In the 70s,
one of the most popular
game shows on television was called
“Name That Tune.” After a few bars of
a song were played, contestants competed
to name the tune first.
Although the television show went
out of syndication by 1980, a similar
game continues in the professional
cleaning industry. However, the title
has been changed to “Guess That
Floor.”
So often, cleaning contractors and
technicians are called in to maintain,
clean, or restore a floor at a location
where the property manager/owner has
no definite idea what the floor is or how
it should be maintained. Worse yet, if
questioned, the manager/owner may
even respond, “Does it matter?”
Yes, it does matter. Except for the
most basic of daily or routine maintenance,
such as sweeping, hard surface floor coverings can rarely be treated the
same. The key problem is that the chemicals,
equipment, pads, brushes, and related
tools used to maintain one type of
floor can have a very damaging effect
on another.
Floor Types
When it comes to floors, building service
contractors, along with facility
managers and building owners, need to
know some “floor basics.” This can become
a complex issue because the major
floor types have several subcategories, and it is not uncommon for a floor to be
made up of more than one type of flooring material.
However, serving as a
foundation for identification, the following are the six major
floor types:
Clay/masonry floors: Although
these floors can be found just about anywhere, they are very
common in Southwestern areas of the United States, and more
often in residential settings than commercial. Made of clay and
fired at high temperatures, they include such floor types as
quarry tile, which is very common in food service facilities,
ceramic tile, terra cotta and brick.
Concrete: Once found only in
industrial settings; don’t be surprised to find concrete floors
just about anywhere today,
especially in Green or LEED-certified
facilities. Often referred to as “designer
concrete,” this flooring now
comes in different grades. It may be
dyed or pigmented, or mixed with different
types of materials or aggregates
to give it a stylized look and feel.
Stone floors: Typically the most expensive
type of hard surface floor covering—
and the one category that needs
the most care and employee training—
stone floors are made from natural
sources, such as marble, granite, limestone
and others.
According to the Marble Institute of
America, natural stone can be classified
into two general categories according to
its composition: siliceous stone or calcareous
stone. Knowing the difference is
critical when selecting cleaning products.
Terrazzo and Agglomerate: Some experts
consider these a subcategory of
stone floors because they often include
stone chips. Others consider them concrete
because they are made with cement.
However, because care and
maintenance may vary from either a
stone or concrete floor, they are listed as a separate category.
Hardwood: Made of solid or engineered
wood and once limited to residential
settings, hardwood floors may
be found in just about any type of facility
today. Compared to most other floor
types, hardwood floors can be problematic
for contractors because of its greater
sensitivity to water, abrasives, chemicals,
and other materials.
Included in this category because of
its similar appearance is laminate flooring.
However, laminate floors are typically
made from several materials, such
as resin, wood fiber and Kraft paper
(wood pulp), compacted under pressure
to create the final product.
Resilient floors: This is the most common hardsurface floor type and the one
most cleaning contractors are comfortable
and acquainted with. This category
includes such diverse coverings as VCT
(vinyl composition tile), linoleum, sheet
and composition tile.
Tile has a natural, handcrafted appearance
that is typically easy to clean.
However, subcategories included in this
floor type are rubber, and some poured
or epoxy floors, which are not necessarily
maintained in the same way as other
resilient floors.
Floorcare Apprentice to Specialist
As mentioned earlier, virtually all
floor types can be maintained on a daily
or routine basis in just about the same
way. Common daily vacuuming or dust
mopping, damp mopping, and even polishing
and buffing with the proper pads
or brushes can be used to maintain these
floors.
However, floor identification is
much more critical when more restorative
care is needed, such as mechanical
stripping, burnishing, or scrubbing or
the application of such chemicals as
strippers, finishes, sealants or glosses.
If at all possible, obtain the manufacturer’s
written maintenance recommendations.
This ensures that the floors are
maintained properly and any warranties
will not be voided.
Proper floor identification is what
separates the specialist from the apprentice.
Very often, new cleaning
contractors, as well as some facility
managers, will “try” or suggest different
restorative cleaning systems and
procedures for floors; this can prove to
be a very serious, costly mistake. For both contractors and facility managers
and owners, understanding the different
floor types is the first crucial step
in proper floor care, the development
of a floorcare maintenance program,
and clean and healthy hardsurface
floors.
❑
Rich Parillo
is the Building Service
Contractor Specialist at Pro-Link, a jan-san focused marketing and buying
group. He is a former director of Environmental
Services at a large New
York-area hospital. He then started
and ran the Janitorial division of
OR&L, a large construction, real estate
marketing, and property management
company with offices in
Connecticut and Florida.
