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Contrasting colour tactile warning surface. Application of Mapeflakes. Application of Primer-U. M A R C H 2 0 2 2 | 37 Hard Surface Flooring P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y F L E S H ER M A R B L E & T I L E; M A P EI I N C .; S C H LU T ER S YS T EM S C A N A DA The Anthology line has an integrated hygienic Protect Technology, which eliminates up to 99.9 percent of bacteria. "It's active 24 hours a day, with and without sunlight," Goetz explains. "Anthology comes in five colours and three finishes, which is another unique feature of this product. Typically, you see two finishes, Matte and Textured for areas of slip concern, but Anthology has a third finish called Worn, which is like a honed stone appearance." The other finishes include natural and rough to replicate the textures of natural marbles and stones they are inspired by. RESIN FLOORING In addition to offering a variety of substrates for flooring installations, Mapei also has a line of resin flooring products, including Mapefloor I 302 SL and the accompanying decorative products, Mapeflakes and Mapefloor DQ. Shane Edwards, product line manager for Mapei's cementitious and resin flooring systems, explains modern industrial floors are no longer restricted to the cold, institutional look. "Whether a cement-based or epoxy-resin flooring solution is needed, the design pos- sibilities have exploded in recent years, and architects are taking notice," Edwards says. "Our commercial industrial flooring systems meet high-performance requirements for a wide variety of industries such as food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, laboratories, storage, and aircraft han- gars. These types of facilities require flooring that is resistant to abrasion, impact loads, and chemical agents." The Mapefloor I 302 SL is a popular and flexible epoxy resin that is avail- able in a dozen standard colours and can be custom tinted to any colour. "It can be applied by roller or spray to cover a very large space quickly, especially compared to tile or stone," says Edwards. "Recently, the Pierre-Janet Hospital Centre in Quebec chose bright blue and yellow for their commercial kitchen flooring renovation, with very pleasing results. The Last Spike Brewery in Calgary, Alberta, chose a more traditional colour on the grey scale for their purposes." The Mapeflakes and Mapefloor DQ are broadcast material to enhance the beauty of resinous industrial floor systems. "Mapeflakes are vinyl flakes, while Mapefloor DQ is a quartz aggregate," says Edwards. "They are chemically compatible with several resin formulations, and available in a variety of solid colours and unique colour blends. They are used with Mapefloor I 302 SL and/ or Mapecoat Universal, both formulated to allow a high-end look to hold up well against the wear and tear of high-traffic areas. For an upscale application, these LEED-friendly flooring products are as durable as it gets." DCOF R ATINGS & TACTILE WARNING SURFACES Brent Fisher, general manager for Flesher Marble & Tile, shares his years of experience in the hard surface flooring industry, particularly with the under- standing of compliant slip resistance rating. "We are all familiar with ceramic or porcelain tile for high-traffic areas within a home or commercial building," he says. "In commercial buildings, tile tends to be restricted to common areas and washrooms. Anyone that enters a commercial building will have to travel through a lobby, and every individual that works on a specific floor of a building will more than likely visit a public washroom, deeming it high traffic." Fisher explains that in these common areas, the responsibility falls on the building managers/owners to ensure that common areas are safe. "The largest liability is 'slip and fall' and building owners need to understand what they can do to mitigate their liability and protect themselves from injury litigation." The first order of business is to ensure that the flooring surface selected for these common areas has a proper slip resistance rating. "In Canada, we describe this as Dynamic Coefficient of Friction [DCOF]," says Fisher. 'Understanding the slip resistance rating of common area floors is paramount in mitigating liability. Taking the necessary measures to comply with DCOF standards is an ongoing process." There are contractors in most major cities that will have the equipment required to test flooring products to allow managers/owners piece of mind that DCOF compliance is maintained. "The Terrazzo, Tile & Marble Association of Canada [TTMAC] also offers this service to both members and non-members," Fisher says. "TTMAC is the governing body of the terrazzo and tile trade in Canada that produces all of the specifications for hard surface standards. Utilizing this service could be very budget efficient versus slip and fall litigation." Another level of responsibility for building managers/owners is the tactile warning surface that identifies fall hazards, particularly for the visually impaired. "These are generally small areas placed at the top landing of stairs or ramps where the surface texture changes," says Fisher. "The surface just in front of the stairs or ramp has a slightly raised element that can be detected by the feel on the feet. These tactile warning areas should also be in a contrasting colour so that they can be identified visually." ADHESIVES/SUBSTR ATES Schluter has launched Primer-U Universal Primer, a brand new, ready-to-use product to enhance adhesion of mortars to hard-to-bond surfaces. "Schluter- Primer-U is ideal for use in interior applications where increased bond strength is needed," says Dale Kempster, director of the International Technical Network, North America. "Because it is a water-based, solvent-free acrylic for- mulation, Primer-U is low odour and zero VOC, and is freeze/thaw stable facilitating shipping and storage." Primer-U is ideal over various porous and non-porous substrates, such as gypsum underlayment, existing tile, plywood, or OSB, raised access panels and metal, and many more. Available in one-gallon or five-gallon buckets, Primer-U is easily applied in a single coat using a ³⁄₈-inch nap roller, a wide nylon bristle brush, or even a garden sprayer. Application is the same regardless of the substrate, and it dries in as little as 15 minutes. Since Primer-U is a water-based solution, simply clean any tools or spills with water while the primer is still wet. For 50 years, Maxxon has provided high-quality, innovative subfloor solutions for multifamily and commercial construction, including Moisture Mitigation. "Moisture vapour is a concern in any concrete construction given that moisture vapour emissions through a concrete slab can contribute to costly flooring failures and significant delays in construction schedules," says Jodi Ingle, marketing brand manager. "Maxxon moisture mitigation products offer a variety of solutions." Maxxon Commercial MVP One Primer is a ready-to-use, zero-VOC, moisture barrier and primer. "When applied to concrete substrates, MVP One Primer addresses moisture-related issues – up to 25 pounds MVER, 100 percent RH and a 14 pH – and primes the surface for an underlayment or patch. It is easy to apply with a roller and doesn't require concrete profiling," Ingle explains. MVP One Primer has a typical re-coat time of less than one hour, allowing for rapid turnaround on fast-track projects. Then there's Maxxon Commercial Isolate, a two-part, water-based epoxy that prevents the migration of moisture vapour and abatement chemicals out of the concrete slab. "It's designed to create an isolating barrier to protect floor- ing systems from asbestos and chemically-abated slabs," says Ingle. Maxxon Commercial Isolate can also be used over chemically-abated concrete, old adhe- sive cutback, asphalt-based products, old adhesives, well secured VAT, VCT, and/ or ceramic tiles, and other solid surfaces. Capped with a Maxxon underlayment system, Maxxon Commercial Isolate provides a permanent barrier protecting the flooring. A

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