QUESTION

Slip Resistancy (COF) of Polished Tile - I have a client who is considering putting Crossville Empire Series (Polished) down in a chapel area of a housing community. While the unpolished product has a slip coefficient greater than 0.6 when it’s wet or dry, the polished product only exceeds 0.6 when it’s dry.

Since the chapel is not a “wet area,” does the Empire tile meet ADA Standards?

ANSWER

ANSWER - Americans with Disability Act (ADA) states that the minimum dry static Coefficient of Friction (COF) of 0.60; ramps: 0.80.   Based on the other industry recommendations I would say it needs to be a minimum 0.60 wet or dry.

The ASTM C1028 test is not valid for polished surfaces.  It gives a false reading that does not represent its propensity for slipping.

Considering that the floor could get wet due to a spill, I would let the owner or architect determine if the polish tile is suitable for the application or not based on their interpretation of the ADA recommendations.