Floor Sealer: Improve LVT Traction

Improve LVT Traction

Improve LVT TractionImprove LVT Traction

NeverStrip Vinyl Seal (“Vinyl Seal”) is used to improve LVT traction. This resilient floor sealant is a member of NeverStrip Floor Coatings (“NeverStrip”) Family of Micron Coatings. Vinyl Seal is to be used on resilient flooring including luxury vinyl tile (“LVT”), vinyl composition tile (“VCT”), linoleum and rubber. Use Vinyl Seal to improve LVT traction for commercial environments which require a higher coefficient of friction.

Vinyl Seal is applied “Micron” thin at 3,000 to 5,000 sq. feet per gallon per coat. Coverage is largely dependent on the applicator and the floor’s porosity. Typically, two applications of the floor sealant are desired. A light mist of our top-rated flooring sealant is applied with a hand or pump-up sprayer, and the LTV sealant is spread thin using a looped microfiber pad. This ultra-thin or Micron-thin application allows for the texture of the floor to be retained, which is especially attractive for embossed or textured LVT.

Vinyl Seal has inherent, attractive wet traction properties regardless of the surface or smoothness of the floor. Testing has shown the use of Vinyl Seal improves traction on essentially any floor without the use of aggregate or added texture. Vinyl Seal is used to improve LVT traction.

NeverStrip uses a BOT 3000 E Slip Meter in the field to measure the static wet coefficient of friction using the following standards or Test Method:

ANSI/NFSI B101.1-2009

American National Standard

B101.1 Test Method for Measuring Wet SCOF of Common

Hard-Surface Floor Materials

Test Method

This test method specifies the procedures and devices used for both laboratory and field testing to measure the wet static coefficient of friction (SCOF) of common hard-surface floor materials.

Purpose

This test method provides a measurement procedure setting forth traction ranges that facilitate remediation of walkway surfaces when warranted.

Application

This test method does not apply to carpeting of any type or mechanically polished tile such as polished porcelain, marble, etc., but does address the common hard-surfaced flooring materials such as ceramic tile, vinyl floor coverings, and wood laminates, as well as coatings, polishes, etc.

Vinyl Seal test results using the ANSI/NFSI B101.1-2009 test method with Vinyl Seal on resilient floor types including luxury vinyl tile consistently show wet, static coefficient of friction of 0.70 or greater using the BOT 3000E Slip Meter or Tribometer. The National Floor Safety Institute definition of a “High Traction Floor” is a wet Static Coefficient of Friction of 0.60 or greater using the B101/NFSI Test Method.

This Test Method is used by The National Floor Safety Institute, NFSI.org.

Founded in 1997 the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization whose mission is: “to aid in the prevention of slips, trips, and falls through education, research and standards development.”

The Creation of a New National Standard

In 2006, the NFSI was awarded the distinction of being accredited as a Standards Developing Organization by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Since that time, the NFSI/ANSI B101 Committee on the Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls has been working on a number of floor safety standards, including the newly released B101.1 standard.

NFSI’s approach to slip-and-fall prevention was different from what was previously employed. Because approximately 80 percent of all slip-and-fall accidents occur on wet walkways, it seemed only reasonable to test walkways when wet rather than dry. Secondly, intuition tells us that low Coefficient of Friction (COF, also referred to as mµ) walkways are more slippery and therefore more likely to induce a slip and fall than are high COF walkways, but exactly how much slip resistance is required to prevent a slip and fall is not always clear. So rather than simply categorizing walkways as safe or unsafe based upon a single COF value, the ANSI/NFSI B101.1-2009 standard identifies three individual risk categories, or “Traction Ranges.”

Based largely on the two OH&S case studies, NFSI found that walkways whose wet SCOF was a 0.60 value or greater reduced slip-and-fall claims by as much as 90 percent, while walkways with values below a 0.40 contributed to the largest number of slip-and-fall claims. Walkways that possess a wet SCOF of 0.60 or greater are defined by the B101.1 standard as “High-Traction” and present the least amount of risk for a slip-and-fall claim. Walkways whose wet SCOF is below a 0.60 but greater than a value of 0.40 are defined as “Moderate Traction,” and walkways which possess a wet SCOF of less than 0.40 are defined as “Low Traction.” Simply put, High-Traction walkways present the least amount of slip-and-fall risk, while Low Traction walkways present the highest risk for a slip and fall. This unique approach of quantifying the wet SCOF to that of a risk category will serve as a valuable risk assessment and management tool for risk and safety professionals.

The bottom line is use NeverStrip Vinyl Seal to improve LVT traction. Order this best floor sealer today!

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