What is ADA Slip Resistant Requirement for Rental Units?

QUESTION

What is the Slip Resistant Requirement for Rental Units - Can you advise as to ADA compliance with the installation of polished marble and/or porcelain in rental units? There is question as to if it meets compliance due to the slip factor and Owners liability of such.

ANSWER

ANSWER - ADA has taken the numeric value out of their recommendation for slip resistant floors, so there isn't a specific number you have to meet.  The general rule is to meet a .6 COF wet or dry per ASTM C1028 test.  Although you can't test polished tiles or stones with this protocol because it gives a false high value due to the suction created from a polish surface.  There are other tests that are more realistic to determining slip resistance, but they are currently not referenced to the various current codes.

Wet areas or exterior areas need to be slip resistant to avoid safety issues and liabilities.  The more texture your tile has the more slip resistant it will be, but also the more texture the more it will tend to pick up dirty and require more effort in cleaning.

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