Floor Care Dictionary
Abrasion
The action of wearing away floor finish
film by friction. Usually caused by particulate soil such as sand, silt, clay,
ice melter and dust.
Abrasion Resistance
The ability of a floor coating to resist being worn away by rubbing or friction.
Abrasion resistance is not necessarily related to the hardness of a coating but
is more correctly correlated to toughness.
Acrylic
The most common polymer component of all
floor finishes. Acrylics offer good detergent resistance and produce colorless
films. They are a family of thermoplastic resins of acrylic esters [CH2CHCOOR]
or methacrylic esters [CH2C(CH3)COOR].
Adhesion
The attraction of a coating to a substrate (floor). Also referred to as the
"outward force" of a coating.
Alkaline
Any
substance that has pH greater than 9.
Alkaline Cleaner
A cleaner that
has a pH higher than 9. This would include all purpose cleaners, degreasers and
strippers.
Alkaline Residue
A white
powdery residue that is left on the floor after using a highly alkaline stripper
and not rinsing. It can be observed by running your hand over the floor surface.
All
Purpose Cleaner
Mildly alkaline cleaners that can be used on almost any hard surface and usually
will not harm the surface or finish.
Amine
Common
class of chemicals that are used in strippers and many heavy-duty cleaners.
Strippers of years past used ammonia as an amine source. Modern day strippers
use MEA (Monoethanolamine), often referred to as odorless ammonia.
Anti-Slip
The
property of a floor finish that makes a floor non-slip.
ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials. To view the ASTM web site,
click here.
Auto-Scrubber
A machine
that has two compartments, one for a cleaning solution and the other for
recovering soiled solution. As the cleaning solution is applied to the floor,
rotating brushes or pads scrub the surface and the soiled solution is picked up
at the back of the machine with the use of a self-contained vacuum system.
Blushing
The
formation of a white or grayish cast in a finish during drying. Most often
caused by one or more of the following: excessive humidity, improper dry time,
overly heavy coats or more coats than recommended on the label.
Buffable Finish
A finish
that can be repaired or made to have a higher gloss by use of a buffing machine.
Typically the machine will have speeds of 175-2000 RPM.
Buildup
Refers to areas of a floor (edges if isle ways or rooms) where the finish does
not wear down, but successive coats are applied. Often times these areas take on
a darker appearance.
Burnishing
Similar
to buffing except the machines used have speeds in excess of 2000 RPM and can be
either electric or propane powered.
Caustic (n)
Any
strong alkaline material which has a corrosive effect on living tissue and soft
metals.
Chemical Resistance
The
property of a floor finish that allows it to be unaffected by chemicals that are
spilled onto it.
Clarity
The
clearness of a liquid product or film.
Coalescing Agent
Solvents
(usually glycol ethers) that help in the film formation of finish. These
solvents evaporate during the drying process.
Coefficient of Friction
See
Slip Resistance.
Cohesion
The
attraction of a coating to itself. Also referred to as the "inward force" of a
coating.
Compatible
Capable
of being used together in a product and having no undesirable effects.
Concrete
Concrete
is a mixture of Portland cement, sand and crushed stone or gravel that is made
into a paste with water.
Concrete Seal
A
protective coating applied to a new or old concrete floor to harden, seal and
reduce dusting.
Conductive Floor Finish
A
finish that has the ability to take static charges and dissipate them. Also
referred to as static dissipative finish or antistatic finish.
Copolymer
A polymer
made from two or more monomers.
Cotton Mop
A type of
mop head that has high absorbency and is used for wet or damp mopping. Cotton
mops are NOT recommended for laying floor finish.
Coverage
Measured
in square feet per gallon (or square meters per liter), it is a measurement of
how much area a gallon of product will cover.
Crazing
The
appearance of very fine cracks on the surface of a dried finish film.
Curing
A term
generally applied to the time a floor coating takes to completely dry and reach
full hardness. All coatings have varying cure rates.
Detergent
Cleaning solutions that consist of water and one or more of the following
ingredients: Surfactants, builders, solvents, chelating agents and soap.
Detergent Resistance
The
ability of a floor finish to withstand deterioration when cleaned with a
detergent solution.
Dirt Retention
A finish
has high dirt retention when soil from foot traffic becomes embedded into the
finish easily and quickly.
Discoloration
The
tendency of a floor finish to darken or yellow.
Disinfection
The removal or destruction of pathogens from inanimate objects. Nonpathogenic
environmental organisms may not be completely eliminated through disinfection.
Dri-Brite
A type of
finish that dries to a high shine without the need for buffing.
