CM/Spotlight: Floor Care Sponsored by: Emerging Trends In Hard Floor Care Expert reviews the latest in product and flooring technologies. By: Wm R. Griffin H Hard floor cleaning, maintenance and restoration procedures are evolving quickly due to new technology and an increasing awareness of environmental concerns. Building managers, occupants and cus-tomers have higher expectations today than in the past, and demand that hard floors not only shine and be clean, but also be safe and easy to maintain. maintaining buildings, we are seeing changes in cleaning specifications and contract language that indicate it wonʼt be long before manufacturers and insurance companies require cleaning workers and firms to be certified by an independent, third-party organization. From a maintenance standpoint, this means lower costs because frequencies for stripping, burnishing and refinishing can be reduced, and in some locations eliminated, thus reducing floor care costs by up to 50 percent. New Surfaces And Coatings Densified and decorative concrete, semi-permanent urethane and factory-applied mineral coatings are becoming common-place on wood, laminate and laminated vinyl flooring. Along with these new surfaces that require less maintenance, we are seeing less wall-to-wall carpeting and more stone, wood, ceramic and porcelain tile in homes and offices. New Equipment Hits The Floor The tools of the trade are evolving and changing every day. Equipment is being designed for easy, one-button operation, computerized for easy diagnostics and prompting and with modular components for fast repair. There are many cutting-edge and envi-ronmentally-friendly processes and equip-ment on the market today. Diamond impregnated floor pads can pol-Fundamental Changes Manufacturers are providing innovative chemicals, equipment, processes and sur-faces to meet these changing demands. Industry trade associations are establish-ing standards and providing certification and training programs backed up with test-ing, measurement and validation. Due to the risks and liability involved in 20 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2009
CMM – Archives Apr 2009: 20
