Weekend versus weekday floor work in an Orleans clinic?

Scheduling a floor coating in an occupied Orleans clinic comes down to two things: how long the data sheet says the coated area must stay clear of foot traffic, and whether your patients and staff can be safely separated from the work area and its fumes during that window.

One manufacturer's data sheet for a 100%-solids epoxy lists foot traffic at 24 hours after application; one polyaspartic data sheet lists light traffic at 24 hours as well, with vehicles at 7 days. One MMA brochure (2010) lists cure in about one hour. Those figures assume roughly 21 to 25 degrees C; the contractor must confirm the schedule against the actual data sheet for the product they propose, because the data sheet for your product governs. Whether a weekend closure is long enough depends on the system chosen, the phasing and the data sheet for the product.

Some solvent-based primers and sealers may be flammable liquids. The Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07, 4.1.5.2) requires that open flames, sparks or heat-producing equipment not be permitted in areas where flammable or combustible liquids are used unless controlled so as not to create a fire or explosion hazard. Ask the contractor for the Safety Data Sheet for every product; Section 9 gives the flash point and Section 2 lists the hazards. If any staff will remain in the building during the work, OHSA s.38(1.1) requires that a copy of the SDS be readily available to workers who may be exposed.

For a clinic specifically, weekend work reduces patient exposure to fumes and wet surfaces, but it does not eliminate the scheduling risk if cure is incomplete by Monday. Ask the contractor to propose a system and a phasing plan, then check the data sheet cure times against your actual reopening window before agreeing to a schedule.

When the work is finished, hold on to the written contract, the product data sheets and SDSs for every material applied, any written warranty the contractor provides, and dated photographs of the floor before work began and after it was completed.