Dry Time
The length of time it takes a finish to become tack free, thereby allowing
another coat of finish to be applied.
Durability
The
ability of a floor finish to withstand wear.
Emulsion
A mixture
of liquids that are incompatible, such as water and oil. One of the components
will form small droplets in the other with the help of detergents. These systems
are usually cloudy or opaque in appearance.
Film
A thin
covering or coating.
Finish
A coating
that protects a floor from wear and enhances its appearance.
Flexibility
The
ability of a floor finish to be pliable and resilient.
Floor Machine
Can be
used to describe any number of machines that are power driven and are used to
either clean (auto-scrubber) or increase the gloss of the finish (burnishing
machine).
Gloss (Depth)
An
optical phenomenon of relative gloss perceived when viewing reflective surfaces.
This is a qualitative evaluation.
Gloss (Specular)
A
quantitative measurement used to show how shiny a surface or film is. The higher
the number, the better the gloss.
Gloss Meter
A device
used to quantify how much gloss a surface has at various angles. Inside the
device, a light is emitted onto a surface that measures how much light is
reflected back. The higher the number, the better the gloss.
Grout
Concrete
or similar substance used between ceramic, slate and quarry tiles.
Hard Water
Water, which contains the ions of
magnesium and calcium. When hard water is used in a cleaning system, insoluble
materials may form. This is called a precipitate. Hard water is usually
expressed in parts per million or grains. 1 grain hard water = 18 PPM hard
water.
Hardwood Floor
A
floor made of any number of species of wood including maple, oak and beech.
Heeling
The
practice of tilting a floor machine to exert increased pressure on a specific
area of a floor.
High Speed
A range
of floor machines which have speeds between 500 - 1500 RPM's.
Humidity
The
measure of moisture in the air.
James Machine
A
machine that measures the static coefficient of friction of a floor finish. This
is the measure of how slip resistant a finish is. Also known as ASTM test method
D2047. The sufficient James Machine reading to indicate slip resistance is 0.5
or greater.
Leveling
The
ability of a floor finish to be completely flat when dry. If mop marks are
evident in a dry finish, it is a sign of poor leveling.
Linoleum Flooring
Linoleum
flooring normally is found in sheets and is made of oxidized linseed oil or a
combination of drying oils, wood flour and/or ground cork, resins and pigments.
Marble Flooring
Marble is formed from limestone that has been subjected to great heat and
pressure in the Earth's crust. It consists chiefly of calcite or dolomite, or a
combination of these carbonate minerals. It can be scratched easily and is very
sensitive to strong acids or strong bases (alkali).
Metal-Interlock
The
process of bonding two polymer particles together using a metal ion such as
zinc. This is also known as cross-linking.
Mill Finish
The
factory finish that is spray-applied to new tiles to protect them from damage.
Monomer
A simple
compound (i.e. methyl methylacrylate) that can react and form a polymer.
Monomers can react with themselves to make a homopolymer (i.e. polyethylene) or
react with different monomers to form something more complex called a copolymer.
Mop Drag
Resistance felt when pulling a mop across a floor. Drag felt when recoating a
finish usually is a sign of applying the finish too early.
M. S. D. S.
Material
Safety Data Sheet. Required for all products. It lists hazardous ingredients for
particular compound and also details safety precautions and first aid
information.
Neutral
Neither
acid nor alkaline. Neutral generally means pH in the 5.0 to 9.0 range, but true
neutral is pH 7.0.
Neutral Cleaner
A
cleaning product that has a pH near 7.0. They are recommended for daily use on
finished floors or alkaline sensitive floors like marble because of their
non-harmful effects on the finish or flooring.
Neutralize
To change
the pH of a substance to 7. Either raising the pH of an acid or lowering that of
a base.
Non-Buff Finish
Refers to
harder finishes that do not respond well to buffing or burnishing, but may
respond to spray buffing.
Non-Volatile Solids
Measured
in percentage, they are the materials that are left when all water and other
solvents are driven off a coating during drying. In a floor finish, the solids
are what forms the film on the floor.
Optical Brighteners
A
substance that absorbs UV light sources and emits only visible light, which
gives a brightening effect.
Peeling
The
pulling away of a coating from its substrate caused by a lack of adhesion.
pH
The
measure of hydroxyl (OH-) or hydrogen (H+) ions in a solution. Acids contain
varying levels of hydrogen ions, bases contain hydroxyl ions. A pH of 7 is
neutral, but for cleaning purposes, a pH of 5-9 is considered to be in the
“neutral” range. Below 5 is acidic and greater than 9 is alkaline.
