|
What requirements are you looking
for in a floor finish to meet your needs? What follows are
various requirements for a floor polish:
Removability: when a finish is
put down on the floor, you want to be able to remove the
finish as it becomes soiled and discolored. An ideal floor
finish is designed with a certain amount of removability in
it. It should be able to withstand multiple scrubbings and
traffic and then you should be able to remove it with a
stripper that is designed for that system.
Slip Resistance: slip
resistance is a measurement of the coefficient of friction.
Almost all floor finishes for resilient tile have a slip
resistance measured on a James Machine of 0.5 to 0.6. The
ideal floor finish slip resistance would be not less than 0.5
and no greater than 0.6, unless it is an unusual situation
where a higher slip resistance is desired. If the slip
resistance is less than 0.5, there will be a tendency to slip
on the floor. If the slip resistance is higher than 0.6 or
0.8, there is a tendency to catch your foot and alter the
working pattern (i.e. you stumble or stub your toe on the
floor).
Durability: when you put a
floor finish on the floor, you want it to be able to withstand
the abuse and not show wear patterns. Ideally, the finish
should not be stripped off more than once a year.
Dry Within 30 Minutes: when you
apply the floor finish to the floor, you want it to dry
relatively fast, usually within 30 minutes. Some floor
finishes are designed to dry in a shorter period of time so
that multiple coats can be put down in less time.
Coverage: most floor finishes
are designed to give approximately 2500 square feet per
gallon, which will reduce your cost and maximize the value of
the product.
Gloss: when a floor finish is
applied, you want the depth achieved by applying multiple
coats. The rich, wet-looking floor is obtainable now from
polythermic floor finishes.
Clean & No Discoloration: in
the “old days” when carnauba finishes were used, they had a
tendency to yellow from sunlight and age. You want a finish
that dries clear and does not yellow with time.
Leveling: when a finish is
applied, you want it to sheet out and leave no marks on the
floor.
Non-Foaming: you want a finish
that is non-foaming. If this characteristic is missing, the
action of moving the mop in the bucket, through the wringer
and in transferring the finish to the floor will create foam
and interfere with proper application.
Buffable, Non-Buffable: there
will be times when you want a product that is buffable so that
you can repair scuffs and scratch marks with your janitorial
equipment. There are other locations, such as patient rooms,
where you want a non-buffable finish that is cost-effective,
dries bright and beautiful and is hard. Non-buffable finishes
are more resistant to scuffs and scratch marks. The trade-off
is the amount of labor and time you spend on a floor.
Administration areas should be buffed to maximize the
appearance.
Freeze-Thaw Stability: you
floor finishes should be designed to pass three freeze-thaw
cycles. When you use the product after a freeze-thaw, be
certain that you stir the liquid so that it will flow freely
with no grain or separation during application.
Recoatability: when you are
applying multiple coats of finish, expect it to be dry and
recoatable within 30 minutes. You want to be able to lay down
another coat of finish without excessive “drag”. When you
recoat, the top coat should interface with the preceding coat
so that they merge together and form one continuous film.
Non-Powdering: High quality
floor finishes today are designed to perform without
powdering. A poor quality, low-cost floor finish will shatter
due to the vibration of people walking on the floor. When
walking onto a carpet from this finish, you will actually see
white footprints from the finish that “powdered” and was
picked up by shoes. This was a problem when we moved into high
speed floor equipment of 1000, 1500, 2000+ RPM’s. The finish
could not take the heat or friction like the new polythermic
films do. The newer polythermic finishes have been designed to
withstand the higher RPM’s of aggressive, high-speed cleaning
equipment and not powder under foot.
 |
CLEANING
ARTICLES |
|
|
ADA Signs
