FLOORING
A VINYL WORD ON CLEANING
Paul Rogers, Technical Services Manager at Amtico, discusses the benefits and cleaning considerations of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) floors in commercial buildings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how we use certain spaces and view the cleanliness of environments such as offices or restaurants. It is also likely to have a long- term impact on how we approach the design, function and maintenance of buildings and venues moving forward.
As restrictions are lifted and more people return to work, concerns about infection will remain and there will be an even greater need to reassure individuals of their safety. As a result, one of the biggest challenges facing facilities managers is hygiene. The recent RICS UK Facilities Management Survey (May 2020) reported that services for cleaning are expected to be among the fastest growing areas in the year ahead.
The cleanliness of a floor is imperative. However, the choice of flooring material will significantly impact how cleaning is approached, as well as how often it needs to take place. The British Council for Offices (BCO) recently published its briefing note on office design and operation after COVID-19, and one of the messages focussed on selecting materials and finishes that can be easily cleaned: hard, smooth, and resistant to appropriate cleaning chemicals.
For these reasons, one of the most popular types of commercial flooring is luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). Indeed, this is one of the most versatile and hardwearing products available – presenting a commercially attractive alternative to other flooring materials, especially natural wood, stone, sheet vinyl and laminates.
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To illustrate where LVT gains its residual strength and durability, it’s useful to understand the manufacturing process. High-quality LVT products consist of up to six laminated layers, plus a urethane coating – such as Amtico’s Quantum Guard Elite that makes floors resistant to scuffs and stains. Each layer is created using a blend of PVC, plasticisers and stabilisers, which are exposed to heat and high pressure prior to passing through a series of rollers. This creates a product that is extremely tough and hard- wearing, yet very thin.
It’s worth noting that not all LVT flooring is the same. Products from competing manufacturers may have a similar number of layers, but their density, thickness and composition can be very different indeed. Simply thickening the backing layers, for example, will not improve durability. Instead, it is the depths of the specific ‘performance wear’ layers that are crucial, so specifiers should identify these details in order to effectively compare LVT products. In fact, this can often help define whether a product is suitable for a commercial installation or not.
There is a lot of confusion around cleaning, so it’s important to note that there is a difference between ‘day-to-day’ and ‘deep’ cleaning. With LVT floors, day- to-day maintenance is made easier as they don’t need to be polished; instead, regular sweeping or vacuuming is paired with occasional mopping using a neutral floor cleaner to ensure hassle-free cleaning.
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