MAINTAINING TEXTURED RUBBER ATHLETIC FLOORING
The rise in popularity of indoor track facilities across the United States has lead to an increase of specialized textured track surfaces. These surfaces have a fairly heavy texture to provide a surface that is spike resistant.
While textured track surfaces offer unique performance and durability characteristics, they offer challenges when it comes to maintaining/cleaning them.
For many years the prevalent wisdom in maintaining these surfaces was to scrub the surface with an auto scrubber with a neutral PH soap. Experience now tells us that facility managers have a tendency to over scrub and not properly rinse clean, thus applying too much soap to the texture, which builds up over time leading to an appearance of a film on the textured surface.
The number one enemy of a textured surface is dirt. If not removed in an effective and timely manner it leads to premature wear as well as an unsightly surface.
We currently recommend to our customers that power vacuuming a textured track surface on a regular basis is more desirable than auto scrubbing. This should be done on a weekly basis. It is fast and effective. We believe that auto scrubbing with the use of soap should be done no more than twice a year. Naturally, circumstances may alter this, such as a large event (commencement for example).
By switching your maintenance techniques, owners and facility managers will find that their surface will look cleaner and brighter. The added benefit will also be a textured surface that lasts longer.
