periods,” the guide states.

NOTABLE

1
Number of times a week school maintenance workers should wet mop resilient floors in a facility.

Source: Collaborative for High Performance Schools Best Practices Manual Volume IV-Maintenance & Operations

80
Percentage of soil and debris trapped by a typical walkoff mat at a building entrance.

Source: Carpet & Rug Institute, “Carpet Maintenance Guidelines”