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Hard Surface Flooring

Selection and care depend on the characteristics of a material, as well as traffic patterns in the facility.

By Stanley Quentin Hulin

Floors consist of up to five elements: the foundation, the subfloor, the underlayment, the floor covering, and the wear surface. Although each component contributes to an effective flooring system, it is the covering and the surface that are visible and directly exposed to the effects of soil, dirt, and grit.

Floor coverings are divided into seven major categories based on common characteristics and properties. Categories include carpet and six hard floor covering types—concrete, clay, stone, wood, specialty, and resilient.

Floor Covering Options

Traditionally, concrete floor coverings have been used as functional floor surfaces in industrial environments. Recent innovations in the traditional methods of concrete maintenance, however, have led to increased use in retail, grocery, and other types of facilities. These innovations range from better, faster drying aqueous sealers with lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to decorative acid stains (increasingly popular in retail) to diamond abrasives, which are relatively new and making headway in the industry. This technology, usually associated with stone maintenance, can deliver harder and denser polished concrete surfaces with higher reflectivity, without the use of sealers.

Floor coverings made from clay materials and fired at high temperatures have properties suited for different environments. Ceramic tile is a sound choice for rest rooms, because it is highly resistant to moisture penetration. Quarry tile and pavers have strong slip-resistant characteristics that make them ideal for kitchen areas. New advances in porcelain make it a suitable selection for high traffic areas such as malls.

The sheer elegance of stone, combined with its durability, makes it well suited for entryways of commercial “Class A” facilities, hotels, museums, and government buildings. Stone classifications are granite, limestone, serpentine, marble, travertine, quartzite, slate, and sandstone. Each has its own distinct properties, which should be considered when selecting natural stone flooring.

Terrazzo and agglomerates, which are 70% or more natural stone (granite or marble usually) embedded in a cementitious or resinous binder, can be good for use in high traffic areas, such as schools and transportation facilities.

Wood flooring (solid or engineered) is extremely attractive. However, it is important to keep in mind that wood flooring has problems with water and abrasion sensitivity. Wood is a relatively soft material compared to other coverings. Installation and maintenance demand a definite skill set more finely tuned than required for other flooring.

Specialty floor coverings are composed of products found in other categories. They are made of special materials and demand special maintenance procedures. These floors combat specific situations, and a thorough understanding of their purpose is necessary before placement.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) flooring, which protects against the effects of electrostatic damage, is often found in high tech electronic and communications facilities.

Safety flooring usually has texture or an additive to make it more slip-resistant. Other specialty classifications include raised flooring, metal, glass, and recycled materials.

The resilient floor covering classifications include, but are not limited to: linoleum, cork, rubber, sheet vinyl (inlaid, heterogeneous, and homogeneous), solid vinyl, vinyl composition tile (VCT), vinyl asbestos tile (VAT), asphalt tile, and polymeric-poured seamless. Resilient flooring is found in almost every environment, including health care, school, and retail. Although each of these classifications is in the same category, special care is required, as some are water and/or abrasion sensitive. Damage can occur from improper maintenance methods. [For more on resilient flooring maintenance, see “Green Solutions,” January 2006.]

Maintenance Assessments

When assessing maintenance needs, there are factors that should be evaluated beyond flooring identification and square footage. Objectives regarding the overall environment, degree of congestion, and amount of access time are essential in choosing the best program.

Expectations for cleanliness, appearance, and safety impact maintenance costs. Clearly defining these objectives helps ensure goals are met.

The environment of the facility or area includes the types of soils that will be present, while traffic conditions dictate how soil will move throughout the building. Understanding the environment helps in selecting cleaning systems and service procedures required. Determining traffic conditions helps establish service frequency.

Congestion also plays a major role in the time required to perform service. Physical congestion represents the number of objects that may impede performing maintenance and cleaning services if they are not removed.

Area congestion is a measure of how the area is divided and impacts the time needed to perform services. For example, a 2,500 square foot open area takes far less time than several offices in the same size area.

Personnel congestion is an issue with facilities that are open constantly. While objects and people can be temporarily relocated, this increases potential liability.

Elements that take up small or large blocks of time may restrict when or how a job is accomplished. Limited access to a building and the amount of time allowed in it can hamper services. Moving from one place to another in a large facility is also time consuming.

Although daily and routine maintenance may be performed by janitorial service companies, it is important to seek hard floor maintenance professionals who specialize in periodic and restorative maintenance of many floor covering categories. If the technician’s skill level is lacking, there is a good chance of failure and even liability. The budget should be able to support required maintenance and cleaning procedures.

Understanding floor covering categories and characteristics, along with basic maintenance procedures can help facility managers make better flooring selection, installation, and maintenance decisions.

Hulin has been in the hard floor maintenance industry since 1975, providing services, management, and sales/marketing expertise, as well as maintenance seminars in the U.S. and abroad. He is technical advisor for the Commercial Division of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification.

How do your hard flooring surfaces affect maintenance practices? Share your successes and challenges by sending an e-mail to avazquez@groupc.com.

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