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May 3, 2012 on 5:41 pm
What Gloss Level Should I Use On My Floor? When selecting a gloss level for wood, laminate or vinyl flooring consider these factors… High-gloss provides a bright finish that reflects the most light which will highlight scuffs, scratches and other marks. Heavy foot-traffic, high-heel shoes, rolling carts and pets will show wear on a high-gloss finish. With frequent routine maintenance a high-gloss shine can be successfully maintained. Matte (or Satin) finish has the lowest available shine because it absorbs the most light. The shine is often referred to as being a “natural” shine. This low luster makes marks, scuffs and scratches less noticeable. Matte or satin finish level requires less maintenance and re-coating than high or semi-gloss finishes. Semi-gloss or (Low-gloss) provides modest shine to a floor while requiring less maintenance than its high-gloss counterpart. Semi-gloss has more pizzaz than a matte finish. When deciding on gloss level for a floor, consider the following:
Here are some top brands of flooring finishes: Wood/ Cork: Bona Hardwood, Basic Coatings, Bruce Fresh Finish, LOBA® Stone/ Tile/ Laminate: Bona Stone, Tile & Laminate, Aqua Mix, DuPont™ StoneTech® Resilient/ Vinyl/ Linoleum: Mannington Award Series®, Diversey, Congoleum, Armstrong Once ‘n Done, Forbo Marmoleum, Domco Sure Shine, Lonseal Lonfinish, Metroflor, Hilway Direct, Spartan
June 30, 2011 on 5:50 pm
Mannington Ultra Clean NOW AVAILABLE! The first truckload of New & Improved Mannington Ultra Clean has just delivered to our warehouse. Our Fulfillment Associates are packing orders for Ultra Clean as quickly as possible. If you haven’t already done so, PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW! The new, improved Mannington Ultra Clean has been formulated to clean a broader range of Mannington residential floors including no-wax hardwood, laminate, Adura® and porcelain. Like the original formula, this cleaner is non-toxic, water-based, leaves NO dulling residue and is still available in a 32oz Spray Bottle. Use the coupon code MUCNEW to take 15% off on your next purchase of Mannington Ultra Clean 32 oz spray. Our way of saying, “We appreciate your business!” Your time is limited so place your order today! Coupon expires July 31, 2011.
May 16, 2011 on 3:30 pm
We’ve had many customers ask for a comparable replacement and have been recommending Hilway Direct, Matte Floor Finish. The Hilway Direct product is a hard-wearing, highly resistant acrylic floor finish for use on vinyl, linoleum, rubber, cork and other hard surface flooring. Like Taski Vision Matte it is applied post installation and exhibits quality performance in application, sheen, scuff resistance and ease of cleaning.
Hilway Direct floor finish is also available in Satin and Gloss.
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March 21, 2011 on 2:59 pm
If you‘re not familiar with LEED, go to the US Green Building Council website ,LEED Rating System page and browse their website to get a full understanding of the program. Using GREEN floor cleaning & maintenance products can add points towards LEED Qualification for Existing Buildings. Building types include – but are not limited to – offices, retail stores, libraries, schools, museums, religious institutions, hotels and residential buildings of four or more habitable stories. At 1877floorguy.com, you can purchase GREEN Spartan Chemical products such as Green Solutions All Purpose Cleaner 101 Concentrate. We also stock GREEN floor cleaning and maintenance products from various manufacturers for different types of floors including wood, laminate & carpet. If you’re looking for additional guidance toward GREEN floorcare products, call us at 1-877-floorguy (1-877-356-6748).
March 16, 2011 on 6:06 pm
If you‘re not familiar with LEED, go to the US Green Building Council website ,LEED Rating System page and browse their website to get a full understanding of the program. Using green floor cleaning & maintenance products can add points towards LEED Qualification for Existing Buildings. Building types include – but are not limited to – offices, retail stores, libraries, schools, museums, religious institutions, hotels and residential buildings of four or more habitable stories.
At 1877floorguy.com, you can purchase GREEN Diversey products such as Stride Neutral Floor Cleaner and we can provide pricing for many Diversey products, even if they are not listed on our website. For a quote, call 1-877-floorguy (1-877-356-6748).
March 8, 2011 on 5:39 pm
Spring is around the corner which makes it time to think about SPRING CLEANING! Yes, I said it!… Spring cleaning. May not be your favorite part of spring yet it needs to be done and what a great feeling when it is! You know there will be no more slush or ice melter tracking inside because the weather has turned milder, the grass is greening up and the first flowers of Spring are beginning to bloom. No more debris tracking into the house hidden in the treads of winter boots. Start now, thinking about which cleaning projects you’ll take on this spring. Is it time to refresh your hardwood floor? Polish your vinyl or linoleum? Deep clean & reseal stone tile? Bona makes it easy to restore your wood floors with Bona Hardwood Floor Refresher and an applicator pad. Whatever your brand of vinyl flooring, we’ve got the manufacturer specific products to strip and polish the floor to restore shine & beauty such as Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy Polish Remover & High-Gloss Polish (also avail Satin finish).
