PM2 System Provides Proper Maintenance at HEB – Mexico

Now that polished concrete is becoming the flooring option of choice for many new facilities. The need for a maintenance system is becoming more important because over the years polished concrete has earned a reputation as being “maintenance free.” This is not the truth and has caused problems in facilities where this belief has become the norm. The truth is that polished concrete is “maintenance friendly.”

Substrate Technology’s dealer across the border, STI Mexico, has been at the head of pushing maintenance to all facilities where polished concrete is the surface. One such client is HEB, who has made the decision of using polished concrete in all new facilities and several existing facilities. Although HEB was very pleased with the new surface that they purchased, improper maintenance practices quickly degraded the shine of the floor.

Problems from Improper Maintenance

The outside company that HEB contracted to maintain the surface was using harsh chemicals like bleach and other cleaning chemicals that damaged the surface over time. One year after the final product was delivered to the company, STI Mexico began receiving reports that the shine on the floor was deteriorating and something had to be done.

When Gessler Delgado began investigating the maintenance that the cleaning company was using on the floor he learned that the problem wasn’t a lack of maintenance, but rather improper maintenance. The other problem that Mr. Delgado encountered was the lack of an auto scrubber to regularly clean the floor, which is critical in removing dirt, and debris that would otherwise be constantly attacking the shine on the surface.

The Solution: PM2 System by STI

Mr. Delgado knew that the only way to bring back the surfaces shine was to use the PM2 System from Substrate Technology. The system is a two-pronged approach to maintenance.

  1. First, it uses the CASH #3 diamond impregnated natural hair pad to refine the surface back to its original finish.
  2. Secondly, it uses the PG2 hardening agent to make the floor harder, and more resistant to abrasion.

The result is a much harder floor that will resist abrasion, but it needs to be incorporated as part of a regular maintenance schedule.

Utilizing the PM2 System under a standard walk behind floor scrubber Gessler began instructing the employees on the system’s proper use and how often it should be used. Now that all 50,000 SF (4645 M2) of the facility in Santillio, Mexico are completed, and the floor looks as good as the day it was polished, HEB is in negotiations to incorporate the PM2 System in all of their facilities across Mexico. This is another example of what can be achieved when the proper knowledge, equipment, tools, and chemicals are used together to achieve a high standard in flooring.