12061 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230-6219
SUBJECT: Endorsement of Non-Slip 21 treatment for slippery floors The mission
of Ceramic Tile Institute of America, Inc. is to promote appropriate
and expanded use of ceramic tile and natural stone through education.
It is our intention to continue to be recognized as a source of objective,
valuable and contemporary tile information. As you know,
many types of flooring including some ceramic tiles are slippery
when wet or contaminated with various lubricants such as spillage,
airborne cooking fats, etc. This is a major problem for many property
owners, building managers, and architects. For many
years, treatments have been available that can increase the slip
resistance of some flooring under these conditions. However, most
such treatments eat into the surface of the flooring so that it becomes
scarred with microscopic pits. The initial improvement in slip resistance
deteriorates with normal soiling by dirt, grease and mineral deposits.
The flooring becomes difficult to clean, and the treatment must be
repeated, which leads to further weakening of the floor materials.
The appearance of the flooring usually suffers markedly, either initially
or as time progresses. The science
staff of a major Canadian university conducted a confidential investigation
of floor slip resistance treatments for glazed and unglazed tiles,
terrazzo, terracotta, marble, and concrete. The only product that
did not have detrimental effects on the surfaces tested was Non-Slip
21, now distributed by |