Linoleum Floors such as Forbo Marmoleum can be cleaned & finished when the natural Marmoleum shows excessive signs of wear or if you want to add shine to the floor’s appearance. Stone Surfaces should be resealed when water no longer beads on the surface. If your stone floor has been overworked this winter, first deep clean with AquaMix Stone Deep Clean then seal with Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold. We sell many brands of floorcare & maintenance products in addition to those listed above. If you’re unsure what your floor needs but you know it needs help, call our telephone support team for assistance. They can guide you to the right product for your type or brand of floor. The phone number is 1-877-356-6748 or 1-877-FLOORGUY. Phone hours are 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. Order $200 or more in floor care products SHIPPING IS FREE! Use coupon code FREESHIP at checkout.
February 1, 2011 on 2:46 pm
The first line of attack in keeping snow, ice & ice melt products off of a floor is to have clean walk-off mats at each entry door. If possible, keep a mat in the garage, warehouse or covered porch to catch water and debris from shoes before they enter the living or working space. Have another mat inside the entry door where shoes & boots can be removed when they are wet. Even if shoes don’t seem wet it is best to remove them this time of year because ice melt products such as rock salt, ice melt pellets and sand become stuck in the treads of shoes and track throughout your home or business. Keep a dry rag or paper towels near the entry to conveniently wipe up puddles right away. Prevent small particles of dirt & debris from scratching hard surface floors by sweeping or vacuuming frequently. Carpets can be especially challenging because particles of debris fall into the carpet fibers and are not always visible. Vacuuming carpet routinely is especially important this time of year because the ice melt particles could damage the carpet fibers. Have an appropriate cleaning product on hand to spot clean residue left behind from melted rock salt or ice melt pellets before they have a chance to damage the floor. Different types & brands of floors require different cleaning products so choose the cleaning materials that are right for your floor. Here are some of the best sellers in our store that might fit this need: Mannington Ultra Clean, Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner (pre-mix in a spray bottle), Wilsonart Laminate Floor Cleaner (only avail as concentrate, mix in a spray bottle), DuPont™ StoneTech® Revitalizer® Cleaner and Protector, Host Carpet Dry Cleaner. If you don’t find the right product for your floor, browse our website by floor type or brand or call us for assistance at 1-877-FLOORGUY (1-877-356-6748). To sum up winter floor care, do the following on a daily basis:
Follow these tips to keep your floors looking good all winter long!
January 11, 2011 on 5:32 pm
We’ve separated Congoleum Residential & Commercial into two separate sections on our website to make shopping easier for you! Still under Vinyl Floor Care Products-
Congoleum Residential inludes all of the Bright ‘N Easy Floorcare Products for use on
Congoleum Commercial includes the Congoleum Commercial Floorcare Products intended for use on Congoleum Commercial-Grade Sheet Vinyl and Commercial Vinyl Floor Tile including Flor-Ever Plus, Alternatives, Choices and CX Series.
1877Floorguy.com has floorcare products to clean & maintain all types of residential and commercial floors. Not sure what you need? Call 1-877-356-6748.
December 1, 2010 on 6:02 pm
We frequently get emails from customers with common and unique floorcare questions. We answer these questions directly to the customer who asks and we post many of them on Facebook and (more briefly) on Twitter. If you find the following linoleum & vinyl floorcare tips helpful, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter for answers to all types of flooring questions. We post Q & A’s a few times each week. Q: Is the Armstrong Genuine Linoleum Polish a high shine or a satin finish shine? A: Armstrong GLP is a MEDIUM-HIGH FINISH so it’s in between high & satin. Try it in an inconspicuous area before treating the entire floor to see if you like the sheen.
Q: We have a Mannington Adura® Floor in our kitchen that is very hard to keep clean. Every few months it needs a deep cleaning, which means me on hands and knees using a brush — very hard work. I am wondering if the Mannington Heavy Duty Cleaner would help this. How would you recommend this product be used? A: This product will help as it is more aggressive than a daily cleaner and should be used only every few months or so depending on the traffic in your home. Read the article, Mannington Adura® Vinyl Floor Care & Cleaning Guidelines, to learn more about cleaning & maintaining Mannington Adura®.
Here’s one for the industry- Q: How far into the floor does the flash cove need to be when it butts up against the floor which is a different color? A: There are no set “”rules”" regarding flooring that is coved meeting the field material. Based on my experience, I suggest the coved material should have min 6″” (more commonly 8”) from the wall /vertical surface. This allows enough material, beyond the cove stick, to be flat on the floor for 100% contact with the floor and adhesive. Remember to “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter for answers to all types of flooring questions. We post Q & A’s a few times each week.
