A floor finish
may have
desirable aesthetic and environmental attributes, but users also
need to consider the application properties for a particular
surface, as well as whether it will be durable for the traffic
conditions of the facility.
Floor finishes are the heart of a care program
for resilient flooring. They place a protective, safe and
attractive coating over the surface of the tile, protecting the
floor, increasing stain and water resistance, and making
cleaning easier. But over time, foot traffic, spills, scuff
marks and soils take their toll on floors, and their appearance
begins to deteriorate.
This is where floor strippers come into play,
removing finishes for a thorough cleaning of the floor surface.
The ideal stripper formulation dissolves and suspends the floor
finish without damaging the floor surface itself.
In addition, with labor
accounting for the lion’s share of a building’s operating costs;
any product characteristics that reduce labor are attractive.
According to Green Seal,
properly formulated floor finishes can save labor time by easing
finish application and reducing the frequency of stripping and
recoating operations.
Environmentally preferable products may require
training of janitorial staff to ensure appropriate application
and consequent performance.
In its “Choose Green Report on Floor-Care
Products,” Green Seal advises that these products are attempting
to avoid many of the harsh chemicals that make other products
work so quickly. As a result, environmentally preferable
floor-care products may require different methods.
A common concern of those responsible for floor
care is the durability and performance of zinc-free floor
finishes. Although zinc-free finishes may have less-toxic
formulations, some users contend that they may be less durable
and thus require more frequent stripping and refinishing. This
could result in increased exposure for floor-maintenance
personnel and introduce more toxins to the environment in the
long run.
Life-cycle analysis (LCA) is used to address the
full environmental and health impacts of this type of scenario.
The goal of LCA is responsible design of
products that does not undermine the environmental and health
goals that manufacturers and users of green products seek to
promote. An industry-sponsored LCA is currently underway that is
evaluating how zinc free and zinc-formulated finishes compare
with regard to overall performance.
Proper floor maintenance will increase the life
of a floor finish and decrease the frequency of stripping and
refinishing. Education of janitorial workers in proper floor
cleaning and maintenance methods can reduce the amount of
floor-care products used over the long term and reduce other
building hazards such as slippery floors.
In some applications, even an environmentally
preferable product may still pose some type of health hazard or
environmental risk. Training workers to handle hazardous
products correctly, to avoid spraying or otherwise contaminating
the air with maintenance products, and to dilute products
correctly can reduce the risk of chemical injury and the amount
of product required for the job.
Proper maintenance procedures
can reduce human and environmental exposure to floor maintenance
products in the following ways:
• Modify
the techniques used by janitorial staff to result in use of
smaller quantities of the product;
• Give consideration to the set-up of floor
maintenance schedules. For example, schedule floor-renewal work
according to wear patterns rather than simply following a
calendar schedule;
• If a stripper is to be diluted, follow the
label directions for proper dilution amounts and procedures;
• Thoroughly rinse the stripped floor to
neutralize the surface prior to applying the new floor finish;
• Wet-mop, dust, and vacuum regularly to
preserve the finish and avoid too-frequent stripping. Place
appropriately sized doormats at entryways to minimize dirt and
grit, taking into account weather and soil conditions;
While great strides have been made in developing
environmentally preferable floor maintenance products, many
compounds and materials may still have a harmful effect on human
health if applied improperly. Green Seal says, “It can’t be
over-emphasized that a floor-maintenance professional must know
the proper use and potential hazards of floorcare products they
are using. This is because even environmentally preferable
floor-care products may harm skin or eyes if not used properly.”
To learn more about the effects of floor
finishes and strippers on human health, refer to Green Seal’s
“Environmental Standard for Floor-Care Products: Finishes and
Compatible Strippers for Industrial and Institutional Purposes
(GS-40).”
Green Seal recommends the
following:
• Always use personal protective equipment
such as
gloves, eye protection, and suitable footwear. Ensure adequate
ventilation when using these products. Some building occupants
may be sensitive to the vapors or residues from floor-care
products. If that is the case, do your stripping and
re-finishing work at night, on weekends, or during holidays.
Also, open windows if possible and use fans to increase the
amount of outside air flowing into the area where you are
working. Take care that these fans don’t make the new floor
finish dry unevenly;
• Floor finish and stripper
products should never be disposed of outdoors. It is illegal to
pour strippers or any other chemicals on the ground, in a
parking lot, or in any other outdoor area;
• Environmentally preferable
floor-maintenance products help protect the environment by
reducing toxics, air and water pollution, and solid waste
(generated by excessive packaging). The use of environmentally
preferable floor-care products also protects human health by
reducing exposure to harmful chemicals.
Organizations in all sectors
are learning that when they use environmentally responsible
products, they can benefit from positive public relations,
productivity gains, and avoidance of adverse health effects. The
evolution of technology in floor care is an ongoing process and
is resulting in many new products that are raising the bar for
green design of floor finishes and strippers.
