Keep rubber baseboards and flooring joints looking good

By Sarah A. Chadwick, associate editor

Q. My old exam rooms contain tile floors and rubber baseboards. Waxing maintains the tile, but the baseboards attract dirt and cat hair, and the seam between the floor and boards gets very grimy. What can I do?

A. The quality of your floor depends on the quality of the installation, say Sal Longo Jr. and Michael Crosby, co-owners of Crosby Longo Architecture Studio in New Orleans, La., designer of the 2000 Hospital of the Year. Vinyl composition tile is hard to keep clean because of the number of joints, and you're doing the right thing to wax the floor regularly. If the floor seams aren't sealed tightly, you'll need to hire a flooring contractor to fix them.

"Your best bet is to set a rigorous maintenance schedule," says Longo. "Immediate cleanup after spills and accidents and periodic wipe downs throughout the day will keep your hospital looking and smelling clean." And keep a portable vacuum cleaner handy for quick cleanups.

Also consider installing seamless flooring in such high-traffic areas as runs, the treatment area, and the surgery suite, Crosby says. Workers pour this material onto the floor and wrap it up the wall, leaving no joints.

"Many veterinarians choose dark-colored flooring, base, and walls to hide dirt, but the opposite strategy works better," says Longo. "Lighter colors let you see when it's time to clean, so you keep smells and messes under control. "

January 2001 Veterinary Economics