The Key To Protecting Floors Is Proper Matting

This article was originally published in Contracting Profits.

The single most important preventative measure a BSC can employ in a facility to keep floors in tip-top shape during the harsh winter months is a high-performance matting system.

Matting systems help stop contaminants at the door by trapping soil, including ice melt, sand and moisture, before it can be tracked in. The wells in these systems capture and hold soil and water for easy and convenient removal later on.

Matting should be present in a good floor care system long before the wind blows and the snow falls.

It's important to upgrade matting, replacing worn mats or those with curled edges and putting in extra matting in locations known to receive a lot of rain or snow during the winter. Manufacturers typically recommend that matting cover a span of about three paces, both outside and inside the entrance, for a total of 15 feet of matting.

A heavier, scraper and moisture-removing type mat allows moisture to run off and soil to settle in for the outside of the building, and a finer type of matting that collects moisture and smaller particles of soil for the inside.

A common mistake is putting an olefin-type mat in the entryway, which is great for drying feet but doesn’t do much to scrape off sand or ice melt or to collect water coming in. BSCs should also switch out mats periodically during the day.

Check back next week to learn how to maintain floors by increasing cleaning frequency. 

Developing A Winter Floor Care Program

This article was originally published in Contracting Profits. 

On a blustery January day, a building service contractor, responsible for upkeep and maintenance at an office building in northern Wisconsin, spends hours shoveling and blowing snow away from building entrances. After clearing the snow, the BSC notices patches of ice and compacted snow remain in spots and decides an ice melt will be needed to mitigate the risks of slips-and-falls.

The problem with these products, however, is that although they remove the ice and snow hazard, they also pose a hazard to facility floors if they are tracked in.

So, what’s a BSC to do? The answer lies in developing a winter floor care program with damage prevention at its core.

The elements of a preventative winter floor care program include entrance matting inside and out, increased frequencies for dust mopping and damp mopping, and regular use of floor neutralizers to remove build-up as it occurs.

Check back next week to learn how to protect floors. 

Best Practices for VCT Tile

How do you brighten dull and stained VCT tile?

Brightening stained tiles is usually accomplished through use of specific chemicals. For example, there are special spray buff products designed to be used with floor machines that can help bring back shine or remove stains from VCT tile. In addition to the chemical angle you can also use autoscrubbers that can remove embedded dirt and discoloration by removing the top layers of finish from your floor.

Typically the dullness and staining is embedded only in the top layers so by removing these dirty layers of finish you can apply a two to three new coats and return your floor to a much better appearance. In cases where the stain has penetrated deep in to the floor finish a chemical strip out may be required.

Vacuuming During Day Cleaning

This article was originally published by Contracting Profits

If I want to use a vacuum for day cleaning: How quiet does it need to be?
In this article, industry manufacturers answer common questions asked by building service contractors.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification requires that a vacuum be under 70 dBA in order to qualify for the IEQ credit. This should be sufficient for most schools and hospitals. In facilities where peace and quiet are critical, a vacuum with two modes can be used, a power mode for after hours cleaning, and a quiet mode that runs at just 51 dBA for daytime. A normal conversation is around 67 dBA, so these vacuums are practically invisible to building occupants.
— Jacalyn High, director of marketing, ProTeam, Boise, Idaho

At minimum, day cleaning operations require quiet, commercial-strength vacuums that operate below 70 decibels, so staff can clean day and night with less impact on the workers around them.

— David Parkes, general manager, Sanitaire, Charlotte, N.C.

This is dependent on the facility that is being cleaned. Every facility that goes to day cleaning wants a lower sound level, which all manufacturers are striving to achieve. The challenge is the trade off, since reducing sound levels also reduces cleaning effectiveness of the vacuum cleaner; in most cases, small motors and reduced air flow are required to achieve needed sound levels for day cleaning.

— Brad Nyholm, product manager: commercial/dealer for Hoover/Royal Brands, TTI Floorcare North America, Glenwillow, Ohio

Learn about Clarke carpet vacuum cleaning solutions at: http://www.clarkeus.com/products/carpetvacuums.aspx