NBS TECHNICAL NOTE 783

Durability and Maintenance

as Related to the

Selection of Flooring

^
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

The National Bureau of Standards 1 was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology

and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts

research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, ( 3 ) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau consists of the Institute for Basic Standards, the Institute for Materials Research, the Institute for Applied Technology,

the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, and the Office for Information Programs.

THE INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS provides the central basis within the United

States of a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system

with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry,

and commerce. The Institute consists of a Center for Radiation Research, an Office of Measurement Services and the following divisions: Applied Mathematics — Electricity — Mechanics — Heat — Optical Physics — Nuclear

Sciences 2 — Applied Radiation 2 — Quantum Electronics — Electromagnetics 8 — Time

and Frequency * — Laboratory Astrophysics 3 — Cryogenics \

THE INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of well-characterized materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; provides

advisory and research services to other Government agencies; and develops, produces, and

distributes standard reference materials. The Institute consists of the Office of Standard Reference Materials and the following divisions: Analytical Chemistry — Polymers — Metallurgy — Inorganic Materials — Reactor

Radiation — Physical Chemistry.

THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY provides technical services to promote

the use of available technology and to facilitate technological innovation in industry and

Government; cooperates with public and private organizations leading to the development of

technological standards (including mandatory safety standards), codes and methods of test; and provides technical advice and services to Government agencies upon request. The Institute consists of a Center for Building Technology and the following divisions and offices: Engineering and Product Standards — Weights and Measures — Invention and Innovation — Product Evaluation Technology — Electronic Technology — Technical Analysis — Measurement Engineering — Structures, Materials, and Life Safety* — Building

Environment * — Technical Evaluation and Application * — Fire Technology.

THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides technical services designed to aid Government agencies in improving cost effec- tiveness in the conduct of their programs through the selection, acquisition, and effective utilization of automatic data processing equipment; and serves as the principal focus within

the executive branch for the development of Federal standards for automatic data processing

equipment, techniques, and computer languages. The Center consists of the following offices and divisions: Information Processing Standards — Computer Information — Computer Services —

Systems Development — Information Processing Technology.

THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION PROGRAMS promotes optimum dissemination and

accessibility of scientific information generated within NBS and other agencies of the Federal Government; promotes the development of the National Standard Reference Data System and

a system of information analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the National Measurement System; provides appropriate services to ensure that the NBS staff has optimum

accessibility to the scientific information of the world. The Office consists of the following

organizational units: Office of Standard Reference Data — Office of Technical Information and Publications —

Library — Office of International Relations.

1 Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234.

9 Part of the Center for Radiation Research.

3 Located at Boulder, Colorado 80302. Part of the Center for Building Technology.
Bureft] sf SteBiSB*

78y

73

Durability and Maintenance

as Related to the

Selection of Flooring

Winthrop C. Wolfe,

Robert E. Roberts

Center for Building Technology

Institute for Applied Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

and

Mortimer Russell

Veterans Administration

Washington, D.C. 20420

/ v %

J

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Frederick B. Dent, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Richard W. Roberts, Director

Issued August 1973
"S,

National Bureau of Standards Technical Note 783

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Tech. Note 783, 68 pages (Aug. 1973) CODEN: NBTNAE

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Order by SD Catalog No. 03.46:783). Price $0.90
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1INTRODUCTION by Winthrop C . Wolfe 1

2. Factors in Selection of Flooring by Winthrop C. Wolfe 2

3. Maintenance of Floors at the National Bureau of

Standards by Robert E. Roberts 6

4. Maintenace of Floors in Hospitals by Mortimer Russell 9

5. Field Observations and Experiments on Performance of

Flooring by Winthrop C. Wolfe 11

5 .1 Comments on Field Observations Reported in

Appendix A „ 12

5.2 Comments on Field Experiments Reported in

Appendix B 13

6. Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations by Winthrop

C. Wolfe 13

References . . „ 25

Appendix A. Detailed Report on Field Observations

Appendix B. Report on Field Experiments

in

BMBBHBh'IflliWOTfll
ABSTRACT

This report is addressed to the problem of selection and maintenance

of flooring to the best advantage in terms of durability, type and

severity of service, appearance, comfort, and safety. The selection of

flooring is discussed with respect to service life, maintenance,

obsolescence, and trade-off advantages. Two articles by maintenance

administrators include information and discussion helpful in determining

maintenance cost, trade-offs, and selection of flooring for different

types of service. Field observations and preliminary field tests by the

National Bureau of Standards indicate areas in which research is needed,

as in laboratory tests for wear and slip resistance. Observations and

field tests are impracticable to use for procurement.

This report is helpful in the selection and maintnenace of flooring

and floor finishes. More important, it points up areas in which

research is needed to develop information for this purpose.

KEY WORDS; Carpets; durability; economics; field studies; flooring;

floor coverings; life-cost; maintenance; selection; user

needs

IV
1. Introduction

by Winthrop C. Wolfe

Materials and Composites Section; Structures, Materials, and Life

Safety Division; Center for Building Technology; Institute for Applied

Technology; National Bureau of Standards.

Flooring may be defined as the wearing element of the floor assembly

on which people walk and on which furniture is placed. It may be con- sidered as a sub-element of the Floor-Ceiling Built Element [1]* and is

usually not a structural component, although sometimes concrete con- stitutes the flooring or wearing element.

Flooring may be classified into four basic types: hard, resilient,

textile, and wood. Hard flooring may be defined as rigid flooring which

is not readily indented or scratched, at least not to an appreciable depth

or width. This includes various types of ceramic tile, such as mosaic,

quarry, and paver tile; concrete, with or without coating or surfacing;

monolithic surfacings; terrazzo; brick; and natural stone. Monolithic

surfacing is a composition applied to a floor to provide an improved

wearing surface. Terrazzo is flooring made by embedding decorative stone

in a matrix (of concrete or synthetic resin) and then polishing (grinding)

smooth.

Resilient flooring is semi-rigid or plastic and is therefore subject"

to a certain amount of scratching and indenting but is usually designed

to recover from indentation and to have a limited defined scratch resistance. Resilient flooring or floor covering includes such products as asphalt tile, vinyl asbestos tile, rubber tile, vinyl tile, sheet vinyl

floor coverings, linoleum, and bituminous based sheet floor covering

Textile floor covering is that made from fibers, filaments, or yarns

and is usually referred to as carpets and rugs. Most textile floor

coverings have a woven or tufted loop or cut pile but some are nonwoven,

*Numbers in brackets indicate references at the end of this report
flat, felt-like products made by the needlepunch process. There are also

other types, such as knitted or braided rugs.

Wood flooring is most commonly tongue and grooved strip oak or pine

but may be of other species. Plank, parquet, and block flooring are also used.

The first article in this report, "Factors in Selection of Flooring"

is a discussion of how life-cost, annual-cost, and trade-offs may be

applied to the selection of flooring. Following are two articles on selection and maintenance of flooring in government buildings. These

articles provide some detail on the maintenance factor of life-cost,

background on problems under various service conditions, and information

on the selection of flooring for different types of service. Selection

of flooring is sometimes dictated by the type and severity of service but

should also be based on a trade-off between desirable features and life-cost

or annual-cost.

Observations on the performance of flooring follow an earlier study,

published in 1968, which was based mostly on military installations.

Types of flooring studied include monolithic surfacings, resilient floor

coverings, carpet, and wood flooring. Also reported are field experiments

by the National Bureau of Standards, Center for Building Technology.

Flooring and floor finishes were applied under conditions known and con- trolled as far as possible,, The performance of these products was observed and recorded.

2. Factors in Selection of Flooring

by Winthrop C. Wolfe

Materials and Composites Section; Structures, Materials and Life

Safety Division; Center for Building Technology; Institute for Applied

Technology; National Bureau of Standards

Economic decision making has been applied to a variety of activities,

including purchase of machinery and equipment, stock transactions, design

and construction of buildings and dams, mining operations, water supply,

and sewage disposal. This decision making can be based on annual-cost

comparisons [2]. This type of analysis can be applied to interior

2
finishes as well as to the design and construction of buildings. It

should be possible to apply the concept of annual-cost to flooring [3].

Flooring is an important item in building econimics for several reasons

(1) The care of flooring is a large item in the annual budget for

maintenance of buildings.

(2) The floor is the part of the building which receives most of

the wear from human activities.

(3) Like other interior finishes, it contributes to appearance and

must be considered in interior design and construction,,

(4) Unlike most interior finishes, flooring contributes to such

factors as comfort, fatigue, and noise reduction.

(5) Flooring has special problems, such as slipperiness , indentation,

and static charge, and presents more of a cleaning problem than

most interior finishes.

(6) Flooring is more frequently replaced by new products which have

appeared on the market, such as carpet of synthetic fibers, re- placing resilient flooring in many areas. Reasons for increasing

use of carpet include appearance, desire for greater comfort

(less fatigue), and reduction of distracting noise. However,

carpet introduces some problems, which will be discussed later.

We are attempting to apply the principle of life-cycle costicg in

the application of building economics to Federal construction. Since a large fraction of building maintenance is cleaning, finishing, and

replacing flooring, it would be important to apply life-cycle costing to

flooring. Life-cost of flooring may be considered to be the sum of first

cost plus in-use cost, including operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and improvement. In-use cost of flooring may be called OMRI, an abbreviation of the factors mentioned. Replacement of flooring is some- times necessitated by actually wearing out so the subfloor is exposed.

More commonly the flooring becomes so unattractive or possible unsafe

that it is highly desirable or even necessary to replace it. Since the

value of flooring is largely aesthetic or "subjective" [3], it is often

replaced because the building is being redecorated or there is a desire

3
for a more attractive or more comfortable floor than is in place. New

improved products are constantly coming on the marekt and it may be

desirable to take advantage of these improvements. In other words,

flooring may be replaced because of obsolescence.

In an analysis of maintenance cost, it is important to consider tradeoffs between labor, materials, and equipment. As a rule, cleaning materials

and floor finishes, such as sealer, waxes, and polishes, are the least

expensive items. Hence the trade-off is usually between labor and equipment. It may be advantageous and result in lower annual-cost to invest in

floor cleaning and polishing machinery, especially in large buildings.

Maintenance is the constant struggle to keep floors sanitary, clean,

attractive, and with other desirable properties as long as possible and

at the least cost. Maintenance costs depend on the type of flooring, the

kind and severity of service, the desired level of maintenance, and

maintenance problems. In most government buildings, it is necessary to

compromise the desired appearance level with budgetary limitations. Considerable though and experimentation is devoted to reducing maintenance

cost, improving and standardizing maintenance procedures, and improving

the desirable properties of flooring in government buildings. Various

floor finishes, cleaning materials, and machines have been tried in an

effort to lower cost and improve appearance and other properties.

Elaborate cleaning schedules have been worked out and an effort has been

made to analyze maintenance cost. New floor coverings are often used in an effort to reduce maintenance cost or to secure trade-off advantages,

such as resilience and quietness, associated with carpet.

Color, pattern, and texture of flooring have a bearing on maintenance

cost. Some patterns and colors show dirt and some conceal it. Textured

and embossed flooring may trap dirt and be more difficult to clean, hence

raise maintenance cost.
Carpeting may reduce the first-cost of the floor assembly. For

example, concrete floors do not require as much finishing if wall-to-wall

carpeting is to be laid over the floor. Finished wood flooring might be

eliminated from wood construction because wall-to-wall carpeting can be

laid on under layment grade plywood.

Economic decision making involves more than life-cycle costing.