November 15, 2010 on 5:48 pm
Mannington Adura® is a high-performance luxury vinyl floor that resembles wood, tile, or stone in appearance and texture. We’ve had questions from customers about the care & maintenance of Adura®… Clean:
Shine: Adura® floors are low-gloss floors. If you wish to give your floor a high-gloss shine use Award Series® High-Gloss Polish. After several applications of polish for a high-shine floor, an occasional stripping and reapplication of polish may be necessary. We recommend the use of Mannington Award Series® Heavy Duty Cleaner and Stripper. After thorough cleaning, rinsing and drying, apply Mannington Award Series® High-Gloss Polish to restore the shine. High-traffic areas may require more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry “tack-free” between coats. Do not use wax. Do not buff. Preventive:
Handling Spills & Stains: Stick to these general rules when you follow the procedures below:
Cleaning Procedures for Spills & Stains:
September 7, 2010 on 3:53 pm
Autumn the perfect time to get back to floorcare routines that keep your floors looking GREAT. It may even be time for your floor to get an extra bit of TLC to really shine before the winter holidays set in. There are many types of floors that require different routines however they all have one thing in common-
Many flooring manufacturers maintain care instructions on their websites for easy reference. Some recommend specific floor care products for cleaning and maintenance. The floor’s warranty will tell you if using a specific product is required in order to uphold the manufacturer’s warranty. Look up instructions for your floor if you know who made it. Hardsurface floors:Sweep or vacuum! I can’t emphasize enough that routine sweeping or vacuuming is a must (vacuum should be in good condition and on the correct setting for hardsurface floors) for all hard surface flooring- including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum, stone and tile. This keeps small particles of dirt and debris, which can cause microscopic scratches and dulling of your floor’s finish, off the floor. The higher the gloss level of your floor’s finish, the more evident the scratches will be. Stone and tile are the most resistant to scratches however the grout lines will collect dirt if left unswept. I’m often asked how often a person should sweep their floor. I typically reply that it depends on how much use and traffic the floor gets. A floor that is lived-on daily by a family of four (or more) is likely going require sweeping daily. For a person who lives alone the same floor may only need to be swept once each week. Basic routine maintenance also involves cleaning. Like sweeping, the frequency with which your floor should be cleaned varies between households. Use your good judgment based on the amount of traffic on your floor. Many hardsurface floors can be easily cleaned with a no-rinse spray cleaner and a microfiber mop. This includes urethane-finished hardwood, laminate, stone & tile. Each type of floor requires a different cleaning product (so always read labels) however the idea is the same across the board. Clean the floor in small sections to avoid the sprayed cleaner from drying before you get a chance to wipe it. Bona & Basic both have popular spray cleaners for use on urethane wood floors (and more). These are reputable floor care products that are not directly linked to a specific flooring manufacturer. If you know the brand of your wood floor, check to see what the flooring manufacturer recommends before purchasing cleaner & care products. Several flooring manufacturers have their own brand of cleaner that is specifically formulated for use on their floor. Websites, such as www.1877floorguy.com carry most manufacturer specific floor care products such as Mannington Ultra Clean and Bruce Dura Luster which are formulated for cleaning wood and laminate floors made by these companies. Several spray cleaners, like the Ultra Clean and DuraLuster, are intended for use on multiple types of flooring surfaces. Wilsonart Ready Mix Spray is a laminate and linoleum floor cleaner. Bona makes a stone, tile & laminate cleaner. These can be economical cleaning products if you’ve got more than one type of flooring materials in your home so do some research before you buy. For cleaning stone & tile well-known products are made by AquaMix and DuPont StoneTech . Among the available products are easy to use spray & wipe cleaners. These quality routine cleaners, AquaMix’s AquaShield and DuPont StoneTech Revitalizer, both contain cleaning agent and sealer to protect the stone surface as it cleans (sealing is very important for natural stone). AquaMix and StoneTech also offer products for deeper cleaning (occasional use) such as Grout Deep Clean to remove stubborn grout stains or KlenzAll for cleaning soap scum and mildew from natural stone. Tips to keep in mind when using spray & wipe cleaners:
Waxed wood floors require a completely different cleaning regiment. Routinely, a waxed wood floor should only be swept and spot cleaned. If spot cleaning is needed, use a cleaner formulated for use on a waxed hardwood floor such as Bruce Lite-n-Natural or Bruce Dark-n-Rich Liquid Paste Wax with Cleaner. You’ll use the same cleaner when your floor needs to be completely cleaned and waxed which should be done every 6 months to a year. The Bruce Liquid Paste Wax with Cleaner is an all-in-one product that takes care of cleaning and waxing thereby reducing the number of steps in the process. Waxed wood floors require a buffer machine which you can typically rent from a local hardware store. More information on cleaning waxed wood floors can be found in the blog post, Surprise! Wood Floors Under the Carpet! Wax or Urethane Finish? Carpet:Like hardsurface floors, carpet also requires routine maintenance to keep dirt