The FAQ's on Commercial Applications

Answer:
There are several ways to increase the C.O.F. on existing tiles and they all appear to have some advantages and disadvantages.

a. Surface coatings. A simple, painless, quick fix; however, the negative is that they wear off and have to be replaced on a regular basis.

b. Surface etchings. Hydrochloric acid is normally used, causing damage to the glaze and thus improve the slip- resistance. In the long-term the glaze has been damaged and maintenance will increasingly become more difficult. How that balances against an improved C.O.F. must be determined by the end user. An economical surface treatment using slightly less caustic products is Safeworld's Suregrip product, available from Safeworld International at 1-800-648-0924. This product does not require licensed applicators and has been endorsed by major national restaurant chains in increasing slip resistance of tile floors.

c. 'Shot-blasting' the surface. This is the least desirable, particularly to glazed tile, unless you want the surface considerably rougher. It has proven viable on unglazed quarry and porcelains, but should be done lightly on exterior applications only.

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Answer:
First, we must identify the type of tile; glazed, unglazed, surface texture, etc. Next, based on your experience, is it a tile problem or would a more intense maintenance program solve the situation? If it is the tile, you basically have three options:

1. A surface coating.

2. Surface etching.

3. Replace only the tile in the immediate area of the salad bar with a tile having a higher slip resistance factor. Consideration should be given to an abrasive tile because of the constant presence of food oil.

Regardless of which option you choose, you must immediately institute an intense maintenance program to thoroughly clean the area after each of the main eating periods; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Careful consideration should be given to each step of the maintenance, the cleaning agent and procedures, such as using a brush rather than a mop.

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Answer:
Tile itself does not have a fire rating, it is the entire floor or wall system, which means the tile plus substrate that is fire rated. Tile is fire resistant, as the majority of tile requires approximately 2,000 degrees before heat would have any affect on either the bisque or the glaze. However, ceramic tile by nature will transmit heat. For this reason, if the substrate is combustible, it will downgrade the rating. The Tile Council Handbook, section titled "Fire Rated and Sound Rated Walls," provides explicit details on what substrate should be used to obtain a one and two hour fire rating.

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Answer:
Stone is made shiny by working the surface until it is smooth enough to reflect light. When the surface has been roughed up to the point that light does not reflect evenly, the marble looks dull and needs to be refinished.

The first point is to determine the depth of the scratches. Deep scratches are not only visible, but can be felt with the fingernail. Light scratches can been seen, but not felt. If they are only slight, they can be buffed with a standard floor machine and a red pad. Deep scratches are removed by grinding/sanding the surface down until the scratches no longer show. The surface is then refinished with Multi-Seal Refinisher to bring the shine back.

Once a floor is restored to it's original condition, a maintenance program should be set up and there are a number of companies that provide the components and instructional guidelines. We recommend Aqua Mix and Multi-Seal. There are major maintenance manuals available from both sources.

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Answer:
Lippage is referring to the variance in plain from one piece of tile to the other and becomes particularly objectionable when it occurs in a corner. The most common reason for lippage is that the substrate has not met TCA standards and the tile contractor has failed to point this out prior to installation. The larger the piece of tile, the more difficult it is to compensate for an uneven floor surface. This then becomes a particular problem on canterlevered floors. Although ANSI does not deal with lippage, it would be desirable to keep it within 1/32 (approximately the thickness of one dime), with 1/16 (2/dimes) as maximum.

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