In addition to maintenance, wear, and other OMRI factors, it is important

to consider trade-off factors. These factors are important in the

selection and use of flooring and consideration of trade-offs may take

precedence over life-cost considerations. Some of these factors were discussed in an article [3] in which performance requirements for flooring

were grouped in three categories; Health and Safety; Comfort; Convenience

and Efficiency; and Economics. Factors under Economics are those which

would be considered in life- cycle costing, while the other factors are trade-offs. Fire safety is an important consideration, especially with

carpeting. Slip resistance is important in the selection and use of

resilient and hard flooring. Cleanability and sanitation must be

considered in any situation, especially in hospitals. Air pollution has

been under consideration recently and certain fibers used in carpeting

and possibly other flooring may be allergenic or toxic. Resistance to

build-up of static charge must be considered in the selection, use, and

treatment of carpets and is essential where flammable gases or vapors

may be present. Noise reduction and foot comfort, on the other hand, are claimed to be advantages of carpeting. In hospitals, offices, and other

locations where wheeled vehicles or chairs are used, the resistance to

movement of such vehicles must be considered.
3. Maintenance of Floors at the National Bureau of Standards

by Robert E. Roberts, Chief, Janitorial Services

The National Bureau of Standards has about 2,285,000 gross and about

1,600,000 net square feet of floor area*, including about 62,480 square

feet of corridors. Most of the flooring is vinyl asbestos tile and there

is roughly 25,000 to 35,000 square feet of terrazzo or similar flooring.

The cleaning staff at present numbers 123, of which 12 men are permanently

assigned to spray buffers. We estimate that floor care of all types

represents about 40 percent of the janitorial budget and that labor cost

is about 90 to 93 percent of the total janitorial budget. Wages average

about $3.50 per hour. Our buildings are largely laboratories and hence

floor care accounts for a larger percentage of the janitorial budget.

For an office building, floor care represents about 30 percent of the

budget. Estimates of total costs and of percentage costs for various

operations depend on the mode of operation, the level of maintenance, the

type of equipment used, the kind of flooring, and the degree of traffic.

Cleaning costs depend largely on cleaning schedules and frequency of the

various operations, such as mopping, sweeping, polishing, etc. Overemphasis on productivity may lead to losses from accidents, breakage,

damage to equipment, spillage, etc. Also, it is difficult to estimate the

amount of time spent on some operations, as sweeping, rug cleaning,

buffing, and other operations in the same room or hall. For example, in

each of our auditoriums we have a combination of carpet, vinyl asbestos

tile, and wood flooring and it would be easier to analyze costs and also

cheaper to maintain if there were only one type of flooring in each

auditorium.

Most of our resilient tile is maintained by what is known to the trade

as spray-buffing, an almost dry method of cleaning. In this method, a synthetic polymer finish is first sprayed on the floor as a fine mist.

* Gross space is all livable interior space with corresponding floor area

Net space is space cleaned on a scheduled basis, as every night, every

week, etc. Net floor area is that of the net space.
The finish is then agitated by a buffing machine, using an open weave

nylon pad. The nylon itself is not abrasive but the construction of the

pad is such that it has a mild abrasive action. The pad spreads the

finish over the surface and at the same time destroys the surface tension

of the existing finish, scrapes up the dirt embedded in the old film, and

absorbs the old finish and dirt into the pad. This results in a clean,

bright, and shiny finish. It has been found that the customary wet cleaning with scrubbing is harmful to resilient tile, which is one reason for

using the spray-buffing process. We have also found that the spray-buffing

process saves maintenance cost. This process does not completely eliminate

stripping and refinishing but greatly extends the time between these

operations. Mops and buckets are not used as extensively as would be the case if there were a scheduled program of stripping and refinishing.

The spray-buffing process also allows more frequent cleaning of resilient

tile areas. However, spray-buffing must be done repetitively or the advantages of the process are lost. If spray-buffing is not repetitive, it

may be necessary to start all over again and re-strip and refinish the

floors

Cleaning terrazzo floors is a simple operation which is done by means

of battery-powered scrubbing and vacuum machines. The area is dust mopped

before wet cleaning. Three or four clear water applications per week are

made, the floor is scrubbed, then the water is picked up. We have found

that sealers and other finishes generally involve considerable cost in

labor and materials and are not necessary. Some types of terrazzo sealers

also show traffic patterns and some show scuff marks. An initial permanent

phenolic base sealing is desirable on terrazzo surfaces. Yearly touch-up

may be necessary in traffic lanes. We have studied replacing or covering

our resilient and hard flooring with carpet because it apparently offers

certain advantages. It presents to most people a more pleasing and

aesthetic appearance to an area; it is more conducive to study for people

who need a quiet work environment; and it absorbs more distracting and

disturbing noise. It is safer with respect to slip resistance but may

present an annoyance or even a hazard from generation of static electricity,

Carpet installation in our buildings is a disadvantage because we have
used our flooring for only eight years and resilient tile has an expected

service life of 18 years or more, depending on use. It is more advantageous to make decisions about flooring in a new building or when

the flooring needs replacing to obviate the cost of resilient tile installation. Our studies indicate that cleaning cost of carpet is less than

that of resilient tile but this estimate must be modified by such

variables as quality of carpet, cleaning schedule, spillage, and traffic.

Moreover, the initial installed cost of carpet is higher and the service

life is shorter as compared to resilient tile. It is more advantageous

to purchase a better grade of carpet, as the increased service life

offsets the greater initial cost and results in a life-cost or annual-cost

which may be about the same as that for resilient flooring. However, in

order to save on cleaning cost, it is necessary to cover most of our flooring with carpet in order to phase out the expensive mopping, waxing,

polishing, and spray-buffing equipment and operation. Utility areas with

very heavy traffic or which are excessively dirty are not suitable for

carpet but such areas are usually bare concrete and receive minimal floor

care. Elevators are relatively clean but receive heavy traffic and wear,

due to twisting and turning of feet, so we have found that a good medium

grade of carpet lasts us for only three years. Such areas may be regarded

as marginal with respect to carpet life.

It may be advantageous to install carpet in 27- inch strips, sewn or taped on the job, which is how the carpet in our red and green auditoriums

was installed. This enables the owner to switch worn strips of carpet in

travel lanes and strips of carpet in less travelled areas, thus increasing

the service life.

Carpet is sometimes sold on a janitorial contract or an annual-cost

basis. In this type of contract, the contractor will install the carpet

and be given a contract to clean the building for a certain length of

time, say five years, after which the owner of the building can have the

carpet

In general, carpet, from a cleaning cost and aesthetic basis can be

said to be superior to resilient flooring; however, many variables

interdict a flat comparison statement or conclusion. Previous studies

8
[4,5] of the annual-cost of carpet as compared to resilient flooring do

not agree, which shows the need for an impartial study of the subject.

4. Maintenance of Floors in Hospitals

by Mortimer Russell, Chief,

Environmental Sanitation Division, Building Management Service

(137), Veterans Administration, Washington, D. C. 20420

The Veterans Administration operates a system of 166 hospitals

throughout the country, ranging from one to fifty years old. A variety

of flooring is used in the hospitals, including wood, linoleum, asphalt

and vinyl asbestos tile, homogeneous vinyl tile, sheet vinyl, terrazzo, etc,

The type of flooring for various areas is prescribed according to the

Veterans Administration guide for finishes. This guide is mandatory for new construction and is recommended for modernization.

Cleaning of floors in hospitals is different from that in other

buildings. This is because of the necessity to wet clean with detergentdisinfectants to reduce the bacterial level on the floors and to use non-buffable floor finishes to limit air turbulence and noise from

buffing machines. However, the use of detergent-disinfectants is not

without problems, as they can remove floor finishes if not prepared

properly and tiles can be loosened if too much water is used. Careless

floor cleaning can remove insecticide from baseboards. In operating

rooms, some detergents can adversely affect the conductivity of conductive

flooring. In small areas preliminary dry vacuum pick-up is recommended if

necessary. The next procedure is to spray detergent-disinfectant on the

floor, followed by wet vacuum pick-up. Battery-powered vacuum scrubbers

are recommended for large areas. This spray and vacuum technique has been

shown to be the most effective in reducing floor bacteria levels. However,

it takes longer than the mop and bucket method and some maintenance men

are reluctant to change to the spray and vacuum procedure. The success

of spray and vacuum depends on the quality and training of the maintenance

staff and the availability of modern equipment and supplies. There is some difficulty in obtaining a uniformly satisfactory "metal cross- linked

acrylic polymer finish", used in the spray and vacuum process.
The use of insecticide preparations is another flooring problem and

insecticides should be applied only to the baseboards and not to the

floor. The oil base of such insecticides will damage certain types of

resilient flooring such as asphalt tile.

In addition to sanitation and reducing bacterial levels, the safety

aspects of the flooring are also important from the standpoint of patients,

hospital personnel, and visitors. There must be no indented places in

the flooring, no water or liquid deposits remaining on the floor and

the floor finish should not be slippery.

Carpeting may be used in place of other floor coverings in certain

areas in hospitals. In our facilities, it is used mainly in administrative areas> Carpeting is not used in patient areas because the question

has not been resolved regarding sanitation or the effect of carpet on the

biological environment, including bacterial levels on the carpet and in

the air.

Fire safety is another question which has limited the use of carpeting in hospitals. In some areas carpeting is acceptable if it complies

with the now legally binding "Pill test [6] and in other areas only if it

has a certain rating when subjected to the ASTM E-84 test for flammability

[7].

Static charge is also a problem with carpeting. Incorporation of

stainless steel fibers into the carpeting has not always been successful.

Some, but not all, antistatic sprays are effective for varying periods

oft ime

Because of poor experience with compressed or needlepunch polyolefin

carpeting, it is not recommended for use in hospitals. The wearing

characteristics are poor and it shows marked traffic patterns. It is

also hard to clean and is susceptible to burns from cigarettes.

We have had varying success with monolithic or seamless floors.

Sometimes mops tear on the chips used in one such type of flooring. In

other instances, breaks occur and stains are not easily removed. Some

seamless floors are very good but expensive.

10
A new floor tile has been installed in two of the hospitals but it

has subsequently been taken off the market. This tile is based on acrylic

resin and does not require a floor finish or as much maintenance as other

flooring. However, these tiles must be installed over a very good subfloor

5. Field Observations and Experiments on Performance of Flooring

by Winthrop C. Wolfe

Materials and Composites Section; Structures, Materials and

Life Safety Division; Center for Building Technology;

Institute for Applied Technology; National Bureau of Standards

A field study by the National Bureau of Standards on floor coverings

was published in 1968 [8] . This study was sponsored by the Department of

Defense and covered mostly military installations. The specific purpose

of the study was to solve the problem of resurfacing concrete floors in

World War II temporary buildings. The overall purpose was (1) to evaluate

types of floor coverings, (2) to assist the Department of Defense with

flooring problems, and (3) to gain background experience in floor coverings for defining areas of research designed to improve standards and

specificiations

Since this study was published, the National Bureau of Standards has

continued the field study of flooring but with a wider purpose and scope.

The scope now includes assisting all government agencies with flooring

problems and covers all types of flooring. Also, the purpose and scope

not only relates to improved standards and specifications but also to

better informed economic decision making in the purchase and maintenance of

flooring.

Observations reported in the earlier study and continued observations

are combined in this report. A complete description of the observations

is found in Appendix A. Observations on flooring are summarized by

materials in Table 1 and by locations in Tables 2 and 3. Locations are classified in Table 2 by type of exposure and by usage. Appendix B is an account of field experiments on flooring by the author. Recommendations

in Table 4 are based on field observations and experiments.

11
5.1 Comments on Field Observations Reported in Appendix A

The performance of flooring in military installations has already

been discussed in a previous article by the author [8], which dealt

largely with monolithic surfacings . On the basis of Tables 1-3 and

Appendix A, it appears that polyester resin-based trowel-on monolithic

surfacings perform better in military kitchens than those based on epoxy

resins. It is difficult to apply monolithic surfacings successfully to

concrete floors in laundries, due to the problems caused by flooding with

hot water and solutions of detergents and starch. Both epoxy and poly - ester trowel-on surfacings were successful in barracks latrines and

shower rooms, which indicates that these surfacings can be used in "wet"

areas. Thin-set or resin-based terrazzo is likely to crack in areas ex- posed to the weather or over substrates that are subject to vibration.

Brush-on polyurethane surfacings do not appear promising in heavy traffic

areas or in areas subjected to severe treatment with hot water, chemicals,

and grease. However, polyurethane coatings are satisfactory in residential

kitchens and on wood floors in homes. Surfacings based on port land cement

and acrylic latex may cause trouble in heavy traffic areas. Surfacings

based on port land cement and asphalt are not suitable where oils and

greases are spilled, as these substances will soften the topping and

asphalt will be tracked into other areas by foot traffic.