and debris from becoming ingrained into the floor and dulling it’s appearance. The #1 rule is vacuum! Vacuuming will pick up loose dirt and debris left behind from foot traffic, food crumbs, etc. and it will lift the carpet pile which becomes especially matted down in high traffic areas. You can’t really overdo vacuuming so however often you can, do it. Your vacuum needs to be in good working condition in order to pick-up dirt. If you notice it’s not picking up visible dirt, take it to a service center for repair or get a new vacuum if the one you’re using is very old. The lint bag should be changed with some frequency since a full bag will generate dust into the air landing on the carpet. Vacuuming around the edges of the room where carpet meets wall is often missed because the vacuum itself can only get so close to the wall. Dirt build-up in these areas will eventually look like a dark rim around the edges of the room. Using the vacuum’s crevice tool around all edges of the room every few months will eliminate this problem. When we talk about cleaning carpets we need to include periodic maintenance and spot cleaning. Periodic maintenance involves wet or dry cleaning your carpet. I am a firm believer in dry cleaning carpets. Wet or steam cleaning introduces water to your carpet which can damage carpet fibers, cause buildup of mold & mildew and require more than a day to dry leaving the room unusable for the duration. Dry cleaning is much less invasive, removes dust and mold spores from the carpet, can be walked on immediately after cleaning and is safe to use on all types of carpet from synthetics to wool. Host is my dry carpet cleaning system of choice because of the approval level of their products, proven effectiveness and ease of use. The Host website has great information to help you determine if it is the right system for your carpet, where to rent a machine (not much bigger than an upright vacuum), and how much cleaner to buy. Often you can purchase the cleaner where you rent the machine or check online retailers also where more sizes and products may be offered (machines can only be rented local to you). Host has small shaker packs of cleaner that can be used for spot or small area cleaning and don’t require use of the machine. These packs are great to keep on hand for spot cleaning. Protect your work! furniture glide under coffee table leg Protect your floor and your efforts to clean your floor by putting protectors on the feet or base of furniture. Felt protectors on the bottom of chairs and table legs keeps hardsurface floors from getting scratched when the furniture is moved. Think about how many times a chair is pushed in and out from a table and the damage that does to a floor. Round felt protectors cost between 16- 30 cents each and come in different sizes and quantities. Is there value in these felt protectors? Absolutely! For carpeted areas, furniture glides can be used permanently under pieces that are moved frequently. For instance, I have the 2-3/4” glides under my family room coffee table that is often moved to allow space for playing Wii. The light grey blends into my beige carpet so they’re barely noticeable. I think the legs would have snapped off or the berber carpet would have come unraveled if it weren’t for the glides. www.1877floorguy.com is dedicated to helping customers properly clean and care for floors by providing popular and hard to find quality floor care products. Try one of these quality products to routinely clean your floor and we’ll extend a 10% discount when you enter coupon code FGBLOG at checkout.
June 30, 2010 on 4:12 pm
Lonseal Resilient Vinyl Flooring provides easy to follow maintenance programs for each type of flooring they manufacture along with troubleshooting guidelines for common problems. Outlined here are typical problems, causes and solutions. For the more serious issues, when it may be difficult to discern the cause, you may want to consult with the factory or your local sales agent before proceeding with a remedy. Black scuff marks and scratches are typically caused by hard plastics or rubber on shoes, carts, rolling beds (in hospitals) or from painted items dragged across the floor. To remedy these marks, removed thick residue with a dull putty knife, carefully so as not to cut into the floor, then rub the marks with a white scouring pad moistened with diluted LONCARE. Scuffs, scratches or gouges are caused by tracking of dirt and debris, by dragging (or dropping) heavy items, such as furniture, on the floor or by use of inappropriate pads or brushes. Apply floor protectors to the feet or bases of furniture (chairs, tables, etc) that sits on the floor, place walk-off mats at doorways, sweep or dust mop routinely (frequency will depend on use) to remove dirt particles that can scratch the floor, and check all equipment before machine cleaning or buffing- pads & brushes should be clean and in good condition. Always use a dolly, cart or furniture slides when moving heavy objects. Low or uneven surface gloss level can be caused by several conditions. Check for correct dilution ratio of LONCARE to water, dirty mop water or dirty equipment such as mop head, buffing pads or brushes. Correct the issue and clean the floor again with correctly diluted LONCARE and clean water & equipment. Also check your pads or brushes to ensure they are the correct type. If these simple corrections are made and the problem remains, there may have been an error during initial floor preparation (refer to Initial Care Instructions) or there may be insufficient finish (LONFINISH or LONSATIN) on the floor. In this case thoroughly cleaning and recoating the floor is required. You may need to completely strip and recoat depending on the severity of the problem. Cloudy, Sticky Finish can occur if phenolic-type disinfectants or high pH cleaners are used