IICRC SMT case studies
IICRC SMT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Stone, Masonry and Ceramic Tile Cleaning Technician (SMT) credential is issued by the IICRC, a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. According to the IICRC's SMT page, the certification "demonstrates covers for the proper maintenance and cleaning of natural and human-made (cultured) stone, ceramic tile, masonry, and grout surfaces" and signals that a technician can "demonstrate what you know and how to perform maintenance-related tasks involving stone, masonry, and ceramic tile surfaces." It is aimed at cleaning and maintenance technicians, flooring-care specialists and business owners who service hard surfaces in homes and commercial buildings. The IICRC SMT case studies are 5 cases and about 4,124 words.
1Honed Marble Lobby: Etch Triage After an Acid Spill
A 1,200 sq ft honed white marble lobby in a Class-A office building is maintained by an in-house day porter. Six weeks ago the porter began using a bathroom descaler (pH 2.1, phosphoric/urea hydrochloride blend) on the lobby floor to remove coffee spills, mopping about 2 ft beyond each spill.
851 words, about 4 min2Cultured Marble Vanities: Acid Rings, an Edge Chip, and a Scorch
A 96-room select-service hotel is refurbishing bathrooms. The vanity tops are cultured marble - a cast polymer of roughly 80% calcium carbonate filler in a polyester resin matrix with a clear gel coat.
817 words, about 4 min3Polished Glazed Porcelain Showroom: Fluoride Haze Remover Damage
A dealership's new showroom has 2,400 sq ft of rectified glazed porcelain tile with an inkjet-printed marble look and a polished gloss finish, laid with 1.5 mm joints and cementitious grout. The general contractor's cleanup crew removed grout haze with a heavy-duty haze remover containing ammonium bifluoride, mopping the whole floor twice and letting it dwell 10 minutes.
816 words, about 4 min4Sealed Clay Pavers: Efflorescence, Blistering Film, and Salt Spalling
An 850 sq ft clay brick paver driveway and walkway at a country club was sealed three years ago with a solvent-based acrylic film-forming sealer at two coats. The surface is now white-powdered in patches, the sealer is blistering and peeling in sheets along the joints, and 6-8 pavers near the salted entrance are spalling at the corners with sand-joint loss up to 15 mm.
795 words, about 4 min5School Restroom Grout: Bleach Protocol, Steam Proposal, and Peeling Color Seal
A middle school's 12-stall boys' restroom has 1/8 inch cementitious sanded grout joints on the floor (6x6 quarry tile) and walls (4x4 glazed wall tile). The district's night crew sprays a 1:10 sodium hypochlorite mix on walls and floor, lets it dwell, and rinses once a week.
845 words, about 4 min