TECHNICAL TERMS
Today many different materials are used in the manufacture of both products, with varying degrees of chemical and wear resistance properties.
RAFTING Rafting is a phenomenon that can occur with sealed new wood block floors, if they have not been properly prepared. It is the movement of a large number of blocks simultaneously, causing a crack to appear in the floor. This can be caused if the blocks are subjected to large changes in moisture content, causing them to shrink excessively, whilst at the same time they are tightly bonded together by means of the seal. Instead of swelling and shrinking individually into existing gaps, the blocks move as a mass causing a large crack to appear.
REACTION COATING A surface coating formed by reaction between two or more chemicals. For example, the film formed by a polyurethane two-pot seal is a ‘reaction coating’, because a chemical reaction takes place when the base and accelerator are mixed together.
RESIN A resin can be either naturally occurring or synthetic and is characterised by being insoluble in water and soluble in a wide range of solvents, for example, white spirit. Naturally occurring resins are adhesive substances obtained from sources such as pine trees. Synthetic resins are made by chemical means. There are many different resins in use in the industry, for example, phenolic and polystyrene resins.
RIVELLING This phenomenon can best be described as severe wrinkling. It normally takes place where seal has been applied too thickly and where the surface
has dried quicker than the body of the seal, causing the surface to wrinkle.
SANDING The removal of old seal, dirt, scrapes and high spots with a special sanding machine. Mainly used on the wood group of floors.
SCARIFYING The removal of grease, oil and impacted dirt from a hard or rough surface for example concrete, using a scrubbing machine fitted with scarifying brushes.
SEAL A floor seal can be described as a permanent or semi- permanent finish which, when applied to a floor, will prevent the entry of dirt and stains, liquids and foreign matter.
SOFTWOOD Softwood is wood which belongs to the order Coniferae, or conifers, which includes for example spruce, Douglas fir and pine. Softwoods are not as resistant to abrasion or impact as hardwoods. They are more suitable for light foot traffic and are frequently protected with a floor covering, such as PVC sheet or carpet.
SOLVENT Any liquid which will dissolve a solid is a solvent for that solid. Although water is a solvent for many materials, by common use the word ‘solvent’ has come to mean liquids other than water. White spirit, for example, is a solvent for many resins. Solvent is normally included in a seal to aid application by enabling the material to be spread easily.
SPOT CLEANING The removal of soil or stains from small areas where the whole area does not need to be cleaned.
TOMORROW’S CONTRACT FLOORS YEARBOOK 2016/17
STAINING The process of applying wood stain to alter a wood floor’s appearance and/or colour.
SUBFLOOR The underneath upon which finished flooring is laid.
SURFACTANT Another term for a surface active ingredient. Generally used with regard to detergents.
SYNTHETIC Artificial or man-made. Not derived immediately from naturally occurring materials.
TUFTING A method through which carpet is manufactured, whereby surface yarns are sewn or punched through the primary backing material.
TURBID Cloudy, not clear.
TWO-POT (TWO-PACK OR TWO-CAN Refers to materials supplied in two separate containers. The contents of one container must be added to the other and the blended material thoroughly mixed before use. The larger container generally contains the base and the smaller contains the accelerator or hardener.
UREA-FORMALDEHYDE A synthetic resin manufactured by heating together two chemicals, urea and formaldehyde. Urea- formaldehyde was widely used in both one-pot and two-pot seals. The seals cured by the action of an acid catalyst, which, in a two-pot seal, is the accelerator, or hardener.
VINYL RESIN A synthetic resin used in the manufacture of many water emulsion paints, floor coverings, etc.
VINYL FLOOR COVERING See PVC (polyvinyl chloride) Floor Coverings
VISCOSITY Viscosity is the resistance of a liquid to flow; the greater the resistance, the higher the viscosity. For example, a thick engine oil has a greater viscosity than thin cycle oil. Viscosity rapidly decreases with increase in temperature.
WAX (A) NATURAL A solid material, chemically related to fats. There is a very wide range of naturally occurring waxes. Examples are beeswax, a soft wax, produced from the sugar of food eaten by bees, formed as a secretion in the bee’s stomach, and carnauba wax, a hard wax produced from the leaves of trees found mainly in Brazil.
(B) SYNTHETIC There is also a very wide range of synthetic waxes. A well known example of a soft wax is paraffin wax, derived from petroleum. Polyethylene is an example of a harder synthetic wax frequently used in both water and solvent based polishes.
WOVEN BACKING Primary or secondary backing for carpet, manufactured in the weaving process.
WOVEN CARPET Carpet produced on a loom. Weaving is a slower and more expensive and labour-intensive method than tufting. Woven carpet can be distinguished by its intricate patterns and bespoke, controlled textures.
YARN A continuous strand of fibres that is used in tufting, weaving and bonding to form carpet and other fabrics.
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