CM/Spotlight: Hard Floor Care Cover Story Concrete Floors Concrete is a low-maintenance floor covering that, with regular maintenance, will shine for years. Spotlight Table Of Contents 14 Seeing Green In Concrete Floors Concrete is a low-maintenance floor covering that, with regular maintenance, will shine for years. Seeing Green In By: Matthew Perry 18 Be Proactive In Slip And Fall Prevention The ANSI B101.1 Standard can be an invaluable tool in impeding slip and fall incidents. 22 Microfiber: A True Wonder Fiber There are endless benefits to incorporating microfiber into your hard floor care regimen. 28 Improving Indoor Air With Hard Floor Care The right equipment can contribute to improved air quality in your facility. Mathew Perry is the product marketing manager for Powr-Flite/CFR, leading manufacturers of professional cleaning equip-ment. He may be reached at [email protected]. A for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Floor Care . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Polishing . At the 2009 ISSA/INTERCLEAN ® North America Trade Show in Chicago, William R. Griffin, one of the industryʼs leading cleaning consultants, said that the floor care industry is in for some big changes — in fact, many have occurred already. Among those mentioned was that fewer facili-ties are demanding a “wet-look” shine on their floors due to both economic and environmental reasons. Griffin noted that the types of floors installed are changing as well. Although there still will be plenty of vinyl compo-sition tile (VCT) floors in commercial facilities — along with different types of stone — many facili-ties are opting for concrete or what is often termed polished or “decorative concrete” floor coverings — polished or decorative concrete that has been finished, painted, stained, textured or had color particles added. Before exploring the use and maintenance of concrete floors, we should have an understanding of what they are. Concrete is typically made up of cement, aggre-gate — sand, gravel, crushed stones — and water. The combination of materials used to make con-crete can vary depending on where it is used and its application. Traditionally, a basic type of concrete has been used as the subfloor under finished flooring; how-ever, in more and more settings, concrete is the finished flooring. It has long been the flooring in industrial-type facilities, but it is possible that its installation in “big-box” stores has increased its acceptance and pace of installation elsewhere. The reasons for this, which go far beyond it being a new fashion in commercial facilities, include that concrete flooring is: 14 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2010
CMM – Archives Apr 2010: 14
