Alec Stacey explains how to simplify the maintenance of LVTs.
LUXURY Vinyl Tiles continue to be popular in commercial situations as well as in the home. With countless design options and decorative features, such as texture and uniformity, along with ease of installation and resistance to moisture, LVT offers many benefits. However, as with other floor coverings, they share some of the problems relating to their day-to-day usage, particularly in high-traffic situations. Abrasive particles of grit and dirt, trafficked underfoot or dragged beneath chair legs and other items of furniture etc, are responsible for most wear on floors. One can remove a piece of grit from the tread of a shoe and scratch steel or glass with it. Inevitably, polymer coatings on any flooring are going to be highly susceptible to this process. Even a dusty film on the surface is going to have an impact over time by initially dulling the surface, but potentially leading to more significant damage. Wear will have the biggest impact on decorative products, with the design and colour inevitably becoming eroded and permanently affected.
It’s common advice from manufacturers and installers of LVT for end-users not to treat the surface with maintainers, such as polish, and to clean the surface with minimal quantities of liquids. This prevents moisture ingress at joints between the individual elements, which may impact on the integrity of the flooring. This is unlike the approach usually adopted with resilient flooring, where polish and periodic stripping is an accepted method of maintenance.
One way to improve and simplify the maintenance of LVT would be to overcoat with a durable transparent product, such as Bona Pure, a two-component water-based lacquer. This low solvent polyurethane product can be introduced immediately after installation, following basic cleaning and light abrasion. The flexible coating will fill the minor gaps between adjacent elements producing a ‘monolithic’ surface, rendering the surface easier to clean without the risk of moisture ingress impacting on the ongoing performance of the flooring. Furthermore, tests conducted at the IFR Institute in Germany have confirmed that with a smooth, homogenous surface, with no gaps or cracks, a more hygienic surface is produced. When LVT flooring was overcoated in this way the surface met the criteria of the TRBA (technical rules for biological agents) meaning that Bona’s unique method not only ensures floors remain free from dirt build-up, but also seals surfaces against microorganisms, resulting in floors with the highest level of hygiene.
This means a new system for maintaining LVT can be implemented. Rather than just cleaning, which does nothing to eliminate scratches where microorganisms can thrive, the surface can be made smooth and hygienic again by periodic recoating. This will also add further protection to the surface, and wear will not progress to any decorative effects, extending the beauty of the flooring for years to come.
A similar approach can be adopted for LVT and other types of resilient flooring that’s been in use for some time. In fact, if the decorative layer of the flooring has become degraded owing to high trafficking and ineffective maintenance, the surface can be completely refurbished using the Bona Resilient System. If permanently decoloured, the flooring can be prepared using diamond abrasives followed by applications of a colour coat with the option of decorative chips. This is then sealed with the protective transparent coats. Additional slip-resistance can also be introduced to meet PTV 36+ under wet and dry conditions. Not only can the durability and hygiene of LVT be improved but the life can be dramatically extended in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
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www.bona.com
Alec Stacey is technical manager, Region South and West Europe at Bona