Resilient floor coverings , known to perform well in office buildings, were found to be successful in animal rooms. Polyester tile requires a smooth, level and plane sub floor, as it is too rigid to conform to the

average concrete floor surface.

Quarry tile with epoxy or furan bed and joints may or may not perform

well in kitchens, depending on the amount of heat to which it is subjected

and the soundness of the subfloor. Sometimes it is possible to use it over plywood but this is not recommended.

Carpeting is satisfactory for areas where there is not too much

spillage, careless use of cigarettes and matches, or extremely heavy

traffic.

12
Of great interest in the rehabilitation of housing was the successful application of an epoxy-polyurethane brush-on system , No. 65, over

old asphalt tile and mastic on a concrete floor in a housing project.

5.2 Comments on Field Experiments Reported in Appendix B

From the test on the barracks corridor, it appears that a brush-on

monolithic surfacing with vinyl chips does not perform well in heavy

traffic. A surfacing with sand filler wore satisfactorily and so did

sheet vinyl with abrasive filler . However, the sheet vinyl was damaged by

cigarettes and matches. Resilient floor coverings did not perform well

in a military commissary where fork lift trucks were used and it was not

practicable to protect the resilient floor tile with a floor finish.

Polyester terrazzo floor tile or panel performed better in a busy computer

facility than did vinyl and vinyl asbestos tile . Filled acrylic tile*

wore almost as well as the polyester terrazzo tilei Floor tile or panel

with me lamine- formaldehyde resin wear layer appeared better than vinyl or vinyl asbestos tile for the first year of service but showed noticeable

wear after 2-1/2 years and is not recommended for this application.

6. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

by Winthrop C. Wolfe

Materials and Composites Section; Structures,

Materials and Life Safety Division; Center for

Building Technology; Institute for Applied

Technology; National Bureau of Standards

Economic decision making may be applied to the selection of flooring on the basis of life-cost or annual-cost and trade-offs. Both life-cost

and annual-cost are functions of operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and improvement or OMRI.

Maintenance cost is largely labor, with appreciable equipment cost

and negligible material cost. It is advantageous to invest in cleaning

machines for large buildings for this reason.

* This product has been withdrawn from the market and is no longer

available .

13
Selection of flooring should be based on properties which affect

first-cost and maintenance cost. Carpeting as the permanent type of

flooring may reduce first-cost when finished flooring is eliminated.

Embossed and porous flooring will trap dirt and cause increased maintenance cost. In general, ease of cleaning is the property which is most

related to maintenance cost.

Flooring is often replaced before it wears out because of obsolescence

due to loss of appearance or because of the introduction on the market of

new products and style changes.

In addition to appearance, trade-offs such as comfort and reduction

of distracting noise have led to the replacement of resilient flooring

by carpet^in many buildings.

Some trade-offs are matters of health and safety. Resilient flooring

and floor finishes should be slip-resistant to avoid accidents. Increased

use of carpeting has focused attention on fire safety, a very serious

problem with some carpets. Certain carpeting will build up static

charge when people walk over it under conditions of low relative humidity

and cause annoying electrical shocks. Certain carpet fibers have been

suspected of being allergenic and it is possible that carpet might trap

irritating dirt particles.

Mr. Roberts of the National Bureau of Standards reported that floor

care represents about 40 percent of the maintenance budget and that NBS

has a staff of 123 to clean 1,600,000 sq. ft. on a scheduled basis or about 13,000 sq. ft. per man.

For general maintenance of resilient tile, which covers most areas

in office buildings, wet cleaning and waxing has been largely replaced

by the spray-buffing method. The spray-buffing process involves special

equipment and acrylic polymer finish. This saves maintenance cost be- cause it is not necessary to strip and refinish the floors as often and

permits more frequent cleaning of resilient tiles. However, the spraybuffing process must be repeated periodically or it becomes necessary to

strip and refinish the floors.

14
According to Mr. Russell of the Veterans Administration, wet cleaning with detergent-disinfectant is used in hospitals to reduce bacterial

levels. However, careless cleaning may damage floor tiles and finishes

and remove insecticides from baseboards.

Carpeting is being used more and more in office buildings and in

corridors and administrative areas of hospitals. However, Mr. Russell

reported that the Veterans Administration has not used carpeting in

patient areas largely because of the question of bacterial contamination.

Other problems which have limited the use of carpet in hospitals are fire

safety and static charge build-up. The use of stainless steel fibers

and antistatic sprays have not been entirely successful. Needlepunch

carpeting was not successful in Veterans Administration hospitals because

of poor wear, difficulty in cleaning and cigarette burns. Mr. Roberts

pointed out that narrow carpet strips permit replacement of only part of

the carpet in traffic lanes, thus lowering replacement cost. The use of

carpet squares in some areas has accomplished the same purpose . Carpet

is often sold on a janitorial contract or annual-cost basis. Under this

type of contract, the maintenance firm has a five-year contract for cleaning and furnishes the carpet without additional cost.

The Veterans Administration has tried monolithic surfacings or seamless floors and has found that good floors of this type are too

expensive. Cleaning problems and failures are also a problem with some of this type of flooring.

15
Table 1. Summary of Observations on Flooring by Materials

Types of

Flooring

A Epoxy monolithic - all types

(a) Brush-on, roll-on

(b) Trowel-on industrial

(c) Thin-set terrazzo

B Polyester monolithic - all types

(a) Trowel-on industrial

(b) Thin-set terrazzo

C Polyurethane monolithic - all types

(a) Brush-on, roll-on

(b) Trowel-on industrial

D Various resin monolithic

(a) Vinyl-acrylic brush-on

(b) Epoxy- polyamide- polyurethane

brush-on

(c) Vinyl trowel-on industrial

(d) Furan trowel-on industrial

E Portland cement with additives

(a) Acrylic latex additive

(b) Epoxy emulsion additive

(c) Styrene-butadiene latex

additive

(d) Asphalt additive

Total

Installations Fai lures

Fa Satis

irly

factory

Satisfactory

No. Life a No. Life No. Life No. Life

14 3.7 6 3.4 2 1.3 6 4.5

2 0.5 1 0.1 1 1.0

9 4.3 5 4.0 2 1.3 2 6.5

3 4.3 3 4.3

21 1.8 4 1.9 6 2.7 11 1.3

14 1.5 2 1.0 2 2.8 10 1.4

7 2.4 1 4.0 5 2.4 1 0.5

18 2.0

2.1

8

6

1.9

1.8

4

3

2.1

2.4

44

2.2

15 2.2

3 1.7 3 1.7

5 2.6 1 0.1 2 3.0 2 3.5

2 3.0 2 3.0

1 2.0 1 2.0

1 5.0 1 5.0

1 0.1 1 0.1

6 2.6 2 2.8 3 3.3

2 9.0 2 9.0

1 1.0 1 1.0

1 0.5 1 0.5

2 5.0 1 5.0 1 b

F Alumina cement with neoprene latex 3.2 0.2 5.0 3.3

a. Average period in years over which installation was observed or after which it failed

bNo data

16
Table 1 - continued

Types of

Flooring

G Resilient floor coverings

(a) Asphalt tile

(b) Sheet vinyl

(c) Polyester tile

H Quarry tile

(a) with epoxy bed and joints

(b) with furan bed and joints

I Carpet

(a) Acrylic, medium- level

looped pile, without

cushion

(b) Nylon, low- level looped

pile, with sponge rubber

cushion

(c) Wool, looped pile, without

cushion

(d) Wool, velvet twist, over hair-jute pad

Total Fairly SatisInstallations Fai lures Satis factory fact ory

No. Lifea No. Life No. Life No. Life

3 11.2 1 0.7 2 16.5

1 28.0 1 28.0

1 5.0 1 5.0

1 0.7 1 0.7

5 9.2 2 9.0 3 9.3

2 6.5 1 8.0 1 5.0

3 11.0 1 10.0 2 11.5

8 3.0

1 3.0

3 3.7

3 2.0

1 4.0

5.0

5.0

2.6

3.0

4.0

2.0

3.0

2.0

4.0

17
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19
Notes to Table 2

a. Classifications by exposure and by usage. These classifications

are on the basis of the author's experience and some overlapping

is to be expected.

b. Dry areas in Table 2 are those not normally exposed to water

spillage. In Table 3, dry areas include only "clean" areas, as in Note d

c. Wet areas are those normally exposed to water spillage. In Table

3, wet areas include all exterior areas and those subject to other

spillages, as in Note e.

d. Areas not subject to spillage except of water.

e. Areas subject to spillage besides water, as of grease, chemicals,

or other materials which soil, stain, or otherwise damage the floor.

f. Light, medium, and heavy traffic are relative terms. Areas of

light traffic are used occasionally, as in a church, or by a limited number of people, as in a home, hospital operating room,

laboratory. Heavy traffic areas are used by the public or undergo

intensive use, as a fire station or military kitchens, latrines,

shower rooms. Medium traffic areas are in between.

20
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21
Notes to Table 3

See Table 1.

b. Dry areas are those not normally exposed to spillage of water, grease,

chemicals, or other materials which soil, stain, or otherwise damage

the floor

c. Wet areas include all exterior areas and those interior areas normally

exposed to spillage of water, grease, chemicals, or other materials

which soil, stain, or otherwise damage the floor.

d. Traffic is divided into light, medium, and heavy traffic. See

Table 2 for examples.

e. Number of locations in this category.

f. Average period in years over which installation was observed or after which it failed.

g. Number of installations in this category which failed,

h. No data on service life or period of observation.

22
Table 4. Flooring Recommended for Various Types of Service

Light traffic in wet or dry areas, with or without spillage

Epoxy brush-on

Polyurethane brush-on

b

Epoxy-polyurethane brush-on

Moderate traffic in dry, clean areas Carpet

Heavy traffic in dry, clean areas Asphalt tile

Epoxy trowel-on and thin-set terrazzo

Polyester trowel-on and thin-set terrazzo

Heavy traffic in wet areas without exposure to heat or spillage

of grease and chemicals

Epoxy trowel-on and thin-set terrazzo

Heavy traffic with exposure to spillage of grease and chemicals

Vinyl asbestos tile

Heavy traffic with exposure to heat and spillage of grease and chemicals

Polyester trowel-on and thin-set terrazzo

Quarry tile

Pedestal floors, as in computer areas Polyester terrazzo tile

Rehabilitation over old asphalt tile

Brush-on epoxy-polyamide-polyurethane system

a. The author 'e experience was used, together with the data in this

report, as a basis for these recommendations.

b. Federal Specification TT-C-001685, May 10, 1971

23
Caution must be taken in the interpretation of the comments and recommendations in this report. The following qualifications should clarify and

prevent misinterpretation of these recommendations:

1. Recommendations and comments are based on the studies

included in this report in the light of the author's

judgment and experience.

2. The products included in the observations and experiment are

not well defined and therefore the recommendations are only

tentative and are intended only as rough guidelines.

3. Other types of flooring may be suitable for applications

described in Tables 1-4.

4. Some types of carpet may be suitable for "wet" areas, areas of

high spillage, and for heavy traffic but the author has not

received sufficient evidence to recommend carpeting for such areas.

5. Some epoxy trowel-on surfacings may be suitable for heavy

traffic in "wet" areas subjected to spillage but epoxy based

formulations could not be recommended for such usage on the

basis of present evidence.

As a general conclusion, the author has made qualified recommendations

based on the data in this report and present knowledge. Further studies

of this kind should be undertaken to improve the state of the art of

performance evaluation as the author has outlined [3], [9], [10].

24
References

Felix Y. Yokel and Norman F. Somes, "Performance Criteria for

Innovative Housing Systems", Engineering Education, vol. 61_, No. 2,

105 (Nov., 1970).

George A. Taylor, Managerial and Engineering Economy, van Nostrand

Reinhold Co., New York, 1964, Chapters 6 and 7.

W. C. Wolfe, "Performance Tests for Floor Coverings", ASTMMatls.

Res. and Stds., vol. 10, No. 7, 15 (July, 1970).

George M. Parks, The Economics of Carpeting and Resilient Flooring,

University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, 1966.

