CM/Spotlight: Hard Floor Care WISELY Just because a floor covering looks great newly installed does not mean it will hold up to continued abuse. By: Bill Griffin Choose W Bill Griffin is president of the International Custodial Advisors Network Inc. (ICAN) and owner of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc. ICAN is a non-profit asso-ciation comprised of industry consultants with a wide range of expertise in building management, indoor environmental and service disciplines. This network provides free janitorial and building main-tenance consultation service to the industry through the Cleaning Management Institute (CMI). Comments to Griffin are welcome: (206) 849-0179; WGriffin@ CleaningConsultants.com. for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Hard Floor Care . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Consultation . When it comes to floor care, our list of knowledge has expanded. Many cleaners now realize that the installation of carpet and hard flooring can impact cleaning results, customer satisfaction, liability and profit. One area that is often overlooked that impacts cleaning is floor covering specification. Architects and interior designers are trained to specify a floor covering that is aesthetically pleas-ing and within the budget of the project. In many cases, that’s about all that is considered during the specification phase, which leads to cleaning problems, high costs and unhappy cus-tomers once a property is occupied. Your best source of accurate information regard-ing specification, installation and maintenance is the floor covering manufacturer. Manufacturers have online resources, written materials and a technical support phone line; this is where your research should begin. ■ Porcelain and ceramic tile A solid subfloor is required, and if a shine is desired, a glazed tile should be purchased. Applying a topical finish to most ceramic or clay tile is the wrong way to get a shine and often leads to poor appearance and higher maintenance costs. These are great floors where you have heavy traf-fic, moisture and where regular cleaning is required. They are brittle and will crack or break if hard objects are dropped on them. With most clay tiles, the biggest problem relates to the cleaning of the grout; the tiles are normally cleaned fairly easily. If a cement-based grout is used, a penetrating/ impregnating sealer should be applied following installation. ■ Stone Granite, marble and slate, along with many other common and precious stones, are now being installed as floor covering materials in high-end homes and in all types of commercial buildings. These floors look beautiful and expensive and are low maintenance when properly installed and sealed — and as long as abrasive soils and liquid spills are removed promptly. A hard and stable subfloor is required to prevent cracking. Preventive maintenance is critical, as restoring stone flooring is time-consuming and costly. In most cases, topical coatings should not be applied, although a penetrating sealer should be applied shortly after installation. A floor covering may look spectacular and add to the overall feel of a building, but not keeping maintenance in mind from the onset can add additional work for custodial professionals. 30 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2012
CMM – Archives Apr 2012: 30
