The floor, and the plenum beneath.
A raised floor is two problems in one: the ESD tiles on top, and the cold-air plenum beneath that blows whatever is down there straight into your racks, zinc whiskers included. We clean both. We clean the tiles and restore the ESD coating on top, and clear the plenum below.
Half the risk is under your feet
A raised floor is not just a walking surface. The void beneath it is a pressurised cold-air plenum, and often a run for power and data cabling too. So anything down there does not stay put: construction dust, cable offcuts, and zinc whiskers shedding off plated pedestals and trays. The plenum blows it straight up, into your equipment. A raised-floor clean is really two jobs: restore the ESD-safe surface you walk on, and clear the hidden reservoir underneath before it reaches your racks.
The floor you walk on
ESD tiles, cleaned and re-coated to restore the antistatic protection.
The plenum you do not see
A cold-air plenum that blows dust, debris and zinc whiskers into your racks, cleared out.
The hidden threat
Zinc whiskers, cleared where they spread
Zinc whiskers are microscopic metal filaments that grow on zinc-plated surfaces: the underside of floor tiles, pedestals and cable trays under the floor. They break loose, ride the plenum airflow, and can bridge contacts and short out equipment. We remove the whiskers we find and clear the plenum they travel through, so they do not keep circulating. Because they regrow from plated surfaces, periodic cleaning keeps them in check.
- What Microscopic zinc filaments
- Where Plated pedestals, trays & tile undersides
- Why They ride the plenum air into your racks
- Our fix Remove them and clear the plenum
What we clean
Above and below the floor. The visible tiles and the hidden space where the real risk sits.
- Floor tile tops, cleaned & given a fresh ESD coat
- Tile undersides & edges
- Pedestals, stringers & understructure
- Sub-floor plenum, dust, debris & cable offcuts
- Cable trays & containment under the floor
- Zinc whisker removal
Worn or damaged tiles call for a full tile restoration, a separate, dedicated service.
See tile restoration →How we work
Working under the floor means working with the cooling. A controlled sequence keeps the room within its limits.
- 01
Survey & airflow plan
We map the floor, the plenum and the cooling headroom, and plan a tile sequence that keeps the room within its limits.
- 02
Controlled tile lifting
We lift tiles in sequence, so pressure and cooling stay in balance while we work beneath the floor.
- 03
Clean below, restore above
We clear the plenum, the understructure and the zinc whiskers; the tile tops we clean and give a fresh ESD coat.
- 04
Reinstate & check
Tiles back, floor level and ESD-protected, plenum clear, checked and documented.
The standards we work to
A raised-floor clean restores protection you cannot see. These are the standards that underpin it.
ESD-safe & ESD coating
We work ESD-safe and lay a fresh antistatic coat on the tiles, so the floor gets its ESD protection back.
HEPA 14 filtration
Our extraction captures ≥99.995% of fine particles, so dust from the plenum leaves the room instead of being blown upward.
ISO 14644-1 Class 8
The air-cleanliness benchmark for data halls. A clean plenum is a precondition for keeping the room within Class 8.
Frequently asked questions
Do you lift the floor tiles?
Yes. In a controlled sequence, managing airflow so the room stays within its cooling headroom while we clean the plenum.
What do you do about zinc whiskers?
We remove the whiskers we find and clear the plenum they travel through, so they stop circulating into your equipment. Because they regrow from plated surfaces, periodic cleaning keeps them in check.
Is the ESD coating restored?
Yes. Cleaning the tile tops includes laying a fresh ESD coat in the same pass, restoring the floor’s antistatic protection. Badly worn or damaged tiles are a deeper job. See tile restoration.
Does the room need downtime?
No. We work in live rooms, with HEPA 14 extraction and ESD-safe, managing airflow so cooling holds.
How often should the plenum be cleaned?
It depends on the room and its history (construction, cabling works); we set it from a survey. The plenum is out of sight, so in practice it is often overdue.
Other services
Tile restoration
Worn ESD and computer-room floor tiles restored: 100% of ESD performance recovered and the look up to 90% of original, without replacement.
More →Datacenter cleaning
Periodic cleaning that keeps your datacenter at ISO 14644-1 Class 8.
More →Initial deep clean
A one-off intensive clean that brings a room up to standard.
More →Ready for a spotless critical space?
A site survey is free and without obligation. We map your space and its risks and propose a tailored plan.
Request a free survey