Preparing Floors For Winter Weather
Marengo, IL - Ice, snow, moisture, mud, and ice melts can play havoc on building floors. If facility managers are not prepared, this "havoc" can damage the floors, which can prove costly.
Fortunately, there are several things managers can do to prevent this, according to Rick Vanerkoy, President of Secure Clean, a contract building service company cleaning facilities throughout Illinois. “Doing so not only protects the floors but helps ensure building user safety.
Here are some of his suggestions:
Build up the Floor's Finish
Apply a floor finish. Many managers believe the purpose of a floor finish is to add a shine to the floor. While it will produce a shine, the real purpose of the floor finish is to protect the floor.
Entry Mats
High-quality floor mats should be installed at all building entries. Along with high-quality mats, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the length of the mat is key to its effectiveness. For instance, they report:
· Five feet of matting captures 33 percent of debris entering a facility
· Ten feet of matting captures 52 percent
· Twenty feet captures 86 percent
· Twenty-five feet captures 100 percent
“We recommend that our clients install at least 15 feet to 20 feet of matting at key building entries,” says Vanderkoy. “Another benefit is that it can help reduce cleaning costs.”
Floor Maintenance
With these steps in place, the most effective ways to protect building floors during the winter months is with proper and effective floor maintenance. Vanderkoy suggests the following:
Routine maintenance. The custodial workers should expand their floor cleaning duties during the winter months. Cleaning the lobby floor two or three times during the day, may be necessary.
Interim maintenance. More thorough cleaning calls for auto scrubbers. Just as the name implies, “these machines scrub the floor automatically as they are walked over the floor.” This step removes larger debris and soils that can harm the floor's finish, and with it, the floor below.
Restoration. The process involves stripping all the finish off a floor, rinsing the floor, and then applying three or more thin coats of finish to the floor. “But, if all the steps mentioned have been implemented, we may be able to delay refinishing cycles throughout the winter months.”
Vanderkoy adds this is important for a variety of reasons. Floor care is labor-intensive, costly, not always envirmentally friendly, and can be disruptive to building users.
About Secure Clean
Secure Clean Building Services, Inc., in business since 1974, is one of the leading commercial janitorial companies in the Greater Chicago area. We offer a full range of services for companies including Nissan Forklift, Snap-on Tools, the City of DeKalb, Centegra Health System, KishHealth System, and several local area Banks.
Family owned and operated, we’ve built a solid foundation on cost-effective, high quality and reliable cleaning management. Our services are provided by trusted, accountable employees (not subcontractors) who take pride in bringing a clean environment to both your visitors and employees. We are committed to bringing you top quality service, with peace of mind, to fulfill all your commercial cleaning and maintenance needs.
For more information, visit https://www.securecleanbsi.com or call 888-609-1410.