Plasticizer
Special
solvents that help in the good film formation of a floor finish. These solvents
stay in the film when the finish is completely dried which allows the film and
remain flexible.
Polyethylene Wax
A type of
polymer that is added to floor finishes, usually in small amounts, to impart
certain properties. For example, hard waxes can improve black heel mark
resistance but often reduce slip resistance. Soft waxes improve buffability and
slip resistance but decreases heel mark resistance. Polyethylene is made by
polymerizing the gas ethylene (C2H4).
Polymer
A very
large molecule that is made of smaller units called monomers. In acrylic floor
finishes, it is an acrylic or acrylic/styrene polymer that eventually forms the
film.
Polyurethane
A large family of polymers often used in floor coatings because urethane
films can provide greater hardness without brittleness than is possible with
most other polymers. They also have good chemical resistance combined with good
adhesion. Aliphatic urethanes (water-based) are made by reacting organic
isocyanate with compounds containing a hydroxyl (OH) group.
Powdering
The
disintegration of a finish that results in a fine powdery substance. Poor
bonding (adhesion) of the finish to the substrate (floor) is a major cause. It
can also occur during burnishing when a finish is not fully cured or when an
improper or poorly maintained polishing pad is used.
Rayon Blend Mop
Refers
to the type of yarn used in producing the mop and is the preferred one for
applying finish.
Recoat
The
process of applying multiple coats of floor finishes over one another to
increase the appearance and protection of the flooring.
Repairability
The
ability of a floor finish to return to its original appearance after it has
deteriorated from wear. Usually accomplished through deep cleaning and buffing
or burnishing.
Resilient Flooring
A term
used to describe flooring that is not considered hard floor surfaces (stone our
poured floors). Includes, but not limited to, vinyl, vinyl composition, linoleum
and rubber.
Restorer
A chemical product that is either mopped, auto-scrubbed or sprayed on a
floor finish and then is buffed or burnished to enhance appearance and increase
slip resistance.
Scuff Marks
Occur
when a person walks without lifting their feet. A finish that is hard to scuff
is said to have good scuff resistance.
Sealers
Coatings that are designed to fill in pores of a substrate quickly and more
efficiently than a finish would.
Shelf Life
The
length of time an unopened product will remain unchanged in its container after
packaging.
Slip Resistance
The
frictional force opposing movement of an object across a surface. In the floor
finish industry, this usually refers to how easily the heel or sole of a shoe
slides across a finish. A value of 0.5 or greater using the ASTM D2047 method is
considered safe for walking on.
Solution
A
single, homogenous liquid that is a mixture in which the components are
uniformly distributed throughout.
Spray Buffing
A
buffing program that involves the spraying of a cleaner/restorer solution onto
the floor then going over the wet areas with a buffing or burnishing machine.
Stripper
Chemical solutions that are designed to remove floor finishes from the floor.
They usually contain some type of solvent that will dissolve the polymer
particles thereby allowing them to be picked up off the floor.
Styrene
A
low-cost polymer that is dispersed with acrylics and is used in many coatings.
Styrene offers good detergent resistance, low soil pick-up and low water
absorption.
Surfactant
Surface active agent (surfactant) that contains a water hating
(hydrophobic) portion and a water loving (hydrophilic) portion. Surfactants
emulsify and suspend oils and dirt in solution to keep them from re-depositing
on the surface being cleaned.
Synergistic
When in a
solution, the effects of the combined individual ingredients are greater than if
they were by themselves.
Tack Rag
A
cloth moistened with a liquid or water used to remove dust from a floor before
coating.
Tackiness
Another term for describing a coating that's sticky. Before a coating is
completely dry it will go through a tacky stage.
Thermoplastic
A type
of polymer that can be reshaped when heated and dissolves in suitable solvent.
Acrylic is an example of a thermoplastic polymer.
Thermoset
A type
of polymer that is elaborately cross-linked and three-dimensional. It decomposes
upon heating and is insoluble. Epoxy is an example of a thermoset polymer.
Total Solids
All
materials in a cleaner or finish that remain after all water and solvents have
been removed.
UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety
testing and certification organization. They test Essential floor care products
as to their slip resistance.
Ultra High Speed
This
refers to burnishing machines that have speeds of 2,000+ RPMs. These machines
are propane, battery or electric powered.
Urethane
See Polyurethane.
V.O.C.
Volatile
Organic Compounds. This is a measure of the non-water solvents that are in a
particular product.
Vinyl Composition Tile
See
Resilient Flooring.
Viscosity
Refers to
how thick or thin a product is. Different scales are used to measure this
property.
