by Kevin McNulty — As environmental initiatives become the rule rather than the exception, facility engineers and managers need to be familiar with strategies that promote sustainability, as well as control costs. When it comes to areas such as floor care, the products used need to work just as well as, if not better than, traditional products to maintain the appearance and cleanliness of the facility.
A floor care system in use. Photo courtesy of 3M
Manufacturers are rapidly advancing their products to meet the needs of the Green movement. Sustainable floor care programs are becoming more commonplace, and the trend is only expected to grow over the coming years. Therefore, it’s important for facility owners and maintenance professionals to make sure they understand the environmental and cost benefits of sustainable floor care systems to see how going Green can also make their operations “more lean”.
The first step in developing an environmentally preferable floor care program is to consider the chemical composition of the products to be used. Some chemicals are a necessary component of floor finishes, but traditional components can be removed without reducing performance. One example: traditional metal-interlok acrylic floor finishes contain zinc. Zinc is considered a heavy metal which some environmental certification standards consider undesirable. Unfortunately up until now, the “zinc-free” acrylic floor finishes on the market required customers to accept lower performance. Fortunately today facility managers can select a floor protection product that does not contain heavy metals. A second example is to look for floor care products that have low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulations to limit contributing to poor indoor air quality. Products should meet 2010 California Air Resource Board standards for superior indoor air quality.
Another element of sustainable floor care programs is considering ongoing floor maintenance procedures for maximum environmental and cost benefits. One of the best ways to reduce costs and chemical use is to employ an ultra durable floor finish, such as the Scotchgard Ultra Durable Floor Finish System. This category of floor finishes eliminates interim maintenance steps, including burnishing, top scrubbing, recoating and stripping. Eliminating these maintenance processes significantly reduces the use of cleaning chemicals, water and energy. The time savings allows the maintenance staff to focus on higher value facility maintenance needs. Ultra durable floor finishes can reduce hard floor maintenance costs by up to 50 percent when compared to traditional acrylic floor finishes.
Floor care products from 3M. Photo courtesy of 3M
A second example of a sustainable floor care procedure change that saves money and time, and promotes greater worker safety, is to consider using a surface preparation pad rather than stripping chemicals to prepare vinyl, tile, marble, terrazzo or concrete floors for recoating. The stripping process uses some of the strongest chemicals in floor care. It may leave the floor very slippery, which can be dangerous for workers and occupants. In contrast, surface preparation pads can be used with neutral cleaner or water and effectively remove floor finishes without chemicals, requiring fewer rinsing steps and leaving a clean surface ready for re-coating. Surface preparation pads can reduce costs by up to 80 percent.
Diamond coated floor pads can be used on stone floors like marble, terrazzo and polished concrete. These floor pads can be a cost effective way to maintain the surface shine without the use of floor finish. However, if shine and stain resistance are important, newly introduced floor protectors can be used in conjunction with diamond coated floor pads. This will give the floors both the shine and protection needed. Both diamond coated floor pads and surface preparation pads help reduce chemical usage in addition to material costs, positively impacting the bottom line as well as the environment.
Environmentally preferable floor care programs can help facilities operate more efficiently, optimize chemical and product usage, and reduce labor and maintenance costs. While some sustainable products do require a higher up-front investment, they deliver significant savings in material and labor costs over time versus traditional products. Think of it like switching from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs: fluorescent bulbs cost a bit more up front, but they pay for themselves in the long term because they last longer and use less energy. In the same way, switching from traditional floor care techniques that require frequent maintenance to sustainable floor care solutions that reduce maintenance will not only help your facility go Green, it will also leave your budget “more lean”. FEJ
Kevin McNulty is the business development manager for hard floor systems for 3M’s Building and Commercial Services Division. For more information, visit www.3m.com/floorfinish or reach him at klmcnulty1@mmm.com.