Coefficient of Friction, Cleanliness and the ADA

(Copyright article by Chris Johnson) With the adoption of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA), floor products have been produced with very high coefficient of friction (COF) statistics. The ADA requires numbers over .6 for horizontal installations and .8 or greater for inclines (which exist in almost all commercial buildings).

While these new materials are great at grabbing your feet, they are also great at grabbing everything else (ie dirt, grease, etc). As with all regulatory changes, there is unexpected fallout. Cleaning these new materials requires special attention.

We have learned a few things from the two high COF products I carry; GRANIREX - textured (which has the appearance of flamed granite) and VULCANO, a high performance porcelain tile from LATCO.

Old cleaning methods are not enough. In commercial settings, teen-age staff drag dirty wet mops across floors which serve only to rearrange the grease and grime.

What is needed is an abrasive cleaning method (as opposed to passive). We recommend a deck brush (a 4 foot wide coarse brush on a long handle) and a de-greaser in the cleaning solution to help break up hardened grease. Afterward, a clean mop, is needed to pick up the dirt and grease solution and remove it from the floor.

While this process is written into the specs of most commercial food service companies, it is rarely followed by the staff.

I believe that commercial accounts and architectural specifiers should be told the truth, before hand, about high COF products. They all perform like this. With proper cleaning, they offer a remarkable and positive solution to what can be a slippery situation!


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