to routinely clean the floors. Clean the floors only with Neutral pH Cleaner such as LONCARE (except for instances where higher pH cleaner is recommended for removing specific types of stains or residues) and if disinfectant is required, use a quaternary-based disinfectant. Powdery or Scaly Finish can be a result of several factors. First, check your pads and brushes to ensure they are suitable for the type of finish on your floor’s surface. Pads and brushes that are too aggressive will accelerate wear of the finish. Other causes may be layers of incompatible finish materials on the floor, not enough wait time between coats of finish during finish application, or prep work was not properly executed prior to finishing. Any of these issues will require strip and refinish according to Lonseal Instructions. Some types of floors need a more flexible finish, such as gym floors, and powdery or scaly appearance may be the result if the finish on the floor is too hard for the type of use it gets. In this situation, the finish will need to be stripped completely and a more suitable finish should be applied. This is a situation where I would recommend consulting with Lonseal or your local sales agent before proceeding. Yellowing finish is a result of continuous use of dirty mop, buffing pads or tracked-on contaminants. To eliminate discoloration, strip and refinish the floor and ensure all maintenance equipment is kept clean and dirty water is changed frequently during cleaning. Floor mats at doorways will reduce the contaminants being tracked onto the floor. Routine or daily cleaning will pick up the contaminants before they become widespread. Ink or Dye stains should be scrubbed immediately with a high pH cleaner, such as GP Forward or denatured alcohol. Don’t use solvents. Not all stains can be removed however cleaning a stain soon after it occurs will improve the result. Slippery Floors can often be minimized by placing walk-off mats at exterior doorways or in strategic locations to capture tracked-in moisture, dirt or contaminants that may be causing the problem. Liquid spills, leaks or condensation will make a resilient floor slippery. Locate and eliminate the source of the liquid, blot or pick up liquid with wet-vac (depending on the severity) and rinse with clean water to remove any residue. If moisture is being tracked in from exterior doorways, walk-off mats will minimize the problem. If accumulation of dust and dirt is causing the floors to be slippery, sweep and dust mop frequently and use walk-off mats at doorways. Contaminants, such as soap residue, grease or furniture polish overspray, can also cause the floor to be slippery. These contaminants will likely leave a film that will clue you in to the source. Use a higher pH cleaner, such as GP Forward, to lift the contaminants off the floor then return to routine cleaning with LONCARE. If possible, eliminate the source of the contaminant or reduce its effect on the floor with strategically placed floor mats. If a contaminant is widespread and the higher pH cleaner does not resolve the problem, a complete strip and refinish may be required and controlling the source will be crucial. Note: Mats should be non-staining, preferably not rubber-backed. If mats have rubber backing, use acrylic spacers to avoid rubber coming in direct contact with the floor since rubber-backed mats can cause brownish staining on the floor. 1877Floorguy.com sells Lonseal Care & Maintenance Products. Professional, Experienced Customer Service can answer your floor maintenance questions at 1-877-Floorguy (1-877-356-6758). Use coupon code FGBLOG for a 10% discount when placing your order. This coupon code cannot be combined with other discount codes. Information contained in this article was provided by Lonseal’s Technical Manual for Interior Flooring Products.
April 27, 2010 on 6:03 pm
 USS Ronald Reagan The USS Ronald Reagan has an impressive Museum aboard the ship with an outstanding floor designed with stars and wavering stripes in red, white & blue. This beautiful floor, created with Amtico Stratica, was installed seven years ago.
Unfortunately, a company tried to field apply a UV cured version of Poly Urethane. As shown in the one photo, the finish starting failing about 3 years ago with small blisters.
 Everyone thought they would lose the entire floor, but after carefully scraping and peeling the finish off, the Dr. Schutz Application Team was able to prep the old Amtico Stratica floor and apply Dr. Schutz WaxNoMor Gloss.  Faced with high humidity, lack of ventilation and a cold deck floor, drying time between the 2 coats of WaxNoMor was doubled from 2 hours to 4 hours and cure time before foot traffic was extended from the standard 12 hours to 16 hours to accomodate these conditions. Even with the additional waiting time, the project was completed, start to finish, in less than 3 days achieving a result that made the old floor look new again!
The photos below show the floor in the USS Ronald Reagan’s ship Museum finished with Dr. Schutz WaxNoMor Gloss.
  
January 19, 2010 on 4:19 pm
ColorRize was chosen as a cost effective way to handle the aggresssive wear on the retail store’s floor. The wood floor, at Shu Uemura cosmetics, Bloomingdale’s, New York City, is challenged every day with heavy foot traffic. The store needed a way to improve the durability of this floor while maintaining style. They turned to Dr. Schutz ColorRize for use over their existing wood floor (saving time and money). The job was completed in two days and the area did not need to be dismantled. Result is beautiful! See for yourself!
Dr. Schutz has a family of floorcare that works hand in hand with existing or new flooring materials to create durable, slip-resistant surfaces. For more information on Dr. Schutz products, go to www.SchutzNA. or call 1-877-272-4889 Sales x1.
