Monthly Archives: January 2016

Flooring

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Winter has settled into Ontario and now is the time to, as the saying goes, “use an ounce of prevention” in protecting your floors, whether they be vinyl, ceramic, marble, granite, terrazzo, porcelain or hardwood.  State Building Maintenance Limited, a professional and experienced office cleaning and janitorial service, would like to assist you in protecting all your hard floor surfaces from the daily wear and tear of foot traffic by correctly cleaning and then maintaining your floors, this in turn will prove cost effective and also create a lasting impression upon visiting clients.

In general, floors should be cleaned on a daily basis, especially if we are dealing with a busy office with many employees and/or clients.  If you have a smaller work area and less traffic, whether it be an office or a store, State Building Maintenance Limited will set up a one-time clean or a cleaning program to suit your needs.  Every time we come in to clean it will mean soaking up any visible moisture, a sweeping of your floors and then a damp mopping to keep on top of the grime and dust that has accumulated.  If the shine on your floor is losing its lustre we will give your floors a buffing to bring back that glossy look.  If we see wear and tear, that means we will perform a recoating.  If something major has damaged your finish such as a renovation we will remove the old finish and reapply it.

We are specialist in floor cleaning and deal with all materials.  If you call us for a free no obligation cleaning quote we will come in and determine what your floor is made of and discuss with you what we can do for you to protect and enhance your floors.  In most cases you are calling us because you are unhappy with the condition of your floors.  When we start a cleaning or maintenance program we remove all previous finishes.  We then take a good look at the floor’s condition and check to see if there is any previous damage and then determine the proper finish to use.  We will pick the correct finish that will offer clarity, buffablity, gloss, hardness and scratch, water and slip resistance.  We also look at a product that can be easily recoated to further protect a floor, especially during our harsh winters as your floors may need extra care, but we also look to a finish that is easily removable with special solutions when it is needed.   Nowadays many people still use the words “waxing the floor” when talking about protecting their floors but modern chemistry has changed floor finishes.  Instead of that thick coating one thinks of when using the word wax we now use synthetic waxes/floor finishes because of their many benefits such as toughness and the ease at which they can flow onto the floor.

Some offices have vast expanses in entrances, in showrooms etc. and would like that mirror-like look on their floors.  This is when State Building Maintenance Limited would recommend burnishing your floors with our specialized machine.   Unlike buffing, which is a rotation at a slower speed, burnishers rotate at about 1000 rpms or more.  These powerful revolutions per minute create a friction, this friction heats up the floor finish which melts back smoothly to that glass like look.

With winter upon us we often rush into an office to get out of the cold and bring along with us roadside salt, snow, slush, bits of crystal de-icers and even tiny bits of gravel. Even if you have put down mats at all entrances, as we recommend, these materials will often still be tracked in throughout an office, taking a heavy toll on your floors.  Although we have put down the most protective finish we have for your type of flooring, in time these elements, especially salt, can etch your finish and make it look dirty and dull.  That is why we want to emphasize the need for regular maintenance. All moisture and grit must be picked up and then the surface damp mopped with clean water and let to dry.  We then recommend a buffing to add to the shine.  To install a new floor is an expensive item for an office so that is why we at State Building Maintenance Limited can’t stress enough the importance of hiring a professional cleaning company to help protect your floors and in the long run save you money.  And nothing speaks more to your clients about your care for their business if you show you care for the appearance of your office.

We will be only too happy to be of service to you so please call State Building Maintenance Limited, a full service office cleaning and janitorial service, at 416-247-1290 or go online at info@sbml.ca for a free quote.