With differing standards and testing methods in different manufacturing countries it has been difficult to compare the slip resistance of competing products. A pan European working group the SlipSTD Consortium have published PAS (Publicity Available Specification) to help designers, architects, contractors and their clients specify and maintain hard flooring with confidence.

The new SlipSTD classes are:

Class 1: For areas that are maintained as clean and dry

Class 2A: For areas that may be wet in use (bath and shower areas, utility rooms, areas adjacent to external doors)

Class 2B: For areas that may often be covered in contaminants such as oil and grease (not normally a domestic situation although garage floors should be considered)

For most domestic kitchens class 1 should be adequate but if there is a door leading to the outside and you are likely to have children running in in wet weather then Class 2A would be better. Shower rooms, porches, paths and patios will usually require Class 2A. Your TTA supplier will be able to advise.

Once your client has chosen the appropriate product it has to be maintained correctly. In commercial situations complaints about slip resistant flooring becoming slippery over time almost always result from inadequate cleaning. Rinsing is very important as alkaline deposits from the cleaning agent can build up on the floor and make it look dull and dirty and make it slippery. There are products to remove this build up but adequate rinsing with clean water and the use of a little less detergent may prove to be a better solution.

For all you need to know about tiles and tiling go to our website at www.tiles.org.uk