David G. Martens, "Hardwood? Carpet" or Tile?", U. S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service, Research Paper NE-200, 1971.

Notice of Proposed Flammability Standard, Federal Register, vol. 34 , No. 242, 19812, Thursday, December 18, 1969. Notice of Standard,

op_. .cit., vol. 35, No. 74, APPENDIX I, 38, Thursday, April 16, 1970.

See also Federal Specification DDD-C-95, CARPETS AND RUGS, WOOL,

NYLON, ACRYLIC, M0DACRYLIC, POLYESTER, POLYPROPYLENE, INTERIM

AMENDMENT-2, 4.5.13.

ASTM E 84-70, Test for SURFACE BURNING CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDING

MATERIALS

8. Winthrop C. Wolfe, "Field Studies of Floor Coverings", Flooring , vol. 74, No. 11, 52 (Nov., 1968).

9. Winthrop C. Wolfe and William C. Cullen, "Performance Testing of Floor

Coverings", page 85, "Performance of Buildings - Concept and Measurement 1

Building Science Series 1, National Bureau of Standards, January, 1970.

10. Winthrop C. Wolfe, "Performance Tests for Finish Floors. State-of-theArt", page 799, vol. I, National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 361: Performance Concept in Buildings; Proceedings of the

Joint RILEM-ASTM-CIB Symposium, May 2-5, 1971, Philadelphia (Issued

March 1972).

25

APPENDIX A

Detailed Report on Field Observations

A. a. Observations on Flooring by Case Histories

BARRACKS LATRINE, 1968, No. 1. Concrete slab on grade.

A previous epoxy coating was removed, revealing old paint and a rough

surface in the center for the room. A trowel-on polyester coating was applied to the floor, apparently while the room was cold (poorly heated

during January). After about a week, there were blisters and cracks all over the floor.

BARRACKS LATRINE, 1959-1968, No. 2 A 1/8-inch trowel-on coating was installed over a latex coating which had

been installed over a plywood subfloor. Pretreatment consisted of a primer coat and a glass mat. A surface coating was applied over the

trowel-on topping. After more than 8 years service the floor was still

in good condition.

LAUNDRY, SECTION NEXT TO WINDOWS, 1963-1964, No. 3. a. The surfacing was removed after one month service.

LAUNDRY - TWO SECTIONS, EACH BETWEEN WASHERS AND DRIERS, 1963-1968.

Nos. 3b, 3c. Concrete slab on grade.

The old concrete floor was acid washed, cleaned with detergent, rinsed

with water, and dried with a torch. Primer was applied with a rubber

squeegee. While the primer was still tacky, a 1/4-inch layer of green

polyester mix was applied. After five years, the floor was still in

good condition, although dirty and faded.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1962, No. 4

A 3/16-inch trowel-on coating was applied over concrete with a pretreatment

consisting of a primer coat and a glass mat. A surface coat was applied over the trowel -on topping. After a few weeks, the coating began to

separate from the concrete and became soft. After a year, the top coat was worn off around the dishwashing area. Finally, the bond between

coating and concrete failed completely around the stoves and drains.

The floor was removed after about three years.

A-l
MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1962, No. 5

The concrete subfloor had badly eroded areas at all drains and a few

cracks. Grease spots were cleaned with solvent and a solvent-based primer

was brushed on. The epoxy coating was troweled on over the primer.

The floor gradually disintegrated over a three-year period and a large

area around the drain broke loose.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1968, No. 6

The installation procedure was as follows:

1) The concrete floor was cleaned with hydrochloric acid„

2) Epoxy resin was brushed into the concrete as a binder.

3) A bed of epoxy mortar and hardener was laid 5/8 to 3/4 inch ^ thick.

4) Abrasive quarry tile, 6- by 6- by 1/2-inch, was set down,

not pressed into the bed.

5) The joints were filled with epoxy mortar.

In about six months, some tiles were loose at the corners near the range.

The epoxy bed and joints gradually disintegrated under the stoves and

hot water heater. After about five years, the tile on the range pads

was replaced, using cement mortar. The epoxy under the hot water heater

was almost gone. After about 8 years, the black epoxy joints were worn

and there were some holes.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1965, No. 7a.

An epoxy coating about 1/8-inch thick was troweled on over concrete.

After about a year, the coating loosened under the sink, near the range

and at the dishwashing area. This was attributed to grease on the

original surface. After about six years, the coating was worn and bare

concrete showed at three small spots.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1968, No. 8

After 9 years, the floor was in fair condition, except for disintegration,

roughness, and worn appearance around the floor drain and sink, and a number of fine cracks all over the floor. The floor was dirty and hard

to clean.

AMESS HALL KITCHEN, 1967-1968, No. 9

After about one year, most of the floor appeared to be in satisfactory

condition, but a number of small places around the dishwasher, drain,

and hot water heater had become loose and were patched with epoxy

composition.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1967-1968, No. 10

After six months service, the floor was in excellent condition, smooth

and clean looking.

MESS HALL KITCHEN. First installation, 1960-1961, No. ll.a

The coating was removed after five months service.

MESS HALL KITCHEN. Second installation, 1961-1966, No. 11. b. Plywood

subfloor.

A latex floor topping had been removed after five months service. Nonskid red quarry tile was installed, using epoxy bed and joints. The

installation steps were:

1) A plywood subfloor was installed with 1/4 inch joints between

sheets.

2) An epoxy mortar was applied to the plywood subfloor with a notched trowel to 1/4-inch thickness, working the mortar into

the plywood joints.

3) The quarry tile was set into the bed, leaving 1/4-inch joints.

4) The joints between the tiles were filled with the mortar used for

the bed. The surface was squeegeed and the excess removed with

the rubber squeegee. The surface was finally cleaned with wet

rags and sponge.

After five years, the joints were in good condition. The tile was in

good condition except for some broken by impact - two around the center

of the kitchen, one near the stove, and several near the floor drain.

Apparently this tile was not affected by heat.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1957-1968, No. 12

Red quarry tile was installed over plywood. After about 10 years, the

building was closed and broken tiles were being replaced. Several tiles

had cracked from impact.

A-3
MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1965-1968, No. 13

The concrete floor was installed in 1958. It was still in good condition

in 1965. There was some spalling around the drain and dishwashing areas,

a few cracks and spalling on the pad under the ranges but no major cracks.

The floor was prepared by acid wash; scrubbing with steel wool; scarifying

with a machine; another acid wash; and a hose rinse. A polyester primer

was placed on the concrete, with a little sand sprinkled on the wet primer,

The final polyester coating was placed 1/4-inch thick and was white with

green and black chips. After three years, the floor was in excellent

condition.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1965-1968, No. 14

Quarry tile, 1/2-inch thick, was installed over plywood. After about 13

years, the floor was in excellent condition, except for a few cracked

tiles.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1957-1968, No. 15

Quarry tile, 1/2-inch thick, was applied over plywood with furan adhesive

and mortar joints. The workmanship was poor, the adhesive was not

spread thoroughly over the plywood, and the joints looked sloppy. After

about three months, 24 tiles cracked, probably due to impact from heavy

trash cans; otherwise the installation was satisfactory. After ten years,

the tiles were badly cracked. Finally, the broken tiles were replaced

where damaged by trash cans, using portland cement grout.

SHOWERS AND DRESSING ROOM IN HOSPITAL, 1960-1966, Nos. 16, 17

The floors were in service for about six years and the space was then

converted to classrooms.

SALT SPRAY LABORATORY, 1967-1968, No. 18

The concrete floor was cleaned, acid etched, and rinsed. A polyester

prime coat was applied, then the resin topping the same day. The

topping consisted of resin, catalyst, marble dust, and crushed granite.

The mix was troweled on to about 1/4-inch. About half the thickness was removed with a terrazzo grinder. After 8 months the floor was in

satisfactory condition but dirty.

A-4
ENTRANCE BETWEEN OUTSIDE DOOR AND LABORATORIES, NEXT TO STAIRS, 1967-1968,

No. 19

Polyester tile was installed on the concrete floor, using a 3/32-inch

layer of adhesive, applied with a notched trowel. The new installation

had cracks between the tiles and some tiles were higher than others,

indicating an uneven subfloor. After about 8 months, most of the tiles

appeared tight superficially but on close inspection some tiles near the

staircase in low traffic areas were loose at the corners. There were

cracks between the tiles. The tiles seemed to have leveled off; they

were all at the same level. The floor was rather dirty.

ENTRANCE - STAIR LANDING BETWEEN OUTSIDE DOOR AND DOOR TO INSDIE

CORRODOR OF OFFICE BUILDING, 1967-1968, No. 21

A polyurethane brush-on coating with vinyl chips was applied to the

concrete floor. After about three months the floor was in serviceable

condition but looked slightly worn and dirty in traffic areas. BAKERY, 1966-1967, No. 22

After about three months there were some breaks in the floor and evidence

of crumbling in the coating. The floor was removed, the concrete

scarified, and the same material was applied again. After about three

months, there were several loose places and some flaking. Most of the

floor appeared to be in satisfactory condition.

BARRACKS LATRINES AND SHOWER ROOMS (4), 1966-1967, Nos. 23-26, incl

After about one year service, most of the floor, in each case, was in

good condition over most of the area, but there were loose places and

blisters at various positions, especially around the drains and toilets.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1966-1968, No. 27

A 1/4-inch polyester coating was troweled on over concrete. After

1-1/2 years service, no defects were reported.

BARRACKS LATRINES AND SHOWER ROOMS (2), 1965-1968, Nos. 28, 29

The coatings, about 1/16-inch thick, were in satisfactory condition after

three years, except for peeling around the drinking fountain in one latrine and peeling in the back part of the shower room in the other

latrine.

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BARRACKS LATRINE, 1966-1967, No. 30

After ten months service the floor was rough but satisfactory.

BARRACKS LATRINES AND SHOWER ROOMS (5), 1966-1968, Nos. 31-35, incl.

All floors were in satisfactory condition after about one year service.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1966-1968, No. 31

After one year, the floor was in good condition.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1967, No. 37

After about six months service, the floor was in good condition, but

rough and uneven, with indentations; its condition was attributed to

poor troweling.

MEAT CUTTING PLANT, 1965-1967, No. 38. Concrete slab on grade.

The coating was loose and peeling off after two years service, although

the same materials and application method was used as in the laundry,

No. 39.

LAUNDRY, 1965-1967, No. 39. Concrete slab on grade.

The floor was in good condition after two years service.

BARRACKS LATRINES AND SHOWER ROOMS (2), 1966-1968, Nos. 40, 41

Soon after installation, the floors appeared rough, porous, stained, and

hard to clean. After sealing, the floors were satisfactory and no trouble was reported during the first year of service.

LAUNDRY AREA NEXT TO WINDOWS BETWEEN WASHERS AND DRIERS. First installation, January-March 1964, No. 42. a. (1)

The concrete floor was cleaned thoroughly with caustic, the loose

concrete was removed, and the floor thoroughly dried. Holes were filled

with a polyurethane coating containing a small amount of sand. Four

coatings were applied with a roller and the last two were sprinkled with

sand. The total thickness was about 3/16 inch. The coating began to

lose bond around the edges after about six weeks and was removed after

about four months because of bond failure.

LAUNDRY AREA NEXT TO WINDOWS BETWEEN WASHERS AND DRIERS. Second installation, May 1964-November 1966, No. 42. a. (2)

A coating of 1 part sand to 3 parts epoxy resin was rolled on the cleaned

concrete. Then two successive coatings of polyurethane resin were

applied and a white, pigmented polyurethane composition was troweled on.

AAfter drying, the coating was wetted with solvent to make it tacky and

a polyurethane mix with walnut shell flour, brick color, was troweled

on to 1/4-inch thickness. After about two years, the coating disintegrated,

became soft and loose, and was peeling off in large sections. Pools of

water were standing on the uneven floor.

LAUNDRY, THIRD BAY FROM WINDOWS. First installations, 1964, No. 42.b(l).

(The second installation, 1964, was a polyurethane coating No. 42. b. (2).)

