Vinyl flooring jargon 201

Now that you’re familiar with all the different types (see Part 1) of vinyl flooring on the market, let us explore some of the terminology you will hear bantered about.

PART 2
What do these technical terms actually mean?

• Wear layer: The wear layer is the performance layer of the vinyl floor, composed of pure PVC and on top of the decorative layer.  Wear layers range from 0.3mm to 0.7mm. Understand the application or usage of the floor when determining what wear layer you need.  The thicker the wear layer, the more durable the floor.

• PU coating: Polyurethane (PU) is a sacrificial coating applied to floor coverings. A PU coating protects the floor during the construction process and allows for easier post-construction cleaning by giving the floor “a head start” after installation.  However, PU ranges almost always require a polish/sealer at some time in the future to protect them and keep them looking like new, especially in commercial applications.

• PUR coating: A PUR coating consists of a polyurethane that has been UV-cured and cross-linked to the product.  The significant difference between a PU and PUR coating lies in the fact that a PUR coating provides a polish/sealer-free maintenance regime for the life of the floor. It is important to note that this is very distinct from the promises made by manufacturers of a “maintenance-free” regime, as there is no such thing as a maintenance-free floor. Maintenance regimes will consist of a simple daily mop (dry or wet system) and a weekly spray buff.  A vinyl floor with this coating is extremely durable.The long-term maintenance cost saving is estimated at 48% over a 20-year lifespan of a floor covering when compared to a non-coated floor.

• Ramp test:  A ramp test is used to determine a floor covering’s slip rating. The Shod ramp test is conducted ex-factory, in a laboratory at the beginning of a floor’s lifecycle.  It involves an operator in work boots with heavy tread-pattern walking continuously forwards and backwards over flooring on an elevated ramp which has been contaminated by oil.  The resulting level of degrees the ramp can be inclined before the operator slips, is categorised into appropriate R-values, ranging from R9 (lowest performance) to R13 (highest performance) in wet conditions. Typically, smooth vinyl floors are R9 rated and safety floors R10-R13 ex-factory.

  Key limitations of the ramp test include:

  • Slip-resistance ratings are commonly misconceived as running from R1 -R13 when in fact the lowest possible rating is R9. Thus, a floor classified as R9 could be perceived to be quite slip-resistant when in fact this rating can be equated with a smooth vinyl floor which has a high slip risk in an area susceptible to water spillage.
    
    

  • The ramp test takes no account of wear or maintenance regimes on the floor and cannot be set up on site. Therefore, it only provides results in ex-factory conditions.  This test, therefore, allows R-value claims to be made on very transient features such as a slightly rougher surface, or gritted coating that does not necessarily last throughout the life of the product.  Once a product with only an emboss and no safety particles wears, it may be rendered unclassified on the R-rating scale.  Research conducted by Cleaning Research International found that on specific flooring ranges containing no particles in the product but sold with a R10 rating,  both the Pendulum Rating and the R-value classification diminished dramatically over the course of an installation from the ex-factory condition.  In some cases, this rendered the floors unclassified on the R9-R13 scale as well as achieving below 36 on the Pendulum test three years post installation (testing was done on a busy school corridor in the UK which was installed, uplifted, and re-tested in a laboratory after three years).  An authentic safety flooring product with particles in the performance layer was also tested as part of the research, and this maintained its slip-resistance  three years post installation (and longer), classifying it as a fully-fledged safety floor.

  The Ramp test should, therefore, not be used in isolation as a basis for specification. Conversely, the Pendulum and  Surface Roughness tests are conducted with portable units, and can be used in-situ, allowing you to measure slip-performance over the life of the floor.

  It is always important to ensure that in-situ slip-performance of a safety floor is demonstrated by achieving a sustainable Pendulum wet-test result of greater than or equal to 36, and a Surface Roughness result of 20 microns and above.

  A barefoot ramp test is also used to classify products which are designed for continually wet areas. Here, water is used as the contaminant on the flooring, and the test is carried out in the same way as the shod test. A product is rated only according to a classification of A through to C, with Class A being flooring with the least slip-resistance and Class C the highest rating, ensuring suitability for areas where flooring is continuously wet.

• Pendulum test: The Pendulum test is the preferred test-method of the Health & Safety Executive in the UK and other areas of the world, due to its ability to take live slip-resistance readings over the life of a floor.  The Pendulum test measures a dynamic co-efficient of friction by swinging a ‘skid’ over the floor to simulate a heel-strike and foot slipping.  This test replicates the ‘squeeze film’ of compressed fluid that is created when someone slips. The most critical results for sustainable, slip-resistant safety flooring are taken in a wet condition.  A sustainable, slip-resistant safety floor should always achieve a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) of 36 or more (in wet conditions) using 4S rubber/Slider 96.  An in-use Pendulum test value of 36+ classifies the floor as having a low slip-potential and equates to the potential for one person in a million to potentially slip on the floor.  Specifiers should be wary of safety floors with sole claims of high Pendulum test results in dry conditions. Results of the wet Pendulum test should be quoted for sustainable, slip-resistant safety floors, as these are conditions in which slipping is likely to occur.  In continually wet and barefoot areas, a softer TRL Rubber/Slider 55, which is more representative of a bare foot, is used on the Pendulum foot to test slip-resistance. This particular type of rubber is also commonly used to measure friction between a skidding tyre and wet road surface. For a detailed explanation, click this link to a demonstration of the Pendulum Test.

• The Surface Roughness test: Is a complementary test that provides a good guide to a floor’s slip-resistance and should be used in conjunction with the Pendulum test, and not in isolation, as a basis for specification.  It measures the peaks and troughs of an undulated surface to generate its micro-roughness.  Particle-based safety flooring should achieve over 20 microns on the Surface Roughness test for any floor that is expected to become wet at some point.  The test is conducted using the Surtronic Duo (or similar), a hand-held floor-testing device, which determines floor-surface roughness or ‘micro roughness’ (Rz) from which an approximation of floor slipperiness is established. Only Pendulum testing provides an accurate reading of whether a floor is liable to cause a slip-accident, particularly when wet or contaminated.

If you missed it, you can read the first part in our series, vinyl flooring jargon 101. Be sure to read the next part in our flooring jargon series, vinyl flooring 301 where we will explore some terminology around the installation of vinyl flooring. 

Download the definitive guide to vinyl flooring jargon, where we delve into all the jargon used in the flooring industry.

The guide aims to categorise and demystify some of the flooring terminology and acronyms to make it easier to understand and work with vinyl flooring products.