Data Center Construction Cleaning: Scoping the Raised Floor

Two different jobs on one floor

• Top-of-floor cleaning: vacuum and damp-wipe the tile surface, pedestals that are exposed, racks and equipment exteriors.
• Under-floor (tile-pull) cleaning: lift tiles, HEPA-vacuum and wipe the subfloor and pedestals, clean tile edges, and reset the tiles in order.

The second takes far longer per square foot. It also needs a crew trained to pull and reset tiles without damaging them or mixing up their order.

Scope it by area and condition

• List each room that needs under-floor cleaning by name and square footage. Don't just say "data hall."
• Note whether each area has installed raised floor or is still a bare shell. They are priced very differently.
• Note corridors, lobbies and support rooms that also have raised floor.
• If the scope grows, price the added areas separately and take out any overlapping base work so it isn't paid twice.

Protect what's already clean

• Use new, low-lint cloths for under-floor work, misted with diluted cleaner instead of spraying onto the subfloor.
• Use HEPA vacuums only.
• Coordinate with the electrical and controls trades. Under-floor cabling and sensors shouldn't be disturbed.
• Clean before commissioning and before the client's own cleanliness testing, if any.

Where we've done it: a return-to-site turnover clean at the Winsor data center in the Bettendorf area, with the tile-pull areas priced separately from the base clean.