The concrete floor had become eroded and spalled due to impact from

heavy equipment, rolling friction of steel wheels, and the action of

hot water, starch, and detergents. The floor was acid etched, rinsed with

water, and dried. A solvent-based epoxy primer was rolled on. Cracks,

holes, and joints were filled with an epoxy patching compound. Three

10-mil coats of gray epoxy composition were rolled on. After about a month, the floor was removed because of poor bond. Some of the floor

coating had already peeled off.

LAUNDRY, THIRD BAY FROM WINDOWS. Second installation, 1964-1966. No. 42. b.

(2). (The first installation, 1964, No. 42.b.(l), was an epoxy coating).

The coating was applied in the same manner and with the same composition

as the previous installation in the area next to the windows, between

washers and driers, No. 42. a. (2), but the test color was white and the

mix had a sand filler. This disintegrated and peeled after about two

years service.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, No. 43

An epoxy coating had peeled off in large sections during approximately

three years service.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1964. No. 44. Concrete slab on grade.

The original wood floor had been removed and the space had been graded

with a compacted fill. A concrete floor was then poured over the fill.

Subsequently an epoxy coating was troweled on. This coating proved

hard to clean.

STOREROOM, 1966, No. 45. Concrete slab on grade.

The topping was applied over rough, spalled concrete. After a few weeks,

while fork lift trucks were operating over the floor, the topping was in

good condition except for some gouges.

APLUMBING SHOP, 1964-1969, No. 46. Concrete slab on grade.

After two years the floor was in good condition except for some structural

cracks. After five years service the general appearance was poor, with

long cracks and gouges. When wet, workmen track in black marks into the

office and locker room. The topping softens and turns black due to oil

spillage. The original concrete floor had gouges which could not be

repaired satisfactorily because the patches would not adhere. Adhesion

of the present topping or surfacing is satisfactory.

STAIRS OUTSIDE BARRACKS, 1966-1969, No. 47. Steel stairs outside brick

building covered with a concrete roof.

A polyurethane brush-on coating with fine stone aggregate in blue, white

and black colors was used on the steel stairs from the first to the second

floor. This was applied to the treads; a thick layer was used on the

upper part of the stairs. Soon after application, some wear was noticeable, especially on the lower part of the stairs, where the paint

was worn off the steel nose pieces. Considerable metal was worn away.

There was less wear on the upper part of the stairs, where the steel

nose pieces were scarcely worn and the white paint was still intact.

After about 18 months, the stairs were still in satisfactory condition.

However, after three years service the coating was badly worn all over. WALK RAMP OUTSIDE COMMISSARY, 1967-1969, No. 48

Non-slip, trowel -on epoxy coating was in good condition after 8 months

service, but somewhat worn and smooth in traffic areas. After two years

service only a little of the coating was left and most of the loose

material was removed.

FIRE STATION, 1966-1969, No. 49. Concrete slab on grade.

Holes in the concrete floor were patched with concrete and troweled.

The floor was acid washed and cleaned with alkaline detergent. An epoxy

based primer was applied and then three coats of urethane based finish.

Reclaimed vinyl chips were used as a filler. The first coat was sanded.

The total thickness was between 1/16 and 1/8 inch. After about two

months, the coating yellowed at the entrance where it was exposed to

direct sunlight. The floor also showed damage from the sharp edges of

trash cans, although it was not affected by pick-up trucks being driven

over it. After about 19 months, the floor showed more impact damage and

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it was necessary to apply a fresh seal coat. Most of the coating was in

satisfactory condition after three years service, with the addition of one glaze coat. In the area with floor drain, where fire hoses are hung

chips were knocked out by the fire hoses. This area, the area under the

fire trick, and the area near the back door, were refinished due to lack

of bond. Overall, there is some scuffing and there are some chipped

places. However, the refinishing and recoating do not seem excessive

compared to repainting a painted floor, which would be necessary about

every six months.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, 1959-1960, No. 50

An epoxy coating was applied over a concrete floor in a 200 sq. ft.

dishwashing area. The concrete surface was acid etched and a sealer

coat was applied. A red epoxy coating was troweled on about 1/4 inch

thick. After 24 hours a red, pigmented skim coat was applied. After

16 months there was no sign of bond failure or erosion but the> floor was unattractive and there were a number of chipped places due to impact

from trays, etc.

MESS HALL KITCHEN, DISHWASHING AREA, 1967, No. 51, Concrete slab, 4

inches thick, over a wooden subfloor.

The floor is subjected to hand trucks. The surface was chipped in

heavy traffic areas and was dirty but otherwise it was in satisfactory

condition.

RESIDENCES - KITCHENS AND LIVING QUARTERS, (2), 1966-1969. Nos. 52, 53.

Polyurethane brush-on decorative coating with vinyl chips was applied

over vinyl asbestos tile in the kitchens of two homes. Clear polyurethane

finish on the wood floors in both homes was in excellent condition with

no yellowing or darkening and without refinishing. Both kitchen floors were in fair to good condition after three years service. The brush-on

decorative coating in No. 52 kitchen was in excellent condition except

for separation around the edges against the painted wood molding, to

which the bond was poor/ The kitchen in No. 53 showed some scratch

marks and dirt and the occupant complained about difficulty in cleaning.

However, the appearance was fair to good. The surface was pebbled and

probably harder to clean than a perfectly smooth surface. Also, scouring

Apowder had been used to clean the floor, which would account for at least

some of the scratches [8] and a scratched floor would be still more

difficult to clean because dirt is likely to collect in the scratches.

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, No. 54. a, and CIRCULAR OPERATING WING, No. 54. b,

1964-1968 (2)

The floors were reported to be in satisfactory condition after about

four years.

ANIMAL OPERATING ROOMS AND HALL, 1963-1968, No. 55

Epoxy terrazzo with granite chips was in good condition after five years

service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM", 1963-1968, No. 5 6. a. Concrete slab on grade.

The floor was in good condition after five years service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM", 1963-1968, No. 56. b. Concrete slab on grade.

Epoxy terrazzo with granite chips was in good condition after five years

service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM1 , 1966-1968, No. 56.c. Concrete slab on grade.

A one-component polyurethane composition was applied in two coats over

a similar coating in 1966. The appearance was gray and shiny. The

floor was in good condition after two years service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM 1 , 1963-1968, No. 56. d. Concrete slab on grade.

Fiberglass-reinforced epoxy trowel-on coating was in good condition

after five years service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM", 1963-1968, No. 56. e. Concrete slab on grade.

The floor was in good condition after five years service.

ANIMAL ROOM - "CLEAN ROOM", 1966, No. 56. f. Concrete slab on grade.

Three coatings of epoxy composition were rolled on over a rough

polyester coating. Total thickness is about 20 mils. After about a year the coating seemed to be in satisfactory condition.

CENTER CORRIDOR BETWEEN ANIMAL "CLEAN" ROOMS, 1963-1968, No. 56. g.

The floor appeared to be in good condition after five years.

OPERATING SUITE, 1963-1968, No. 57

Conductive neoprene latex terrazzo flooring was installed in January

1963. After about five years, the conductivity has remained about the

same. The floors look dull. In the operating rooms, there is some

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pitting in the middle of the room where the operating table is placed.

There were also gouges in the corridor near a steel nose piece.

LABORATORY GLASSWARE WASHING FACILITY, 1966-1970, No. 58. Concrete slab

on grade.

The floor had been covered with asphalt or vinyl asbestos tile, using

asphalt adhesive. The tile and mastic were removed and decorative

polyurethane brush-on coating was applied. The coating consisted of a primer and three finish coats with vinyl chips. Some sand was broadcast

onto the surface before complete setting or hardening to skidproof the

coating. The new floor was subjected to pipe fitting operations. After

about 18 months, the floor was serviceable but unattractive. The floor was stained in places with dye. One place was etched and discolored with

a sulfuric acid-dichromate mixture used to clean laboratory glassware.

The floor was hard to clean and the finish was worn and dull. After

four years service most of the floor was still in fairly good condition

even around all but one of the sinks. However, the area around the sink

where sulfuric acid-dichromate mixture was used had failed. The coating

around this sink was destroyed to the bare concrete floor. A rubber mat

around this sink would have solved this problem.

CONCRETE SUN DECK IN HOSPITAL, 1966-1970, No. 59

The sun deck roof was refinished with a concrete topping, then covered

with a 1/4-inch thick polyester thin-set terrazzo. After 16 months, the

deck covering was in good condition but contained long, structural cracks

(repaired with a caulking compound), and stained with rust from a downspout. After four years service the floor was dirty and badly stained

with many cracks caulked with a white sealant. The installation should

have had expansion joints.

RECREATION BUILDING, 1966-1970, No. 60

A polyurethane decorative coating was applied over 1/2-inch particleboard, laid over a wood floor, using a primer and three coats. After

about a year, the floor was worn in places and there were some cracks,

with evidence of peeling adjacent to the cracks. The floor was rather

dirty, probably due to poor maintenance. After four years service the

floor was still in fair condition with an overall dull appearance and

cracks in some places and pitted in some areas. However, areas outside

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the traffic pattern were in good condition and looked new under the pool

table and ping pong table.

MEAT CUTTING PLANT, 1966-1970, No. 61

After about three months service the floor was in excellent condition.

However, after four years service there were a number of rough places

and whitish areas, probably due to pulling away of aggregate from the

resin matrix, (which might result from applying a fresh batch of mix

and troweling). Otherwise the floor was in good condition and there

were no bonding problems.

AIRLINE TERMINAL, 1967-1969, No. 62

Polyester thin-set terrazzo, 1/4-inch thick was installed over new

concrete in 1967. After 1-1/2 years service there were cracks all the

way across the lobby and walkway in a number of places. In some places

the floor bulged or humped at the crack, indicating a structural or shrinkage problem. There are not many expansion joints and divider

strips were placed at irregular intervals. The area covers about 30,000

sq. ft. and the floor base is a 3-inch composite steel deck with barjoint suspension. The building is adjacent to an older terminal and

suffers vibrations from aircraft.

FIRE STATION, 1968-1971, No. 63. Concrete slab on grade.

Thin-set epoxy terrazzo with green and white marble chips was installed

in 1968 over a 2-inch concrete slab on fill, originally coated with gray

deck enamel. Procedure for preparation of the surface and installation

of the terrazzo was as follows:

1) Paint remover and rags were used to remove the deck enamel.

2) The floor was ground lightly, using a hand grinder with

horizontal axis, and the floor was rinsed with water.

Grinding and rinsing were repeated twice. The floor was allowed to dry overnight.

3) A skim coat of epoxy primer was troweled on.

4) While the primer was still wet and tacky, the terrazzo mix

was troweled on about 1/4-inch thick.

5) The floor was ground with a terrazzo grinder beginning the

next day.

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The floor area, about 225 sq. ft., is 11- by 19-ft. plus a 2- by 7-ft. area under the stairs. The largest span is 16 ft. There are no divider

strips. The room is used as a vestibule and is the main entrance to the

living quarters upstairs and to a classroom, which is used occasionally.

The traffic is moderate. After about three years the floor appears to

be in perfect condition. The floor is cleaned and waxed regularly.

CONCRETE SUN DECKS IN HOSPITAL, 1967-1970, Nos. 64a, 64b

Two concrete sun decks had originally been covered with quarry tile on coal tar pitch beds. The quarry tile was in bad condition and was removed in 1967 and a polyester thin-set terrazzo was installed at that

time. After three years service, both decks were in fairly good condition.

However, there were some white spots due to faulty application and some

fine hairline cracks on both sun decks. One of the decks was in worse

condition. On this deck there was a wide structural crack; the floor was much dirtier, with rust stains; and the area near the drain was patched because the floor was toohigh and did not drain.

APARTMENT IN HOUSING PROJECT, 1969-1971, No. 65

On March 25, 1969, a monolithic surfacing or seamless floor system was applied to the floor of an apartment dwelling unit in which there had

been a fire with damage to the asphalt tile. Some of the tile had been

removed but most of it was intact. Over the asphalt tile and the mastic

of the removed tiles was brushed on a base coat of epoxy-polyamide

emulsion in water. After about two hours, an epoxy-polyamide resin

based "wet coat" was applied, into which was sprinkled decorative vinyl

chips. Another "wet coat" was applied, followed by several "glaze coats"

of moisture-cured polyurethane. After two years, on March 24, 1971, the

coating was in excellent condition with no complaints from the tenants.

