Your choice of flooring maintenance can have a huge impact on your costs. Making a bad judgment can lead to high ongoing maintenance costs, and costly repair or replacement work.
Many plant managers don’t have any plan for their concrete floor before it becomes a problem, but if you do, there are some very important things that we advice you on how to reduce your floor maintenance costs.
Floors need to be treated like any other piece of equipment and the key to durability depends on routine maintenance and upkeep. Scheduled check, and if necessary preventative maintenance, help to reduce the need for costly repairs.
CLEANING REQUIREMENTS
Cleaning of floors is a big cost from a maintenance point of view, as it is an ongoing necessity throughout the life of your flooring.
While a regular cleaning program is important for ensuring your flooring materials last as long as possible, maintenance requirements depend on the type of flooring you have, due to differing labor, time and equipment costs. Making quality flooring choices can help you cut your cleaning costs and reduce your overall maintenance costs.
VINYL COMPOSITE TILE (VCT)
Vinyl Composite Tile requires daily sweeping and clean to remove dirt and strain. To protect the tile from scuffs, scratches and discoloration they require regular waxing and polishing, to maintain a protective coating.
LUXURY VINYL TILE (LVT)
Luxury Vinyl Tile also requires daily sweeping and cleaning, but unlike VCT it doesn’t need waxing,
PROTECTION AGAINST SOILING
Unnecessary soiling and staining also damage your flooring, reduce its lifespan meaning they need replacing earlier than expected. Your flooring will suffer two main types of soiling: firstly, dirt from outside, and secondly, staining from spillage.
SOILING
Most flooring wear and tear takes place in just 24% of any building, with entryways and corridors being the most heavily used. Without proper protection, wear and tear can damage your flooring and leave your space looking untidy. Where possible, using tiered door systems can protect your flooring from the majority of dirt, dust, rain and snow.
STAINING
Food and drink spills are the most common cause of staining on your flooring and can lead to expensive repair or replacement works which could impact greatly on your maintenance budget. However, many flooring manufacturers offer flooring options with an amount of stain resistance, which will help to protect your flooring and reduce the risk of needing a total replacement.
REPLACEMENT OPTIONS
The choice of flooring depends on you, a few stains here and there can either be a major nightmare or a minor difficulty. If you’ve got carpet, for example, an immovable stain can mean you need to replace the entire flooring. On the other hand, if you have carpet tiles, it’s possible for you to spot-replace stained or damaged tiles – much cheaper and less difficult than laying a whole new carpet!