December 16, 2009 on 6:25 pm
If you’ve recently installed a new residential Congoleum Vinyl Floor, there’s no doubt that you hope to keep it looking new for years to come. The bright and shiny “newness” can be maintained with proper care and maintenance. Let’s take a look at ways you can keep your vinyl floor looking sharp. Following installation of your new vinyl floor it’s important not to disturb the seams. The amount of time you need to stay off the floor or limit traffic varies for the different Congoleum products and can range from 16 hours for Congoleum Resilient Sheet Vinyl to 48 hours for DuraCeramic, DuraStone and Resilient Tile Floors. Furniture and appliances should not be placed on the new floor for 24 – 48 hours. Detailed Care & Maintance for Congoleum Residential Vinyl on 1877Floorguy.com gives the cure time for all of the products in this line. This cure time allows the adhesive that seals the seams to harden and hold. Adhesive may not be completely dry before this time and moving furniture on the floor can cause the vinyl and adhesive to become compressed which could leave permanent compression marks. When you do move furniture, don’t push or pull items across the floor. Use plywood or furniture slides under heavy items to avoid scratching or tearing your new floor and carry lightweight pieces. Finally, wait a full 48 hours following installation before washing your new floor. When you do wash it, use Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner as recommended by the Manufacturer. Ongoing maintenance is critical to maintaining that “new floor” look. Your Vinyl floors should be swept and mopped regularly. How often you sweep & mop depends on how much you use the vinyl floor. The idea is the keep it free from loose dirt and debris which can scratch the surface under foot traffic, dulling the finish. Sweeping will be more frequent than mopping. When you do mop your floor, Congoleum advises you to use Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner which has been specially formulated for use on Congoleum Vinyl. Following Manufacturer instructions for how to clean your floor and what to clean it with will keep it in excellent condition and will uphold your Warranty if you should have a claim. Avoid one-step “mop and polish” products, dishwashing liquids and oil-based cleaners that may leave a residue which can attract dirt and dull your floor’s finish. Avoid cleaners that contain abrasives or solvents which may permanently damage your floor. Preventive Care will extend the life of your floor. More information can be found on 1877Floorguy.com under Congoleum Residential Floor Care & Maintenance. Here are some guidelines: Keep furniture & appliance feet and bases covered with non-staining felt floor protectors or smooth, flat glides. Check glides periodically for grit and wear and replaced when necessary. Place mats at outside entrances to prevent dirt, grit and soil from being tracked onto your floor. Use 100% latex- backed mats, because some rubber-backed mats or carpets may permanently stain your floor. To help prevent staining from asphalt tracking (a frequent problem), use of a latex-based driveway sealer and remove shoes for a few weeks following the driveway sealing. Draw drapes and blinds during peak periods of strong sunlight. Resilient floors, like other home furnishing products, may discolor or fade when overexposed to the sun. Avoid wearing stiletto or spiked heels on your floor. These types of heels can indent or damage many types of floors. Stains & spills should be wiped up right away. If a damp clean cloth is not enough to thoroughly cleanse the area, most stains can be removed by scrubbing the area with a small amount of concentrated Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner then rinse thoroughly (because it’s undiluted). More tips are available on 1877Floorguy.com. Vinyl floors are very durable and last a long time when they are maintained with some degree of care however time and normal use will reduce the shine on even the most well maintained floor. When you notice your floor looking dull, even if it’s only in a high traffic area, you can restore shine with the use of a Vinyl Polish. Congoleum has two polishes for you to choose from depending on the finish you desire. Before applying Polish, you’ll need to remove any ground-in dirt and excess polish buildup with Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy Polish Remover. Rinse thoroughly. Then apply Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy Floor Polish to obtain a high-gloss finish or Congoleum Bright ‘N Easy Satin-Gloss Floor Polish to obtain a satin-gloss or natural-gloss finish. If you choose high-gloss, keep in mind that, like any glossy surface, this will show all smudges and imperfections. Satin-gloss is the more popular of the two. Some Congoleum Flooring Materials require Polish immediately following installation. Check Congoleum Residential Floor Care & Maintenance on 1877Floorguy.com before applying to see when Polish is required on your vinyl floor. Finally, keep an eye out for any compromised spots on the vinyl floor and treat them immediately. For tears or split seams cover the area immediately then contact the retail store where you purchased the floor or call a reputable flooring installer who specializes in hard-surface floors. Place an order on 1877Floorguy.com for any Congoleum Cleaning or Maintenance Product and receive a 10% discount by entering coupon code FGBLOG.
December 15, 2009 on 3:31 pm
Residential Flooring Manufacturers devote many dollars to developing floor care and maintenance products specific to the floor(s) they produce. These products are carefully formulated, for each type of flooring the manufacturer produces to leave the floor residue-free, maintain the integrity of the floor’s surface finish without compromising slip resistance or shine and it needs to be the safest possible for people, pets and the environment. Important? You bet! Using the Manufacturer Recommended floor care & maintenance products on your new floor, in accordance with Manufacturer guidelines, will keep the floor you purchased looking great and it will uphold the Warranty on your floor if you should have a claim. The big question has long been, “Where can I buy the product recommended by the Manufacturer?” The flooring industry has a missing link when it comes to selling floor care & maintenance products. The flooring industry’s distribution chain, that has been in place for as long as I can remember, is from Manufacturer to Distributor to Retailer. This works like a well-oiled machine for flooring materials. Distributors buy in bulk from Manufacturers and the Retailers order from their Distributor to manage the amount of material they need to inventory. Since this works for flooring materials, it should also work for floor care & maintenance products, right? Wrong. More often than not, Retailers don’t carry the care & maintenance products that Manufacturers require to uphold their flooring Warranties. The truth is that they likely did when they first brought on the line of flooring because the Manufacturer probably had a spiffy display that was offered for the Care & Maintenance Products as part of their kick-off package however, when that initial supply was depleted, they never replenished the stock. This happens for several reasons. Flooring Retailers & Distributors have their focus on flooring materials, not care & maintenance products, because flooring material is their primary business and where most of their profits are generated. When they do try to track down the care & maintenance products they find that the Manufacturer is also more focused on the flooring products and they are not always able to obtain the care & maintenance products because their Distributor has trouble procuring them from the Manufacturer. You can see this doesn’t go very far in getting the products to the End Users. You won’t find the Manufacturer Recommended Floor Care Products in Big box stores either because there is not enough in volume sales for them. Each flooring product in the marketplace has approximately 3 floor care product sku’s (each item has a unique sku) associated with it. Multiply this by the hundreds of flooring products out there and the total equals too many different products for a big box store that focuses on high volume and low cost. The result- Customers, who buy new floors, become frustrated and may turn to easily available generic floor care products to maintain their new floor. This often backfires because the generic product may leave a cloudy film, etch the finish, create too much moisture, stain or dull the original shine. Depending on the product- cleaner, polish, stain remover, refresher, etc- the result of the generic product may or may not be reversible. Situations like this often wind up as Claims filed with the Manufacturer because the Customer believes the floor to be defective. They rarely see a Claim settle in their favor if they haven’t followed the Manufacturer’s care & maintenance guidelines. If only they could find the floor care products recommended by the Manufacturer to uphold their warranty… This is where the specialty e-store fills the missing link. 1877Floorguy.com carries over 1000 sku’s, specializing in Manufacturer recommended Floor Care & Maintenance Products. This website has such a large selection of Manufacturers and Products, organized by type of floor and by Manufacturer, that you will likely find the exact item you are looking for along with helpful tips or advise on how to use it. If you don’t find the answer on the website, call 1-877-Floorguy and one of the staff members, each has been doing this for 8+ years, will answer your questions and guide you with expertise. If you don’t see the product you’re looking for, ask! because 1877Floorguy.com is adding new products all the time. Best of all, most products are in stock and ready to ship next business day. To help you get started with the right maintenance products for your floor, use coupon code ”FGBLOG” for a 10% discount. Hopefully more Retailers will recognize that they can guide their Customers to 1877Floorguy.com to buy maintenance & care products for their new floor. This will make their Customers happy and they’ll go back to that Retailer again for new floors. We’ll never compete for the flooring materials business because our specialty is the products to keep floors clean and maintained. It has taken some convincing, within the industry, but Manufacturers are beginning to see the importance of breaking the supply chain mold to better serve the end users.
November 5, 2009 on 3:52 pm
The trend is obvious when you view the manufacturer links in Part I to this blog. Manufacturers are “greening” their manufacturing processes and their business cultures. Each touts the strides they have made towards environmental stewardship using words like “reducing VOCs, sustainable resources, recycling, improving indoor air quality.” These are all great steps towards a better environment that are measured by organizations that award approvals and certifications as a way for consumers to interpret the progress. Let’s continue our look at greener cleaners for different types of floor coverings with hardwood & laminate cleaners as our next stop … As part of the “all natural” Mohawk Floorcare Essentials line, approved by DfE, Mohawk has included a non-toxic Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner made from natural, renewable ingredients. When a product, like this one, is given the DfE Approved label, it indicates that the product, not only, contributes to a lesser impact on both human and environmental health, it also works as well or better than other cleaners in its class. Bona, a company focused on wood floor care, continually strives to launch effective products with lesser impact on the environment. They do this by using recyclable materials in production and by developing non-toxic formulas, minimizing the harmful effects on people and downstream water pollution. Bona, a leader in the industry, offers a waterborne hardwood floor cleaner that is non-toxic, GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified, GREENGUARD Certified for Children & Schools, fulfills LEED points and meets CHPS and CA 01350 criteria for indoor air quality. The Bona cleaner is safe for the floor, family and environment and is effective in keeping your wood floor clean. In my home I use the Bona Spray Mop and Cleaner Refill Cartridges and my experience with this product has been great. Moving on to Tile & Grout Cleaners… Mohawk Floorcare Essentials has a Tile & Grout Cleaner. This, like the rest of the product line, is DfE Approved, made with natural ingredients and non-toxic. Host Dry Extraction Carpet Cleaning System, which we took a look at in Part I for carpet cleaning, has also been used successfully to deep clean grouted tile floors. The Host website has a good illustration of this. A test area is recommended before full use. Typical use is commercial or institutional. Host products are Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved and LEED Qualified. Several new acronyms and organizations have been introduced in the sections above. Here is what they mean to you… GREENGUARD Environmental Institute focuses on indoor air quality. GREENGUARD is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that establishes standards and testing for indoor products. Their goal is to improve public health by helping manufacturers build safer products that will not pollute the air with harmful levels of dangerous chemicals or particulates. GREENGUARD awards several types of certification. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified indicates that a product performs well in testing for low chemical emissions. GREENGUARD Certified for Children & Schools maintains an even higher standard for low-emitting interior use products and materials adhering to the performance guidelines in California Code Section 01350 (CA 01350) pertaining to indoor air quality. A product that meets CA 01350 is also LEED qualified and CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) approved. CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) helps to facilitate high performance learning environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education. CHPS and CA 01350 are considered to be leaders in improving indoor air quality standards. I hope this blog leaves you more informed than you were before and gives you resources to use in determining what products are safest or most environmentally friendly. There is not one clear-cut answer because there are many approvals and certifications by various organizations and government agencies. Consumers need to use their best judgment in deterring which manufacturers or products are really doing something responsible for our environment and which are just blowing a lot of hot air (pardon the non-ecological idiom). There are many good products out there, several are mentioned in this blog and in Part I to this blog. My advice is to read labels, check websites and ask questions to draw conclusions about what is most effective in helping you to meet your “Green” goals.
