The
Problems of Plasticizer Migration in Floor Maintenance
PLASTICIZER MIGRATION OF NEW FLOOR TILE
The advent of vinyl tile floors created a new problem
in floor maintenance. All resilient floors containing
Polyvinyl Chloride contain a flexing agent known as a
plasticizer. Without this plasticizer, resilient tile
would be as brittle and unflexible as a potato chip. Unfortunately
for the first six months to a year that a new vinyl floor
is laid, the plasticizer has a tendency to migrate surface.
This phenomena of plasticizer migration occurs to some
degree in all new floors until the floor has “cured” and
the plasticizer goes to its final resting place. This
migration can penetrate into a floor polish film, making
it soft and tacky. The result is excessive scuffing and
even “gluing” down of furniture. A tile which has laid
in a warehouse for a considerable length of time is less
apt to experience this problem than a tile fresh from
the factory.
There is really very little that can be done to remedy
this. Prior to finishing the floor a good scrubbing with
a butyl cleaner does remove all the plasticizer which
has migrated to the surface, but it will continue to re-migrate
for several weeks to months until cured.
As long as the customer knows what to expect from a newly
laid floor he can react accordingly.
The
Janitech Companies
106 High Street
Cumberland, RI 02864
(Tel) 401-724-4300, (Fax) 401-724-4900
