contractor success The Other Side Of Concrete Flooring concrete floor that is easier to maintain,” notes Travis Daniel, concrete specialist in Amano Pioneer Eclipse Corporationʼs PowerStar division. This flooring type is becoming more popular, are you ready to cement profits? By: Richard DiPaolo A Works Of Art Modern-day concrete flooring that is found in common areas is a popular choice today and a primary reason is because of its attractiveness. “People used to view concrete floors as old, dull, gray floors. However, with the onslaught of concrete polishing and the development of concrete dyes, [facilities are] able to do so much more to make [these surfaces] attractive,” notes Chuck Hommey, marketing director for Equipment Development Company Inc. According to www.concretenetwork.com, concrete floors offer a range unlike any other material, “Whether itʼs acid-stained, painted, overlays, microtoppings, radiant floors or a unique personal floor.” For cleaning professionals, these floors offer ease of maintenance. “Because of all the new stains and dyes that can be added, [cleaners] understand that now you can have a beautiful, colorful Photos courtesy of Equipment Development Company Inc. As time passes, new trends emerge. Some trends emerge from the abyss — once hardly recognized, but now vogue and hip. And, so goes concrete flooring. Concrete floors were once thought of as dingy, dirty, unsightly, dull and ware-house-ish. However, upscale restaurants, retail stores, residential establishments, offices and other commercial buildings are now making this type of floor the one of choice and these facilities are impressing — yes, impressing — customers and occupants with polished concrete flooring. And, as facilities look to install, beautify or restore concrete flooring, profits exist for building service contractors (BSCs). Your Services Are Solid Of the experts we spoke with for this arti-cle, they all agreed that no specialized training or equipment is needed to clean concrete flooring. “For the most part, concrete is very easy to maintain,” asserts Rob Godlewski, vice president of marketing for Powr-Flite. “In [some] settings, it may need to just be swept and mopped on a regular basis. [This] will provide years of durability at min-imal care.” In fact, there may be less maintenance required with concrete flooring, such as resealing “once every couple of years,” remarks Hommey. Compare this to some other floor types that may need a new protective coating at least once per year. So, “youʼre not only [saving] on daily cleaning, but also on the annual mainte-nance of stripping and recoating,” concurs Daniel. Restoring concrete floors is an opportunity for BSCs to profit. 36 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2009
CMM – Archives Aug 2009: 36
