Making the Grade
Published: 13 January, 2011
Studies show that up to 65 per cent of floor maintenance costs can be saved. So how can you keep your floors clean? And what can be done to get the maximum lifespan out of your flooring?
It isn’t uncommon for managers to choose to install new flooring rather than looking after what’s already there. And the statistics are shocking - 583,000 tonnes of flooring material is disposed of every year. Ninety per cent of that goes to landfill - where it can take over 1,000 years to degrade - and eight per cent is incinerated. Only two per cent is recycled. Installing the right flooring is a huge investment but by keeping it in good condition you can make your money go further while lowering your centre’s carbon footprint.
Martin Hayhurst is operations director at PHS Treadsmart. “The longer floors are left the more expensive they are to repair,” he says. “A maintenance programme should be put in place as soon as the floor is installed to maximise the lifetime value. The longer the floor is left, the harder and more expensive it is to restore.”
He recommends that 3 per cent of the installation cost should go back into maintenance. “It’s a relatively small price to pay to maintain that protection barrier,” he says. “If there’s damage we have to sand down the top layers and then re-seal – it’s major surgery.”
But Richard Harrison, operations manager at PHS Interclean warns that cleaning your floors in the wrong way can do more harm than good. He gave an example. “We were once called to a 33-level building in Canary Warf. The cleaning lady had started using toilet cleaner on the floors and before long the flooring in the entire building was ruined and had to be replaced.”
Using the wrong cleaning products can also cause slip hazards. Harrison explains that it’s a fallacy that glossy, shiny floors are slippery and if they are it’s usually because residue from cleaning products has been left on the surface.
A government study found that 70 per cent of the dirt in a building is bought in on people’s shoes. Barrier or entrance matting is one of the most effective ways to keep dirt at bay and protect internal flooring.
Caroline Davies, barrier matting product manager for Gradus says: “Matting can reduce the amount of dirt and moisture carried into a building on footwear, pushchairs and shopping trolleys by up to 90 per cent. This protects adjoining floorcoverings to prolong their lifecycle and maintain the appearance of the rest of the retail environment.
“A well-specified matting system will also enhance the appearance of a centre’s entrance, creating a clean, smart and welcoming first impression.”
Caroline Morris, managing director at Matwell Services agrees, adding: “A clean entrance speaks volumes and shows that management cares about the building and customer experience.”
Slips and trips account for more than a third of all major injuries in commercial buildings and barrier matting can help to reduce the risk of an accident occurring, preventing injuries, compensation claims and damage to a centre’s reputation.
Not specifying enough matting is a common error and HSL guidance recommends different amounts of matting for different volumes of footfall. A risk assessment can be carried out to determine how much entrance matting should be installed, depending on the location of the entrance and the volume and type of traffic.
“It’s also important to consider the centre’s external environment and whether the entrance runs directly from a car park or whether there is a canopy outside,” says Davies. “It’s also worth noting whether there is an over-door heater, which can effect how long the flooring stays wet.”
Guidelines are available from HSL and the HSE to help ensure the right amount of matting is installed and that it does not impede access, as required by The Building Regulations 2000, ‘Access to and Use of Buildings’.
Davies recommends that three to four meters of barrier matting should be adequate in a shopping centre that welcomes around 80 people per hour. If there are 400 plus people entering the building per hour, the matting should increase to six to seven metres and an even busier centre with 800 visitors per hour should have eight to 10 metres of matting installed.
“Ideally there should be three stages of matting - two rows of barrier matting, one set internally and one externally, with dust mats beyond them before people step on the polished floors,” says Lynn Vanes, managing director at Syncros.
Davies warns that throwdown mats – those that aren’t fixed into wells in the ground - should be avoided because although they are sometimes used as a temporary solution, particularly in bad weather, they can move or curl and become a trip hazard.
To ensure that entrance matting is performing as it should, having it cleaned regularly is vital.
“People think they can put matting in and leave it but barrier matting is designed to be the dirtiest part of the building so if it’s not cleaned it will actually make the floors dirtier,” says Harrison.
“Entrance matting should be regularly vacuumed with a cleaner with a beater bar and should also be periodically deep cleaned to remove staining and bacteria,” advises Davies.
Specialist equipment is needed to extract dirt and chewing gum. Matador is a specialist cleaning head patented by Matwell Services. According to Morris it’s the only cleaning product of its type in the UK, providing very powerful water extraction without spray meaning that the mats can be cleaned in-situ without having to take them outside.
“Matting has the hard job of protecting the floors and it’s often overlooked. We found that a lot of people will turn a blind eye and get matting replaced every few years,” she says. “So we’re on an educational mission to get people to look after their floors and their investment. We advise people to get the mats cleaned quarterly and budget for it – it’s a culture change.
“Matting can cost as much as £60,000 so centre management has to think about aftercare to ensure that money is well spent and the matting lasts as long as possible.”
Stone flooring is expensive but it has the wow factor and because it is hardwearing it can be easier to maintain than other types of floors.
Gary Williams is director of stonemason’s Szerelmey which has installed floors into One New Change, St David’s in Cardiff, Gloucester Quays and Drakes Circus, Plymouth.
“Stone is all about longevity - it’s hardwearing and can take a lot of abuse,” he says. “It’s also a sign of quality and will add to the type of look that will attract a higher level of clientele. Stone flooring will help to attract anchor stores like John Lewis and M&S - it’s a matter of class.
“The type of maintenance needed can vary significantly but a good wash or vacuum will usually do the job,” he continues. “Sealants are a personal choice. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem if the stone is left as it is - you can go into one shopping centre with a coating on the floors and one without and not be able to tell the difference. Some people decide to put chemical coatings in areas like cafes where there is likely to be spillages but sealants need to be maintained and it becomes very complicated.”
Harrison disagrees and points out that even hardwearing stones are porous. He advises sealing stone once a year.
Choosing the most cost-efficient and maintainable flooring isn’t always possible, particularly with budget concerns and the disruption it would cause to established malls. But maintaining the flooring that is already in place and keeping barrier matting functional is the second best thing and helps to keep your interiors clean, leaving customers with a good first impression.
