Post-construction Cleaning: Specialized floor care improves project delivery

by Katie Daniel | March 5, 2018 3:20 pm

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by Brett Van Beever
Every tenant expects his or her new space to be spotless and perfect on move-in day. Tight construction and tenant turnover deadlines can make these expectations difficult to meet. Whether the project is a renovation or a new build, the appearance of the flooring is often an issue. A professional, post-construction carpet and hard-surface floor cleaning by an experienced floor care specialist can greatly improve the overall look and feel of a space and also helps to deliver a project as the client expects it.

New floors should be free of scratches, nicks, dust, and stains. In an ideal world, a general contractor would plan ahead with a professional flooring and textile maintenance company to perform a post-construction cleaning. Floors would be thoroughly and properly cleaned according to manufacturer recommendations and any construction-related damage repaired, leaving the space ready for client use. Instead, most post-construction cleans are performed by janitorial companies. Professional floor care experts are only called when there is unexpected damage, often just before client turnover.

Keeping floors safe during construction
Construction follows a specific workflow. Carpet and hard-surface flooring are both installed early in the buildout process and are often not adequately protected as the project progresses. Newly installed flooring can take a beating as contractors and trades workers continuously walk through and work in the space. Dust and debris end up on the carpet and flooring along with paint and adhesive, as well as other chemicals and materials, causing unsightly stains.

The heavy demands of the jobsite require reliable protection that will keep floors in new condition, free from residue and accidental destruction. The best choice for protection is melamine board. Durable and reusable, this hard resin material is scratch- and shatter-resistant as well as waterproof to keep floors safe from dropped tools, spills, and debris.

Inappropriate floor protection can exacerbate the situation. Protective sticky-backed plastic runners add to the problem with transference of adhesive to the floor, leaving a residue and attracting dust and dirt. Removing the residual adhesive is difficult and requires the use of solvents, which lower the indoor air quality (IAQ). Another choice, rosin paper, is not durable over the long haul. Both sticky-backed plastic runners and rosin paper puncture easily and tear, allowing dust and liquids to penetrate the surface and adhere to carpet fibers.

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Janitorial services vs. specialized floor care companies
Janitorial companies should be involved in post-construction cleaning. They can quickly and effectively remove construction dust from surfaces, polish glass, and clean up much of the debris. However, they generally focus on highly productive, time-effective methods, employing basic equipment and non-specific cleaning solutions. Given projects never go according to plan, and the time between the end of construction and tenant turnover is short, cleaning mistakes can happen. These can often lead to costly material damage resulting in unexpected costs for patching, repairs, or replacement.

This is when floor care specialists receive an emergency call. They have all the specialized equipment needed to clean both textiles and hard surfaces—including walls—properly. They also have highly trained technicians who know the appropriate chemistries, equipment, and methods to clean according to product specifications. They do more than just clean the floor—they can repair damage, improve the appearance, and safeguard against future mistakes.

Some equipment and cleaning solutions can do more harm than good. For example, spin bonnet machines are detrimental to carpet. The machine works by building up heat and ‘de-twisting’ the carpet fibers. This cleans the tops of the fibers, but does not get deep into the carpet. It can push the soil down and embed it, instead of extracting it. Recently, an expensive llama hair carpet had to be replaced after a janitorial company damaged the fibers with a spin bonnet machine and then saturated the carpet beyond repair with hot water extraction. The janitorial staff did not recognize the carpet as a unique product or know how to properly care for it.

Hot water extraction should be avoided in post-construction cleanups. The hot water can mix with drywall dust and form cement-like debris, which clings to the carpet fibers.

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Choosing the right tools
Using the correct equipment is critical for proper cleaning. A flooring specialist has advanced carpet cleaning equipment—it lifts the pile and scrubs all sides of the fiber with a counter-rotating brush instead of brushes spinning on top of the carpet and removing only the top layer of dirt. Floating cleaning heads gently agitate carpet fibers to safely break up and remove the stubborn soils while improving the overall appearance. Other specialized equipment can go beyond deep cleaning and spot removal to provide the client with the best possible results. Specialists have the capacity to de-shed carpet, especially helpful with wool-based products. They can also safely lift depressed pile crushed by heavy machinery.

Just as the right cleaning equipment is essential, so are the right chemistries and cleaning products. Chemistry affects the performance and appearance of flooring, either by positively enhancing and protecting it or more negatively impacting its properties. A prime example is with electrostatic dissipative (ESD) tile. Usually found in technology rooms or data centers, ESD contains carbon film, which helps dissipate static. Often, contractors or cleaning teams apply a standard acrylic finish, effectively removing the very properties the client is expecting from the tile. To repair the damage, the surface needs to be stripped get the tile back to its working properties and then the correct product needs to be applied to maintain and protect its special features.

