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Airport authority to run short cleaning trial after vendor says detergent residue is causing white‑tile staining
Summary
At a special airport authority meeting, board members agreed to a short, vendor‑led cleaning trial for existing white concourse tile. If the trial restores the tile, the board will proceed with current concourse tile plans; bathrooms and the area in front of the checkpoint may be re‑tiled if cleaning fails.
The airport authority agreed on a short, vendor‑run test to determine whether existing white concourse tile can be restored rather than replaced, after a Virginia Tile representative said detergent residue on the tile glaze is trapping dirt.
Jake, a Virginia Tile representative, told the board he inspected the floors and is “100% confident” that an appropriate residue‑stripping cleaner can return the tiles to their original glazed finish. He said the trouble is not the tile material but a residue left by detergent‑based cleaning products that bonds soil to the surface. “Once we get that residue off, we really only need to clean with water,” he said.
The presenter outlined replacement options and estimated costs: fully replacing the white tile with poured epoxy terrazzo would be the most expensive option at about $1.6 million; a stone or darker porcelain tile alternative was estimated at roughly $800,000; mixed carpet/tile schemes would fall between those figures. Board members noted parts of the project already have material purchases committed (the transcript lists approximately $259,000 for renovation tile and $211,000 for expansion tile as previously purchased items).
Board discussion focused on two questions: whether a cleaning regimen could return the concourse tile to an acceptable finish, and whether bathrooms and the high‑traffic area in front of the TSA checkpoint should be replaced regardless of the concourse outcome. Maintenance staff said they have been able to maintain the concourse but that restrooms and the checkpoint entry consistently present cleaning problems.
Several board members supported a short trial. The authority agreed to a limited, near‑term test of the recommended cleaner (staff and the vendor suggested the trial could show results within 24–72 hours). If the test restores the concourse tile, staff were authorized to proceed with the planned white tile installation in the concourse; if it does not, the board directed staff to move forward with alternative tiles for areas that cannot be made serviceable by cleaning, beginning with bathrooms and the area in front of the checkpoint.
Staff said a procurement decision on materials would need to be made by about July 10 to keep the existing construction timeline; bathroom work was discussed as likely able to begin around July 26 if a replacement product is chosen and ordered. To avoid another special meeting, the board asked staff to collect readily available, U.S.-made terrazzo‑look tile options and circulate samples and prices for an electronic vote.
What happens next: the vendor and staff will run the approved cleaning trial and report back to the board within the agreed short window; staff will circulate tile sample options for an electronic vote if cleaning does not meet the board’s standard. The meeting concluded after the chair confirmed those steps.