There were a few scars near the door from movers and a few seams from the

old tile showed through,, A new toilet had been installed in the bathroom

which was narrower than the old one and exposed linoleum underneath which

had served as a base for the coating in the bathroom. There was no sign

of peeling at the edges.

MASS HALL KITCHEN, 1970-1971, No. 66. Concrete slab on grade.

The original wood floor was removed; a concrete block wall was installed;

the space under the floor was filled in; and a concrete slab on grade

A-13
was placed over the fill. The concrete slab deteriorated and eroded

with use. A concrete topping and then an epoxy topping were tried but

failed because of poor bond. On February 12, 1970, the concrete surfacing

with epoxy additive was applied. The surface was prepared by acid

etching, followed by thorough rinsing with water. After air drying for

17 hours, the hairline cracks in the concrete floor were sealed with a proprietary floor sealer, probably based on acrylic resin. Three coats

of sealer were applied over the cracks and two coats over the entire

floor. A two-inch thick topping was then applied, using a proprietary

portland cement mix, modified with an additive of emulsified epoxy

resin. Application was started while the primer or sealer was still

tacky, after two or three hours. Six months later, in August 1970, two

coats of floor sealer were applied to seal hairline cracks which appeared

in the topping or surfacing. On October 12, 1970, after eight months

service, the floor showed many irregular fine cracks and whitish places near the sink, probably due to the effect of moisture on the sealer or "blushing". The floor was somewhat slippery, which is probably due to

the sealer. There were some rough places near one of the sinks. There

was a traffic pattern at the serving line where the sealer had visibly

worn off. The storeroom area was in good condition with no cracks.

On February 4, 1971, after about one year service, the floor was about

the same and generally in good contion, very smooth and even, but with

some hairline cracks.

OFFICE BUILDING, 1943-1971, No. 67

The original flooring was asphalt tile, laid on concrete, 3/16-inch thick

in the corridors and 1/8-inch thick in the offices. Over half of this

is still in use, especially in the corridors. Some offices now have

vinyl asbestos tile, which is generally light colored. The original

asphalt tile is almost black. There are about 30,000 employees in the

building but there are many entrances, including six public entrances.

Most people (probably 85 percent) carry bag lunches, so that the noon

traffic is not very heavy. Most of the traffic is one way in the morning

and the reverse in the evening. Two of the public exits are the most

widely used. There are two men assigned to repair and replacement and

385 men on the general maintenance staff. There is about 6,000,000

A-14
gross and 3,600,000 net square feet of floor area*. There is a noticeable traffic pattern in the corridors over the entire width except by one tile width at each wall. The asphalt tile appears badly worn with seams obliterated, gouges, and scarred places, but is not yet worn through in

most places. However, there are some bare places near entrances where

the tile is worn through to the concrete. The tile has been replaced

in front of drinking fountains. The original asphalt tile does not

indent as badly as the vinyl asbestos tile used in some of the offices

but it is more susceptible to scratches. In some corridors new 1/8-inch

asphalt tile is somewhat lower than the original 3/16 asphalt tile and

in other corridors the new tile is about level with the original tile,

so that the overall wear may or may not be as much as 1/16 inch. Some

of the tile was replaced on the first floor where the tile was laid on concrete slab on grade. The concrete slab was laid on a swamp with no vapor barrier and this resulted in water seepage, causing damage from

efflorescence. Originally there was a white, powdery residue on the

tiles from efflorescence and later gouges appeared.

SUBURBAN PRIVATE HOSPITAL - CORONARY CARE UNIT, 1966-1968, No. 68

A commercial low-level looped pile nylon carpet with sponge rubber

cushion was installed in the coronary care unit, which has relatively

little traffic and spillage. The head nurse said that the carpet was much more comfortable and less noisy than resilient tile. She had no difficulty in moving beds or other wheeled equipment. After six months

service, the carpet appeared clean and had only been vacuumed, not

shampooed. The carpet was in service for about two years, then the unit was transferred to another floor and the carpet was removed.

CITY PRIVATE HOSPITAL, 1969-1972, No. 69

The carpet was installed in February 1969, throughout an entire medicalsurgical nursing unit, with considerable spillage and problems with body

wastes. This carpet was a medium-level looped pile acrylic type with

double polypropylene backing, cemented wall-to-wall without cushioning.

*Gross space is all livable interior space with corresponding gross

floor area. Net space is space cleaned on a scheduled basis, as every

night, every week, etc. Net floor area is that of the net space.

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According to measurements by the National Bureau of Standards, the pile

height was 0.219 inch; total thickness 0.365 inch; weight of yarn 58.9 ounces per square yard. Tests performed by the Bureau's Office of

Flammable Fabrics indicated that the carpet passed the U. S. Department

of Commerce Proposed Flammability Standard of 1969, essentially the same as the Standard of 1970 [5], Acoustics tests by the Bureau's

Building Research Division, before and after installation, showed reduction

in noise level but it was not established that the noise level reduction

was significant. About two weeks before the installation, the Building

Research Division recorded temperature and humidity continuously for a week, checking periodically with a wet and dry bulb sling psychrometer.

The temperature and humidity varied somewhat but the temperature was

about 75-80 deg. F. and the relative humidity about 20-30 percent. In

spite of the low humidity, there have been no complaints about static

charge from the carpet. According to the maintenance staff at the

hospital, the maintenance time and cost is about the same as that for

resilient tile. The carpet is shampooed about every three months and

vacuumed daily. Patients' rooms are shampooed after check-out. We

have observed the installation periodically and the appearance of most

of the carpet during the three year period of service is fair to good.

It does not appear worn near the elevators or stairs and is still in

place in the corridors, patients'; rooms, bathrooms, and stair landings.

However, the carpet has been replaced by embossed sheet vinyl in the

nurses' station, adjacent closet, and in the serving room or kitchen

area because of wear or unsatisfactory appearance. The overall appearance

is somewhat dull and there are some stains and black marks. The carpet

appears a little matted and the pile needs brushing periodically.

Extensive spotting is necessary and there are numerous stains in the

corridors from coffee, soft drinks, etc., although these are not very

noticeable. There are noticeable stains in the patients' rooms and also

cigarette burns, so that a number of repairs have been made by cutting

circular sections and cementing in patches. Some of the nurses have

complained about the persistent odor due to spillage of food and body

fluids, which was difficult to remove even by thorough shampooing. The

A-16
overall impression is that the carpet is satisfactory for corridors but

not for patients' rooms, bathrooms, kitchen or serving areas, or nurses'

stations.

URBAN SUPERMARKET, 1967-1972, No. 70

A sponge rubber cushioned, low-level, looped pile, nylon carpet was installed March 1967. The manufacturer's specifications were: 22 ounce,

10-wire, 100 percent continuous filament nylon face; 3/8-inch sponge

rubber cushion cemented to the carpet. The carpet appeared firm and

food carts could be pushed over it readily but with somewhat more

difficulty than over resilient tile. A few weeks after installation,

there were black spots around the vegetable and meat counters, black

streaks near the dairy counter, and a bad gouge near the entrance to the

storeroom. The carpet is vacuumed every day and spotted frequently with

a special detergent solution. A year after installation the appearance

deteriorated markedly except around the check-out counter and the manager

said that the cost of adequate cleaning and spotting was prohibitive.

After three years, in August 1970, the carpet in the worst areas around

the vegetable bins, meat and seafood counters, was replaced with the

same type of carpet of a different color. The original carpet around the

check-out areas was noticeably worn and the original carpet in the rest

of the store had deteriorated in appearance. After about five years

service, in 1971, the carpet was replaced with another low-level, looped

pile, nylon carpet (without cushion) which was cemented to the floor.

The manufacturer's specifications were: 22 ounces/sq. yd. face weight;

56 ounces/sq. yd. total weight; 3 ply nylon; 7 rows per inch; 270 pitch.

The new carpet was inspected in February 1972, and appeared to be in

good condition but with some stains and adhered chewing gum. Mats were placed over the carpet near the storeroom and entrance but not near any

of the bins, counters, or freezers. The carpet seemed firmer and it was easier to push food carts, which could be moved readily even by

frail elderly people. The general impression was that, while the

original carpet was in service for five years, it should have been re- placed earlier and could not be maintained economically in a satisfactory

condition even with the use of mats and partial replacement.

A-17
PRIVATE OFFICE BUILDING - CORRIDORS, 1966-1970, No. 71

A sponge rubber backed low-level, looped pile, woven nylon carpet was cemented over resilient tile in 1966 in the corridors of a 12-story

office building. In 1967 the carpet was in good condition except for some black heel marks in various locations and loose carpet and a tear on the 12th floor. The chief troubles were the adhesion and with seams which scrubbing tends to open. Sponge rubber cannot be obtained in

widths greater than 54 inches, so there are more seams than there would

be with broadloom carpet with foam rubber cushion. In 1970 the carpet

was still in good condition and was clean without stains. However, some areas appeared to be patched and there was a split seam on the 12th floor,

showing the sponge rubber cushion underneath. The corridors are vacuumed

every night and spot cleaned with perchloroethylene but they are not

shampooed.

ARMY BARRACKS, 1968-1970, Woven looped pile wool carpet without cushion,

LOBBY OF MEN'S BARRACKS, No. 72a

There were some problems initially with fuzzing but the carpet appears to

be in good condition after two years of service. There are a few cigarette

burns and some depressions due to an uneven pad. The carpet is vacuumed

daily but is not shampooed.

LOBBY OF WOMEN'S BARRACKS, No. 72.b

The carpet was in good condition after two years of service except for a number of stains. The carpet needs shampooing and spotting.

DAY- ROOM, WOMEN'S BARRACKS, No. 72.

A number of cigarette burns were noted after one year of service but

otherwise the carpet was in good condition. After two years of service

the carpet appeared dirty, with a number of stains and cigarette burns

but was otherwise in good condition. The carpet needs shampooing and

spotting.

SUBURBAN CHURCH, 1967-1971, No. 73

A dull blue, wool velvet-twist carpet was installed in the sanctuary,

April 1967. Installation was by the tackless method over a combination

hair-jute pad, in rows 15 ft. wide, with the pad on the bias. The

sanctuary is irregular in shape and a good deal of cutting and fitting

were required. The carpet was stretched over 6-inch tackless strips

A-18
about 6 inches apart and seamed with paper-plastic tape, using a hot

iron. The carpet was finally shrunk to shape with water. After the

installation the carpet was dirty but the appearance was restored by

cleaning. Some of the carpet was examined and the tufts were easily pulled

out by hand, suggesting possible damage by children. According to

Federal Specification DDD-C-95, the tuft bind for single level cut pile

twist, Table II, Class 2, is 16 ounces, a rather low figure. Although

the tufts pull out easily, the carpet probably conforms to DDD-C-95 with

respect to tuft bind and cannot be considered substandard. The installation

was examined four years later in April 1971. The overall appearance was very good and smooth except for the aisle on the left hand side facing

the altar, where there was some buckling in places, indicating a need

for re-stretching. The carpet was clean and there was no sign of wear. The staff had not noticed any appreciable extra work in maintenance. The

only noticeable defect except for the buckling was indentation where

kneeling benches rest on the carpet. These indentations were deep and

permanent.

A.b. Observations on Flooring by Materials

Epoxy Monolithic Surfacings (14)

(a) Brush-on or roll-on type (2)

FAILURES (1)

Laundry, No. 42b(l) - concrete slab on grade - loss of bond - water, starch, detergents (1 mo.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Animal room, No. 56f - concrete slab on grade (1 yr.)

(b) Trowel-on industrial type (9)

FAILURES (5)

Mess hall kitchens (4), Nos. 4, 5, 7a, 43 - concrete subfloor -

loss of bond, crumbling - hot water, detergents, grease

(3-6 yrs.)

a. After each installation is indicated type of subfloor. In case of

failure or "fairly satisfactory" installation, the type and probable

cause of failure or defect are listed. Service period observed is in

parentheses in each case. A-19
Walk ramp outside commissary, No. 48 - steel substrate - wear - foot traffic (2 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 44 - concrete slab on fill - hard to

clean

Mess hall kitchen, No. 50 - concrete subfloor - unattractive,

chipped (16 mos.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Barracks latrine, No. 2 - plywood subfloor (8 yrs.)

