RESILIENT FLOOR FAILURES: short life expectancy in tough environments

RESTAURANT, veterinary OR FOOD PLANT WET AND HIGH HEAT AREAS WILL HAVE RESILIENT FLOOR FAILURES that will REQUIRE future downtime FOR FULL REPLACEMENT

WHAT IS A RESILIENT (SHEET VINYL) FLOOR?

  • RESILIENT FLOORING IS SUPPLIED IN ROLLS. SUBSTRATE UNDERNEATH IS SKIMMED SMOOTH WITH A REPAIR MATERIAL FIRST. tHEN THE SHEET-GOODS FLOOR IS MEASURED, CUT, ADHERED TO SUBSTRATE BY ADHESIVE TO THE SKIM MATERIAL, AND RESILIENT FLOOR JOINTS ARE WELDED BETWEEN ADJACENT SHEETS.

  • RESILIENT FLOORS ARE CHARACTERISTICALLY MADE OF VINYL OR ANOTHER POLYMER PLASTIC.

  • RESILIENT FLOORING IS COMMONLY FOUND IN HOSPITALS, PHYSICIAN OFFICES, AIRPORTS, BOMA, DENTIST OFFICES IN MOSTLY DRY AREAS.

  • RESILIENT FLOORING WILL HAVE AN EARLIEST EXPECTED REPLACEMENT TIMELINE TYPICALLY IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: WET, HARSH, HIGH HEA, COLD AREAS.

where ARE THESE SEVERE SERVICE AREAS IN A RESTAURANT?

answer: areas of first failure are:

  • DISH PIT / DISHWASHER AREA

  • JANITORIAL AREAS

  • UNDERNEATH HIGH HEAT STOVES / DEEP FRYERS

  • COOLERS

WHAT CAUSES RESILIENT FLOORS TO FAIL? ANSWER: INSTALLATION, OPERATIONAL, AND MAINTENANCE FAILURE.

INSTALLATION:

  • SLAB ON-GRADE HAS A HIGHER MOISTURE TRANSMISSION RISK THAN DOES SLAB ABOVE GRADE.

  • INSTALLED TOO EARLY ON uNCURED CONCRETE SLAB /

  • nO POLY BARRIER OR DAMAGED BARRIER UNDERNEATH = HIGH MOISTURE COMING TO SURFACE (mOISTURE vAPOUR TRANSMISSION)

  • CONCRETE PATCH OR SKIM MATERIALS INSTALLED JUST PRIOR TO FLOOR INSTALL. NOT PROPERLY CURED.

  • POOR CONTROL INSTALL TEMPERATURE “HOLD” CONDITIONS DURING INSTALL OR AFTER INSTALL

  • NO SURFACE PREP OF CONCRETE SLAB: BROOM SWEPT ONLY.

OPERATIONAL:

  • BOND FAILURE/ CONTAMINATION: SMOOTHING MATERIAL UNDERNEATH fails

  • CONSTANT FINISHED FLOOR surface WATER EXPOSURE (DISH PIT) on top of floor

  • SEVERE HOT WATER & GREASE dumping / SPILL events ON FINISHED FLOOR.

  • HARSH SANITATION CHEMICALS (DE-GREASERS)

  • HEAT EXPOSURE (STOVES, OVENS, HOT GREASE)

  • CART - WHEELED TRAFFIC / HEAVY FOOT TRAFFIC (WET AND DRY AREAS)

  • GRIT ABRASIVES / SALT EXPOSURE

  • NORMAL ABUSE EVENTS: IMPACT, CUTS FROM KNIVES, POTS DROPPING

MAINTENANCE

  • LACK OF RESILIENT FLOOR MAINTENANCE: PROTECTIVE SEALERS

WHAT ARE THE LIFE STAGES OF A WELDEd, RESILIENT FLOOR FAILURE?

  • BUBBLES CAN APPEAR UNDERNEATH SHEET GOODS FLOOR, MOISTURE ENTRAPPED UNDERNEATH

  • CRACKS APPEAR IN FLOOR / MOISTURE INGRESS

  • WELD-FAILURES OCCUR / MOISTURE INGRESS

  • TRAFFIC CAUSES FURTHER WELD FAILURE

  • MOISTURE CAUSES DE-LAMINATION

  • REPAIRS: RE-WELDING OF JOINTS FAIL QUICKLY.

  • REPAIRS CONTINUE: SECTION CUT OUT OF SHEET GOODS FLOOR, NEW SECTION INSTALLED ON TOP OF WET / CONTAMINATED SECTION

  • MORE WELDS, MORE FAILURES.

  • HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONCERNS / WARNINGS

  • DECISION TO SHUTDOWN AND ACCEPT BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COSTS / FULL MOVE OF ALL EQUIPMENT

  • MAJOR SHUTDOWN AND DOWNTIME TO REPLACE AREA OR ENTIRE BOH AREA

WHAT DO SHEET GOODS FLOOR FAILURES AND FAILED REPAIRS LOOK LIKE?

CASE STUDY 1: 20 YEAR RESILIENT FLOOR REPLACEMENT IN DISH PIT AREA

tHIS DISH PIT AREA IS 20 YEARS OLD, BUT APPEARS TO HAVE HAD AT LEAST 3 REPAIR CYCLES OVER 20 YEARS. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HELD OR LASTED.

NOTE THAT THE REPAIRS WERE LIKELY MADE IN THE OFF-SEASON PERIOD FOR THIS RESTAURANT, WITH MUCH TIME FOR CURING. tHIS SCENARIO IS UNLIKE A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, WHICH CAN BE FIXED AT NIGHT AND PUT INTO IMMEDIATE SERVICE A FEW HOURS LATER.

joint failure and cracks of a polyflor resilient floor in a dish pit.
failed floor resilient floor patches with cracking and weld failures.
peeled unhygienic resilient flooring around grease trap
dishpit resilient floor multiple repairs.

FLOORS: initial construction vs renovate later decision:

  • CAN YOUR BUSINESS AFFORD A 7 - 10 DAY KITCHEN RENOVATION, WITH FULL EQUIPMENT REMOVAL, AFTER 7 - 10 YEARS FOR A BOH AREA OF A TYPICAL RESTAURANT?

  • WHAT IS THE COST OF YOUR DOWNTIME FOR 7-10 DAYS?

  • WHERE WILL YOU MOVE ALL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT DURING THE RENOVATION?

  • WHAT CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE GONE TO ANOTHER RESTAURANT WHILE YOU ARE DOWN, AND YOU NOW NEED TO WIN THEM BACK?

CONCLUSION:

  • THE FLOOR IS THE MOST DIFFICULT ITEM TO RENOVATE AT A LATER DATE.

  • ADJUST YOUR BUDGET AS PART OF INITIAL CONSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE A FLOOR THAT WILL OUTLAST YOUR LOCATION, BY DESIGN.

RECOMMENDATION:

  • “DOING IT RIGHT” THE FIRST TIME IS THE BEST CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO MINIMIZE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COSTS AND ULTIMATE TO REPLACE A FLOOR THAT WAS NOT “FIT FOR LONG TERM SERVICE”.

  • INSTALL A SILIKAL® FLOOR AS PART OF ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION TO INVEST IN A FLOOR THAT IS “FIT FOR LONG TERM SERVICE”.