Special finishes require special care
High-quality flooring finishes cannot be treated like basic linoleum. Specialty flooring materials require unique care. Emergency calls from facility managers about newly installed products can be avoided with advanced input from floor care experts. For example, cork is an absorbent material that may come installed with an existing wear layer. If not, a wear layer should be applied. Maintenance involves cleaning with neutral pH cleaner and minimal water. If too much water is employed, it could potentially warp the product. In most cases, once the wear layer is worn down, the floor is either replaced or it is simply lived with as is. As is the case with all flooring surfaces, the frequency of cleaning depends on the usage of the space.

Rubber flooring is extremely durable and can be maintained with an all-purpose cleaner and extraction to remove moisture. Issues arise if the janitorial staff applies an acrylic finish meant for vinyl composition tile (VCT). When applied to rubber, it causes the floor to turn yellow and crack. In this situation, the product needs to be stripped and the correct finish applied.

High-end, handwoven, and specialty area rugs require hand cleaning to ensure the carpet is not damaged during the cleaning process. Woven vinyl flooring has become popular in recent years, particularly in café and common areas. However, its loose, open-format weave captures dirt and debris, and the product itself becomes soiled with use. Agitating with hot water and all-purpose solution followed by extraction is the preferred method of cleaning.

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Specialized floor care in action
Specialized floor care focuses on creating the right solution for each situation. All materials require specific treatment—from standard nylon, wool, or wool-blend commercial carpeting to carpets made with llama or goat hair. Cleaning methods and chemistries must be tailored to suit the products and their warranties. This requires extensive training to understand the different fiber types found in carpet, as well as the kinds of hard-surface flooring and the individual care each requires. Product cut sheets and specifications must be followed, as the use of improper methods can void product warranties before the client even takes ownership.

To begin, professional floor care specialists conduct a pre-clean audit of the space to document the areas requiring special attention and identify the sources of damage. Issues such as plaster, adhesive, paint, and general soiling must be noted and communicated to the cleaning team, which then determines the methods and chemistries required to bring the floors back to new condition. Trained technicians clean the entire carpet or the itemized spots, depending on the contract’s scope. Additional specialty solutions may be required to remove grease or adhesive. In severe cases, a restorative process might be necessary. Specialists can reduce long-term maintenance costs by recommending performance coatings or other treatments for post-installation application.

Following the cleaning process, a detailed report of the work performed is generated, including before and after photographs. This report may provide information allowing the contractor to bill the damage back to the individual trades responsible for it. For example, a pre-clean site audit recently identified grease as a major contributor to a damaged carpet. The grease was then determined to be lubricant, which had been employed during a sprinkler system installation. The contractor billed the plumbing company for damages done.

Significant cost savings can be realized if floor care is proactively planned to align with project costs and timelines rather than as a rushed emergency call shortly before tenant turnover. Ideally, post-construction floor care should be allocated in the construction budget. The flooring specialist should be contracted at least a month before the expected turnover date, and should be allowed three days following the completion of punch list items to adequately perform a pre-clean audit and effectively clean and restore the floors.

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Successful project delivery
Designers and specifiers play an important role in the long-term maintenance of flooring materials simply by conveying proper cleaning methods and product warranties to the client during both the design development and specification phase. Products should be considered for their color, texture, and design aesthetic as well as long-term wear and maintenance. When specifying a high-quality finish, design/construction professionals would be wise to inform the client’s facility manager of the specialty product’s maintenance requirements.

Post-construction floor care specialists can also advise new tenants, before occupancy, on how to best maintain the floors. By assessing the materials, recommendations can be made on how to care for and protect both carpet and hard-surface flooring. A customized floor care plan, accounting for the usage of the space and the number of people occupying it on a daily basis, can also be provided. Regular cleaning and maintenance helps keep the carpets and hard-surface floors looking their best and can actually extend the life of the floor.

Tenant contracts generally outline how the space should look upon turnover. While each construction project is different, a client’s high expectation for quality is the same. Specialty floor care companies have the equipment, experience, and knowledge to effectively remove construction debris and repair damage, helping the design and construction team deliver a finished space, looking clean and new. After months of active, dusty construction on a busy project site, a carpet and hard-surface floor cleaning provides the finishing touch to deliver the fresh, flawless floors the client expects and deserves.

Brett Van Beever is president of ECOlogic, a commercial carpet and textile cleaning and restoration company. Van Beever spent seven years in sales and marketing for Milliken Carpet before starting ECOlogic in 1998. He received his bachelor’s degree in textiles and marketing from the University of Rhode Island. Van Beever can be reached at bvanbeever@ecologicltd.com.[6]

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/55826-2/

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