Animal room, No. 56d - concrete slab on grade (5 yrs.)

(c) Thin-set Terrazzo (3)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (3)

Animal operating rooms and hall, No. 55 - concrete subfloor (5 yrs.)

Animal room, No. 5 6b - concrete slab on grade (5 yrs.)

Fire station, No. 63 - concrete slab on grade (3 yrs.)

Polyester Monolithic Surfacings (20)

(a) Trowel-on industrial type (14)

FAILURES (2)

Barracks latrine, No. 1 - concrete slab on grade - blisters

and cracks - low temperature (1 week)

Meat cutting plant, No. 38 - bond failure - grease on concrete subfloor (2 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Laundry sections, Nos. 3b, 3c - concrete slab on grade - dirty

and faded - maintenance and pigment used in mix (5 yrs.)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 37 - concrete subfloor - rough and

uneven - poor troweling (6 mos.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (10)

Barracks latrines and shower rooms (7), Nos. 31-35, incl .

,

40-41 - concrete slabs on grade (1 yr.)

Laundry, No. 39 - concrete slab on grade (2 yrs.)

Mess hall kitchens (2), Nos. 13, 27 - concrete subfloors

(1-1/2 yrs, 3 yrs.)

(b) Thin-set Terrazzo (6)

FAILURE (1)

A-20
Concrete sun deck, No. 59 - concrete subfloor - cracks - expansion and contraction from weather (4 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (5)

Airline terminal, No. 62 - concrete slab over steel deck - cracks

vibrations from aircraft (1-1/2 yr.)

Salt spray laboratory, No. 18 - concrete subfloor - dirty - poor maintenance (8 mos.)

Concrete sun decks (2), Nos. 64a, 64b - concrete subfloors - whitish spots - faulty application

crack - structural, from movement of subfloor (3 yrs.)

Meat cutting plant, No. 61 - concrete slab on grade - rough

spots, whitish areas - faulty application (4 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 10 - concrete subfloor (6, mos.)

Polyurethane Monolithic Surfacings (16)

(a) Brush-on or roll-on type (13)

FAILURES (6)

Barracks latrines and shower rooms (4), Nos. 23-26, incl . - concrete slabs on grade - bond failure, blisters - moisture

(1 yr.)

Laboratory glassware washing facility, No. 58 - concrete slab on grade - disintegration - acid cleaning mixture (4 yrs.)

Stairs outside barracks, No. 47 - steel substrate - wear - foot traffic (3 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (3)

Fire station, No. 49 - concrete slab on grade - bond failure,

chipping - impact from hoses, cans (3 yrs.)

Entrance, No. 21 - concrete subfloor - worn and dirty - poor

maintenance, possibly not best material for installation

(3 mos.)

Recreation area, No. 60 - particleboard over wooden floor - cracks, some peeling, dull and pitted - not best material

for installation (4 yrs.)

A- 21
SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (4)

Barracks latrine, No. 30 - concrete slab on grade (10 mos.)

Animal room, No. 56c - concrete slab on grade (2 yrs.)

Residences, Nos. 52, 53 - vinyl asbestos tile in kitchen and

wooden floors in other rooms (3 yrs.)

(b) Trowel -on industrial type (3)

FAILURES (2)

Laundry, No. 42a(2), 42b(2) - concrete slab on grade - bond

failure, disintegration - water, starch, detergents (2 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 9 - concrete subfloor - bond failures

around dishwasher, drain, hot water heater, water,

heat (1 yr.)

Various Resin Monolithic Surfacings

(a) Vinyl-acrylic brush-on type (2)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Barracks latrines and shower rooms (2), Nos. 28, 29 - concrete

slab on grade - bond failure in wet areas - moisture,

improper installation (3 yrs.)

(b) Epoxy-polyamide polyurethane brush-on type (1)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Apartment No. 65 - concrete subfloor with damaged asphalt

tile and old mastic (2 yrs.)

(c) Vinyl trowel-on industrial type (1)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Animal room, No. 56e - concrete slab on grade (5 yrs.)

(d) Furan trowel-on industrial type (1)

FAILURE (1)

Laundry, No. 3a - concrete slab on grade - unknown (1 mo.)

Monolithic Surfacings Based on Portland Cement and Additives (6)

(a) Acrylic latex additive (2)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 8 - concrete subfloor - fine cracks,

wear and crumbling around floor drain and sink, dirty - water, heat, faulty installation, poor maintenance (9 yrs.)

A-22
Mess hall kitchen, No. 51 - concrete slab over wooden

subfloor - some chipping - heavy traffic

(b) Epoxy emulsion additive (1)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 66 - concrete slab on grade - fine

cracks filled in with sealer, which made floor slippery

and caused whitish places and traffic patterns from wear, some rough places near sink - faulty application, improper

choice of materials (1 yr.)

(c) Styrene-butadiene latex additive (1)

FAILURE (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 11a - concrete subfloor - unknown

(5 mos.)

(d) Asphalt additive (2)

FAILURE (1)

Plumbing shop, No. 46 - concrete slab on grade - cracks,

gouges, contamination of adjacent areas - improper

choice of materials (5 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Storeroom, No. 45 - concrete slab on grade

Monolithic Surfacings Based on Alumina Cement and Neoprene Latex

Additive (8)

FAILURE (1)

Bakery, No. 22 - concrete slab on grade - crumbling - improper application or mixing (3 mos.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Operating suite, No. 57 - concrete subfloor - dull appearance,

some pitting, gouging - possibly not best material for

installation (5 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (6)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 36 - concrete subfloor (1 yr.)

Showers and dressing room in hospital, Nos. 16, 17 - concrete

subfloor (6 yrs.)

Intensive care unit, No. 54a and Operating wing, No. 54b - concrete subfloors (4 yrs.)

A-23
Corridor between animal rooms, No. 56g - concrete slab on grade (5 yrs.)

Resilient Floor Coverings (3)

(a) Asphalt tile - SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION

Office building, No. 67 - concrete subfloors, on and above

grade (28 yrs.)

(b) Sheet vinyl - SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION

Animal room, No. 56a - concrete slab on grade (5 yrs.)

(c) Polyester tile - FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION

Entrance to laboratories, No. 19 - concrete subfloor - cracks,

uneveness, some bond failures, dirty floor - improper

material for installation, faulty application (concrete

should have been leveled with mastic), poor maintenance

(8 mos.)

Quarry Tile (5)

(a) with epoxy bed and joints (2)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 6 - concrete subfloor - bond failures

near range, joint failures near stoves, hot water heater - improper materials for installation (8 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. lib - plywood subfloor (5 yrs.)

(b) with furan bed and joints (3)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATION (1)

Mess hall kitchen, No. 15 - plywood subfloor - poor joints,

cracking - poor workmanship in installation, impact

from abuse of floor, possibly not best choice of materials

for installation (10 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Mess hall kitchens, Nos. 12, 14 - plywood subfloor (10, 13

yrs.)

A- 24
Carpet (8)

FAILURE (1)

Low-level, looped pile, nylon with sponge rubber cushion

Urban supermarket, No. 70 - concrete slab on grade - dirty,

stained, worn - improper choice of material for

installation (5 yrs.)

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (5)

Medium-level, looped pile, acrylic without cushion

Hospital nursing unit, No. 69 - suspended concrete slab - stains, cigarette burns, persistent odor, wear in some places - improper choice of material for certain locations,

as nurses' station, food serving area, bathrooms, patients' rooms (3 yrs.)

Low-level, looped pile, nylon with sponge rubber cushion

Office building, No. 71 - suspended concrete slabs - some patching, split seams - faulty installation (4 yrs.)

Looped pile wool without cushion (3)

Army barracks (3), Nos. 72a, b, c - concrete slabs on grade - cigarette burns, stains, dirt - abuse, poor maintenance,

possibly not best choice of material for location (2 yrs.)

SATISFACTORY INSTALLATIONS (2)

Low-level, looped pile, nylon with sponge rubber cushion

Hospital coronary care unit, No. 68 - suspended concrete

slab (2 yrs.)

Wool, velvet twist, over hair-jute pad

Suburban church, No. 73 - concrete slab on grade (4 yrs.)

A-25
A.c. Observations on Flooring by Locations

Location Type of Floorinj

Service

Time Rating

Airline terminal

Polyester thin-set terrazzo, No. 62

Animal rooms Epoxy brush-on, No. 56f

Epoxy trowel -on, No. 56d

Epoxy thin-set terrazzo, Nos. 55, 56b

Polyurethane brush-on, No. 56c

Vinyl trowel -on, No. 56e

Sheet vinyl, No. 56a

Bakery

Alumina cement - neoprene latex, No. 22 Barracks, military

Carpet, Nos. 72a, b, c Church

Carpet, No. 73

Concrete floors, residential

Epoxy- polyamide-polyurethane brush-on

No. 65 (over old asphalt tile)

Concrete sun decks

Polyester thin-set terrazzo

No. 59

No. 64a, b Corridor between animal rooms Alumina cement - neoprene latex, No. 56g

Entrance to laboratory building

Polyester tile, No. 19

Entrance to office building

Polyurethane brush-on, No. 21 Fire station

Epoxy thin-set terrazzo, No. 63 Polyurethane brush-on, No. 49

Hospital nursing units

Alumina cement - neoprene latex, No. 54a

1-1/2 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

1 yr. SATISFACTORY

5 yrs. SATISFACTORY

5 yrs. SATISFACTORY

2 yrs. SATISFACTORY

5 yrs. SATISFACTORY

5 yrs. SATISFACTORY

3 mos. FAILURE

2 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

4 yrs. SATISFACTORY

2 yrs,

4 yrs.

3 yrs.

5 yrs.

8 mos.

3 mos.

3 yrs.

3 yrs.

4 yrs.

SATISFACTORY

FAILURE

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

A-26
Service

Location Type of Flooring

Hospital nursing units (cont.)

Carpet

No. 69 No. 68 Hospital operating suites

Alumina cement - neoprene latex

No. 57

No. 54b

Kitchens, military

Epoxy trowel -on Nos. 4, 5, 43 No. 7a No. 44

No. 50

Polyester trowel -on

No. 37 No. 13

No. 27 Polyester thin-set terrazzo, No. 10

Polyurethane trowel-on, No. 9 Portland cement - acrylic latex

No. 8 No. 51 Portland cement - epoxy emulsion, No. 66

Portland cement - styrene-butadiene latex

No. 11a

Alumina cement - neoprene latex, No. 36

Quarry tile with epoxy bed and joints

No. 6 No. lib

Quarry tile with furan bed and joints

No. 15 No. 12

No. 14

Time

3 yrs,

2 yrs,

5 yrs.

4 yrs.

3 yrs.

6 yrs.

16 mos,

Rating

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

FAILURE

FAILURE

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

6 mos. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

3 yrs. SATISFACTORY

1 1/2 yrs. SATISFACTORY

6 mos. SATISFACTORY

1 yr. SATISFACTORY

9 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY — FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

1 yr. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

5 mos. FAILURE

1 yr. SATISFACTORY

8 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

5 yrs

SATISFACTORY

10 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

10 yrs. SATISFACTORY

13 yrs. SATISFACTORY

A-27
Service

Location Type of Flooring

Kitchens, residential

Polyurethane brush-on, Nos. 52, 53

Laboratory, salt spray

Polyester thin-set terrazzo, No. 18

Laboratory glassware washing facility

Polyurethane brush-on, No. 58

Latrines and shower rooms, military

Epoxy trowel -on, No. 2 Polyester trowel-on

No. 1 Nos. 31-35, 40-41 (7)

Polyurethane brush-on

Nos. 23-26 (4) No. 30

Vinyl-acrylic brush-on, Nos. 28, 29

Laundries

Epoxy brush-on, No. 42b(l)

Polyester trowel-on

Nos. 3b, 3c No. 39

Polyurethane trowel -on, Nos. 42a(2), 42b(2)

Furan trowel-on, No. 3a

Meat cutting plants

Polyester trowel-on, No. 38

Polyester thin-set terrazzo, No. 61 Office buildings

Asphalt tile, No. 67 Carpet, No. 71 Recreation area Polyurethane brush-on, No. 60

Shop, plumbing

Portland cement - asphalt emulsion, No. 46

Time

3 yrs.

