Most of us have come to the realization that no matter how new and high tech our car may be, we have to bring it in for scheduled maintenance from time to time. We know that if we don’t, sooner or later we are going to have problems. Wear and tear will take its toll. It is scheduled maintenance which keeps things running in the short term and extends the life of the car in the long term.
Your floor is no different than your car. Every floor made by every manufacturer needs a maintenance plan appropriate for the floor, its use(s) and the conditions and circumstances under which it was installed.
It does not matter how much money you spent, or if you have a high-end specific-use flooring system, you need to initiate a maintenance plan. It may sound like I am repeating myself, or stating the obvious, but after forty years in the business, a week does not go by without hearing of someone complaining about their flooring getting dirty, scuffed, slippery or worse. Usually, they have done nothing to address these problems, never thought about a plan to maintain their floor, and just assumed that since they invested in a floor designed to meet their safety and performance needs, that all they had to do was install it.
SIX REASONS WHY
Floors are inert. They don’t do anything. Things are done to them. Everything that can go wrong with a floor has a cause for every effect. Simply put, there are six reasons to maintain your floor. They are appearance, health, performance, safety, reliability and longevity. A sloppy looking floor makes for an undisciplined environment. This is not a message or core value we want to impart to our customers and students.
A good maintenance program takes into consideration the health of the people working on it. Bacteria, fungus, mildew and dirt can impact end users in ways that all spell trouble.
A well-maintained flooring system contributes to the desired result of the end-user. A floor compatible with what you want to do makes for better performance. Better performance makes happier instructors, students, customers, and artists.
The primary reason people invest in flooring is to provide a safe environment. Neglecting your floor’s proper maintenance can jeopardize safety. Taking care of your floor means you won’t have to take care of injured participants. Consistency and reliability are the cornerstone of both safety and performance. Controlling the environment, keeping the floor clean and in good repair will insure a consistent coefficient of friction.*
A flooring system is a major investment. Take care of this piece of equipment and it will last many years. It goes without saying the better the care and maintenance, the longer the floor will serve you and your community of dancers. Don’t follow the advice herein and you may regret not being proactive.
We will explore in detail all you need to know about creating and executing a viable and appropriate maintenance program. It is not a huge investment of time and money; however it is a necessary ingredient to keep everyone working efficiently and safely.
* The coefficient of friction (COF), is a dimensionless scalar value which describes the ration of the force of friction between two bodies and the force pressing them together. (http://en.wikipedia.org)
