U.S. General Services Administration
Technical Procedures Disclaimer
Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.
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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.
PART 1–GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY
- This procedure includes guidance on removing coffee stains from terrazzo floors.
- See 01100-07-S for general project guidelines to be reviewed along with this procedure. These guidelines cover the following sections:
- Safety Precautions
- Historic Structures Precautions
- Submittals
- Quality Assurance
- Delivery, Storage and Handling
- Project/Site Conditions
- Sequencing and Scheduling
- General Protection (Surface and Surrounding)
These guidelines should be reviewed prior to performing this procedure and should be followed, when applicable, along with recommendations from the Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO).
- For general information on the characteristics and maintenance of terrazzo, see 09400-01-P.
PART 2–PRODUCTS
2.01 MATERIALS
NOTE: Chemical products are sometimes sold under a common name. This usually means that the substance is not as pure as the same chemical sold under its chemical name. The grade of purity of common name substances, however, is usually adequate for stain removal work, and these products should be purchased when available, as they tend to be less expensive. Common names are indicated below by an asterisk (*).
- Glycerine:
- A sweet syrupy hygroscopic trihydroxy alcohol usually obtained by the saponification of fats and used especially as a solvent and plasticizer.
- Other chemical or common names include Glycerol; Glyceryl hydroxide; Glycyl alcohol; 1,2,3- propanetriol; Propenyl alcohol.
- Potential Hazards: FLAMMABLE.
- Available from chemical supply house, drug store or hardware store.
- Clean, potable water
2.02 EQUIPMENT
- Wooden Paddle or Trowel
- Shallow Enameled Pan
PART 3–EXECUTION
3.01 EXAMINATION
- Examine the terrazzo surface carefully to determine the cause of staining before proceeding with any cleaning operation.
3.02 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING TREATMENT SHOULD BE USED BY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL. IMPROPER USE MAY RESULT IN BLEACHING THE TERRAZZO MATRIX, IF A COLOR DYE WAS ADDED AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION. TEST BEFORE PROCEEDING.
- Saturate a cloth in glycerine diluted with 4 times its volume in water and apply to stain.
- Thoroughly the surface with clean, clear water and allow to dry.
- Repeat the process as necessary to achieve the desired level of cleanliness.
Note: See also treatment for blue ink stains for other stain removing solutions, 09400-01-R.