8 mos.

Rating

SATISFACTORY

FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

4 yrs. FAILURE

8 yrs. SATISFACTORY

1 week FAILURE

1 yr. SATISFACTORY

1 yr. FAILURE

10 mos. SATISFACTORY

3 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

1 mo. FAILURE

5 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

2 yrs. SATISFACTORY

2 yrs. FAILURE

1 mo. FAILURE

2 yrs. FAILURE

4 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

28 yrs. SATISFACTORY

4 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

4 yrs. FAIRLY SATISFACTORY

5 yrs. FAILURE

A-28
Service

Location Type of Flooring

Showers in hospital

Alumina cement - neoprene latex, Nos. 16, 17

Stairs outside barracks

Polyurethane brush-on, No. 47 Storeroom

Portland cement - asphalt emulsion, No. 45

Supermarket

Carpet, No. 70

Walk ramp

Epoxy trowel-on, No. 48

Wooden floors, residential

Polyurethane brush-on, Nos. 52, 53

Time Rating

6 yrs. SATISFACTORY

3 yrs. FAILURE

SATISFACTORY

3-5 yrs. FAILURE

2 yrso FAILURE

3 yrs. SATISFACTORY

A-29
>
APPENDIX B

Report on Field Experiments

At the end of the 1968 report on the field study of floor coverings [ 7] , the author suggested a program of field experiments, in which the materials

and installation conditions would be known and could be controlled as closely as practicable. As a step in this direction, three experiments were conducted by the author to determine the suitability of flooring and floor

finishes for certain applications and to determine the relative wear of

these flooring products. The results to date follow:

B.a. Comparison of Durability of Monolithic Surfacings and Abrasive

Vinyl in Army Barracks Corridor, 1969-1971

Two brush-on monolithic surfacings and an abrasive sheet vinyl were

tested in a corridor of an Army barracks, about 10 ft. long and 6 ft.

wide, running from the outside door to the orderly room. The corridor

receives heavy foot traffic with considerable dirt tracked in and

receives minimal maintenance.

Test of Decorative Acrylic Surfacings with Vinyl Chips

In January 1969, the corridor was cleaned thoroughly with alkaline

detergent and rinsed with water. A commercial decorative brush-on

coating system was then applied. A polyvinyl acetate emulsion was applied

to the concrete floor as a sealer. After this coat dried, a "wet coat"

of acrylic lacquer was brushed on. This lacquer was a solution in organic

solvent of polymethyl methacrylate and polycyclohexyl methacrylate, as determined by infrared spectra observations at the National Bureau of

Standards. While the "wet coat" was still wet, colored vinyl chips were

sprinkled over the lacquer to cover the surface. After the lacquer dried,

the floor was swept free of loose vinyl chips and a second "wet coat" was brushed on. After this coat had dried, the floor was swept again and

a third "wet coat" was applied by brush. The next day the floor was sanded lightly and a final coat of acrylic lacquer was brushed on. After

seven months, in August 1969, the coating was worn through in a number of

places but the bond was still good. There was overall pitting, probably

due to the vinyl chips being pulled out. After one year service,

B-l
December 1969, the acrylic decorative coating was worn through and the

floor was gritty and dirty.

Test of Brush-On Epoxy Coating with Sand Filler and of Abrasive

Sheet Vinyl

In December 1969, the above corridor floor was cleaned thoroughly with

alkaline detergent, rinsed with clear water, and sanded lightly. After

sweeping, the entrance way from the outside door to about 4 feet inside

the corridor was covered with abrasive sheet vinyl, using latex adhesive.

The abrasive sheet vinyl is 0.100 inch thick, comes in rolls 6 feet

wide, and consists of about 25 percent aluminum oxide abrasive in a matrix

of a vinyl composition which consists of about 70 percent vinyl resin

and 30 percent plasticizer. Information about the composition was obtained from measurements and analyses in our laboratories. The

remaining area, about 6 feet square, was covered with a brush-on epoxy

coating. The epoxy coating was brushed on in 2-foot wide strips and

fine colored mineral aggregate was sprinkled over the wet barrier coat,

covering the same. The next day the surface was swept and sanded lightly.

After sweeping again, the surface was coated with two applications of

clear polyurethane glaze. After seven months service, late July 1970,

the abrasive sheet vinyl was dirty, damaged somewhat by cigarette burns,

and disfigured with chewing gum, but had a fairly good appearance otherwise. It was not worn or scratched, and adhesion was good. The epoxy

surfacing was dirty and stained but not worn appreciably. After more than

a year service, in February 1971, the corridor was inspected again and

the dirty floor was cleaned with water and a mop. The abrasive sheet

vinyl material appeared to be in satisfactory condition except for

numerous cigarette burns all over the area. The epoxy surfacing was stained and dirty but was not worn. The bond was excellent even at the

edge where it was feathered to the exposed bare concrete.

B.b. Test of Acrylic Floor Finish and Abrasive Sheet Vinyl in Army

Commissary, 1969-1970

The test was performed in the sales area in an Army commissary, which

was covered with about 35,000 sq. ft. of vinyl asbestos tile. The tile was damaged by fork lift trucks which move merchandise from the

B-2
receiving room to the sales area. The trucks left black and scuffed

skid marks on the tile. The tiles were worn out at the entrance to the

sales area leading to the receiving room and loading platform. Some of

the tile in the aisles of the sales area were gouged, dirty, scratched,

and could not be cleaned properly. The black marks could be removed with

mineral spirits and steel wool but the gouges remained.

An attempt was made to restore and protect an area in one of the aisles

of the sales area with three coats of acrylic emulsion floor finish.

The floor was cleaned carefully with alkaline detergent and rinsed with

water before applying the finish. After a week the treated areas looked

just as bad as the rest of the floor.

Abrasive sheet vinyl, as in 5.1, was laid in the entrance to the sales area leading to the receiving room. After a week, the abrasive vinyl was torn, dirty, and scuffed. After scrubbing the abrasive vinyl with

steel wool and mineral spirits, the dirt and black marks were removed

but the surface was dull all over, torn, cracked in one place, and

scuffed and "burned" places were observed. The fork lift truck tires

actually "burned" or melted places in the abrasive vinyl as they did

with the vinyl asbestos tile.

B.C. Test of Resilient Tiles in Computer Facility, 1967-1972

A test of resilient floor tiles was performed in. front of the counter,

partition, and swinging doors of a computer facility. The area behind

the counter, partition, and swinging doors is occupied by the equipment

and staff of the facility. The test area is illustrated in Figure I.

In Figure I, the access panels covered with test tiles are numbered and

the test tiles are indicated by letters A through E. The original

tile corresponds to letter A. The 2-foot square access panels, covered

with 12-inch square vinyl tiles were installed in May 1967. After two

years of service, the tile appeared scratched and scuffed and were

somewhat hard to clean. Following is a table of the kinds of resilient

tiles used in the test area and the dates of the installation:

B-3
COUNTER

1A

2B

3C 4

B

5A

6A

7A8B

9A

10

B

11B 12A

13A14

C

15

A, D 16

B

17

A, E 18

A, E

21 A, D

22

A, D

19

A, E 20

A. E

Figure I. Computer Test Area Flooring Layout

B-4
Table I. Tiles Used in Computer Room Test Area

Tile

Symbol

D

E

Resilient

Tile

Original vinyl tile, as Type III,

Fed. Spec. SS-T-312, four 12-inch

squares on each access panel

Laminated resin tile with melamineformaldehyde wear layer, 2-foot

squares, one on each panel

Polyester terrazzo tile with marble

chips, four 12-inch squares on each

access panel

Conductive vinyl asbestos tile, four

12-inch squares on each access panel

Installation

Date

May 1967

August 1969

August 1969

July 1970

Acrylic resin tile with fine mineral May 1970

aggregate, 2-foot squares, one on each panel

The resilient tiles were examined periodically and the appearance after

each examination is recorded in the following tables:

Table II. Appearance of Tiles, September 1970

Tile Service

Symbol Period

A 3 years

B 1 year

C 1 year

D 6 weeks

E 5 months

Appearance at Eye Level

Numerous scratches and

scuffs

Shiny and clean

Shiny and clean

Numerous scratches and

scuffs

A few scuffs

Close-Up Appearance

Numerous scratches

and scuffs

A number of fine

scratches all over

A few scratches,

to see hard

Numerous scratches

and scuffs

A few scuffs

B-5
Table III. Appearance of Tiles, March 1971

Tile Service

Symbol Period

A 3-1/2 yrs.

B 1-1/2 yrs.

C 1-1/2 yrs.

Appearance at Eye Level

Numerous scratches and

scuffs

A few mars, scratches,

and scuffs

Shiny and clean

D 6 months Numerous scratches and

scuffs

E 11 months Some scuffs

Close-Up Appearance

Numerous scratches

and scuffs

A few mars and scuffs,

numerous scratches

Some scratches;

marble chips gone in

two places; dull

appearance near counter

Numerous scratches and

scuffs

Some scuffs and fine

scratches

Table IV. Appearance of Tiles, April 1972

Tile

Symbol a. Observations at Eye Level

Numerous mars and scratches; same appearance at all positions.

Numerous fine scratches; long black mark in No. 2 position,

next to counter.

Shiny and clean. However, in No. 3 position, next to counter,

appearance was much lighter at the edge of the panel next to

the counter, indicating darkening in traffic areas. Scratches and mars all over; about the same as A; same appearance

at all positions.

Mostly shiny and clean but a few mars, one black mark, and one piece of adhering chewing gum.

Tile

Symbol

A

b. Close-Up Observations

Numerous mars and scratches; scratches practically cover the

entire surface; overall dull appearance; same appearance at

all positions.

Fine scratches and dull all over; traffic pattern and obviously

worn streaks at No. 2 and No. 4 positions, next to counter.

Some dirty places at No. 8 position, next to swinging doors.

No. 14 position, away from counter: Overall good appearance

but slightly dull; some chipping of tile at edges of panel.

No. 3 position, next to counter: Fine scratches and dull over most of the panel in marked contrast to edge near counter,

which was shiny and clean.

B-6
Table IV. Appearance of Tiles, April 1972 (continued)

Tile

Symbol b. Close-Up Observations

D Same as A.

E A number of faint mars and scratches, not highly visible.

Table V. Periods of Service of Resilient Floor Tiles as of April 1972

Tile

Symbol Tile Period

A Vinyl tile 5 years

B Laminated tile with melmaine-formaldehyde 2-1/2 years

wear layer

C Polyester terrazzo tile 2-1/2 years

D Conductive vinyl asbestos tile 2-1/4 years

E Acrylic tile with fine aggregate 2 years

B-7
form NBS-1MA (i-7i) U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. NBS-TN-783

2. Gov't Accession No.3. Recipient's Accession No.

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Durability and Maintenance as Related to the Selection

of Flooring

5. Publication Date August 1973

6. Performing Organization Code

7. AUTHOR(S) 8. Performing Organization

W.C., Wolfe, R.E. Roberts, M Russell

10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. 4616165

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address

Same as No. 9<

13. Type of Report & Period Covered Final 1972

*s 14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

16. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.) This report is addressed to the problem of selection and maintenance f flooring

to the best advantage in terms of durability, type and severity of service,

appearance, comfort, and safety. The selection of flooring is discussed with

respect to service life, maintenance, obsolescence, and trade-off advantages. Two

articles by maintenance administrators include information and discussion helpful

in determining maintenance cost, trade-offs, and selection of flooring for

different types of service. Field observations and preliminary field tests by the

National Bureau of Standards indicate areas in which research is needed, as in

laboratory tests for wear and slip resistance. Observations and field tests are impracticable to use for procurement.

This report is helpful in the selection and maintenance of flooring and floor

finishes. More important, it points up areas in which research is needed to develop

information for this purpose.

17. key words (Alphabetical order, separated by semicolons) Carpets; durability; economics; field studies;

flooring; floor coverings; life-cost; maintenance; user needs

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