Athletic Flooring Maintenance
By: Stagestep / Aeson Flooring
If you are responsible for your school's athletic floor, you will need to develop a floor maintenance program. The problem is figuring out what maintenance program is right for you and your school's floor. For each type of flooring system and its use, there are a number of factors that have an impact on procedures, cleaning frequency, equipment and supplies needed.
Maintenance is a four-part process:
* Keeping the floor clean
* Protecting the surface
* Protecting the appearance
* Keeping it safe for participants
You must also consider temperature, humidity, static electricity, and the presence of foreign substances. All of these factors will affect the time and cost spent on this never-ending job.
One miscalculation that people make is not considering the amount of time and expense needed for floor maintenance. First, determine which maintenance factors are most important to your situation. Appearance, cleanliness, non-slip consistency, safety, longevity, and sanitation are not the same thing. Each requires a different approach and commitment. After you evaluate your maintenance parameters (you should write them down), you can then determine what procedures it will take to accomplish your needs.
At this point, it is a good idea to decide if you are going to maintain the flooring yourself or farm it out to professionals. Even if you have determined to do it yourself, get a quote from a professional. You will have a better idea of process, time, and cost. You may reconsider doing it yourself.
Today, surfaces used in specialty movement environments include wood, laminates, vinyl, linoleum, and carpet.
What Is Floor Maintenance and Why Do You Need a Plan?
Most of us have come to the realization that no matter how new and high-tech our car may be, we have to bring it in for scheduled maintenance from time to time. We know that if we don't, sooner or later, we are going to have problems. All of those moving parts and wear and tear will take their toll. It is the scheduled maintenance that keeps things running in the short term and extends the life of the car in the long term.
Your floor is no different than your car. Every floor made by every manufacturer needs a maintenance plan appropriate for the floor, its use(s), and the conditions and circumstances under which it was installed.
It does not matter how much money you spent, or if you have a high-end, specific-use flooring system, you need to initiate a maintenance plan. Many people just assume that since they invested in a floor designed to meet their safety and performance needs, that all they have to do is install it.
Let's get real. Floors are inert. They don't do anything. Things are done to them. Everything that can go wrong with a floor has a cause for every effect. Simply put, there are six reasons to maintain your floor:
* Appearance
* Health
* Performance
* Safety
* Reliability
* Longevity
A sloppy-looking floor makes for an undisciplined environment, and undisciplined is not a message or core value that we want to give to students.
A good maintenance program takes into consideration the health of the people working on it. Bacteria, fungus, mildew, and dirt can impact end users in several ways that all spell trouble.
A well-maintained flooring system contributes to the desired end result of the user. A floor compatible with what you want to do makes for better performance.
The primary reason people invest in flooring is to provide a safe environment. Depriving your floor proper maintenance can jeopardize safety. Taking care of your floor means you won't have to take care of injured end users. Consistency and reliability are the cornerstones of both safety and performance. Controlling the environment and keeping the floor clean and in good repair will ensure a consistent coefficient of friction.
A flooring system is a major investment. Take care of this piece of equipment, and it will take care of you. Floor maintenance is not a huge investment of time and money; however, it is a necessary ingredient to keep everyone working and playing efficiently and safely.
Keeping Your Floor Clean
Things happen. Things happen big time to athletic flooring. First and foremost, you want your floors safe, your students sound, and your investment secure. Before you get fancy, you need to consider creating a floor maintenance schedule. Number one on the agenda is keeping your floor surface clean on a consistent basis.
All floors get dirty. Dust, dirt, sweat, shoe marks, food, soda, and gum are the prime offenders. The more the floor is used, the more it needs to be cleaned. What exactly does "clean" mean?
Cleaning materials and applications created for home use are not appropriate for commercial and professional situations. Specialty floors are subject to much more wear, tear, and environmental punishment. They may need special protective finishes. The desired aesthetics and coefficient of friction are very different from residential floors. To begin, you need a general purpose, mid-range PH (measures acidity and alkalinity) detergerent/degreaser. It cleans without destroying finishes and without leaving any surface residue.
In fact, many cleaners leave a residue on the floor to make it shiny or resistant to dirt. When you use a cleaner that leaves a residue of any kind, you inevitably change the coefficient of friction. In simple terms, if you use the inappropriate cleaning agent, your floor becomes stickier or more slippery after application. If there is one thing you want in a specialty movement floor, it is consistency.
A floor stripper, applied with a floor machine and red pad, usually used in conjunction with floor finishes, is an aggressive and effective way to address dye and scuff marks on large scale. An appropriate finish applied to the floor will help reduce the time, effort and frequency of cleaning. Make sure you follow instructions as to the number of applications, technique of application, drying time and other requirements.
The cleaner you keep your floor, the longer it will last, the better it will look, and the safer on which it is to perform.
This information is courtesy of Stagestep/Aeson Flooring.
