Page 4 - 2018-02-CFR Volume 113 -The Magic Of Interim Maintenance Procedures - February 2018

Let’s not only speak about carpeted surfaces. Many
commercial buildings have multiple types of flooring
that also need interim services. Vinyl composition
tiles, ceramic and stone, along with luxury vinyl plank
and tile need some level of deeper maintenance
practices.
VCT is a type of flooring that needs a sacrificial layer
of floor finish applied to keep shoes and foot traffic
from damaging the tile surface. This finish is applied
when first installed and usually has to be removed
when the finish has soils imbedded into the upper
layers of finish. Traditionally the restorative service
to this surface was called stripping, which removed
the entire amount of finish or all the layers applied.
The process of stripping is a tedious, messy and la-
bor-intensive task, but makes the floor look fabulous
when completed if done correctly.

The interim procedure here would be called a top February 2018
scrub and recoat. It is also known as a deep scrub
and shower scrub, but always with a recoat proce-
dure to complete the service. Without having to strip
off all the old layers of finish, just the top soiled
coats, a lot of labor can be saved and the finished
look is exactly the same as if it was stripped and re-
coated.
With the newer vinyl products like luxury vinyl plank
and tile, they do not require a finish or sacrificial lay-
er. So in a commercial facility the foot traffic is direct-
ly on the wear layer provided by the factory. The new
wood look vinyl planks have actual grooves to give
the appearance of wood grain. These recessed are-
as are going to be a nightmare to maintain with

4 Commercial Flooring Report