November 4, 2009 on 4:08 pm
What is a green floor cleaning product? Is it about a manufacturer’s efforts to conserve natural resources and recycle? Does it mean that the floor cleaner will help you to conserve water or energy? What will be its effect on indoor air quality? Is it safe when it comes in contact with your skin? The more I’ve researched the vast topic of “green”, the more certifications and approvals I find. This “bit of information” I planned to share in my blog just kept getting bigger and bigger so I’ve decided to break it down into smaller bites for you. This is Part I. Look for Part II coming soon! Manufacturers of floor cleaning products are changing what they make and how they make it. As products change to meet consumer demand for “green”, industry and government have introduced a range of certifications, approvals and standards. It can be difficult to navigate through the acronyms and organizations that certify and approve products so here is a guide on a few that I’ve come across. I am not endorsing any one certification, merely summarizing the information so you can draw your own conclusions and better understand what each means. Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved, LEED qualified, and DfE Approved are “green” approvals I came across while looking into environmentally friendly carpet cleaning products. The organizations behind these approvals and certifications also evaluate other types of products as you’ll see in my next blog. “Green” takes on different meanings, depending on the type of approval or certification and the goal of the certifying organization. Host Dry Extraction Carpet Cleaning System is a full line of carpet cleaning products from spot cleaners to 6lb or 12lb boxes of cleaner used in the Host Dry-Clean Machine. These Host products are Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved and can contribute points for LEED qualification. The inherent nature of this dry carpet cleaning system conserves water because none is needed, conserves energy because water doesn’t need to be heated and fans don’t need to be run for drying the carpet because the carpet never gets wet. Host Dry Carpet Cleaning System reduces the risk of mold and allergans, often associated with wet-carpet cleaning, thereby producing better indoor air quality. Shaw R2x Green Stain & Soil Remover is a carpet spot cleaner that is DfE Approved by the EPA (different approval than Host) and intended for use on stain resistant and wool carpets and water safe fabrics. Shaw, as a manufacturer, has made great strides towards environmental stewardship in their manufacturing process and improving indoor air quality by reducing chemical emissions in the products they make. You can read more about the Shaw Green Edge on their website. Mohawk Floorcare Essentials is a line of “all natural”, non-toxic products including Carpet Stain Remover, Carpet Care Kit and Odor Eliminator. These carpet cleaners, like Shaw R2x, are DfE Approved. Mohawk has a corporate environmental policy that emphasizes reducing, reusing and recycling materials in every aspect of their business. Mohawk continues to look for new ways to responsibly use raw materials and natural resources to reduce the impact on the environment. What does all of this mean to you? Green Seal Certified means that evaluation has been conducted by the non-profit organization, Green Seal, and that the product reduces impact on the environment and on human health based on its use of raw materials, manufacturing process and recycling or disposal methods for the product. Green Seal Certified also indicates that the product works as well as or better than others in its class. EPP Approved (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) tells you the product has a reduced impact on human health and the environment when compared to other products that serve the same purpose. This comparison applies to raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal. The primary purpose of EPP Approval, given by the Federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), is to help agencies across the federal government comply with green purchasing requirements. The EPA website publishes a list of approved products. My experience has been that the list can be difficult to navigate so you may want to check the manufacturer’s website first if you’re looking for a specific product. LEED qualification is geared primarily towards commercial buildings. LEED, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is an internationally recognized green building certification system aimed at improving building performance as it pertains to energy savings, water efficiency, reduction of CO2 emissions, improved indoor environmental quality, and responsible use of resources and sensitivity to their impacts on the environment. LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Floor cleaning products that are EPP approved also meet LEED requirements. DfE, Design for the Environment, focuses on a product’s direct effect on people and on the use of sustainable ingredients. DfE is another EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) program that works with environmental organizations and industry. DfE’s, “Safer Product Labeling Program” promotes protecting families and the environment. Individual products are evaluated for their impact on both human and environmental health and for their ability to perform as well or better than other products in their class. That’s all for this blog. Stay tuned for Part II –Hardwood & Laminate Cleaners, Tile & Grout Cleaners, GREENGUARD, CHPS, CA01350…
February 12, 2008 on 8:08 pm
Keep Your Investment in Your Floor Call the Floor Guy at 1-877-Floorguy.com (1-877-356-6748) or visit us at www.1877floorguy.com for all your floor protector needs.
February 12, 2008 on 4:09 pm
Keeping Your Vinyl Floor Looking Sharp If you’ve recently installed a new vinyl floor, there’s no doubt that you hope to keep it looking new for years to come. The bright and shiny “newness” can be maintained with proper care and maintenance. Let’s take a look at ways you can keep your vinyl floor looking sharp. Vinyl floor care is pretty much common sense. You want to sweep the floor thoroughly daily. Mopping regularly with a mild detergent and water will help maintain the floor’s integrity and prevent any subtle discoloration. Keep in mind that a clean water rinse is important after using detergent as detergent can leave a film-like covering. This film can often times be sticky and attract more dirt and grime to the surface. Special polishes for vinyl floors will help seal them and protect the floor against turning dull. Floor polishes help maintain a glossy finish and surface, making your floor look like new for years to come. If you happen to have an older vinyl floor that has endured wear and tear, a vinyl floor refinishing product will help to reseal the vinyl and help the floor look newer and cleaner. Because vinyl floors are so shiny and easy to move things on, many people make the mistake of sliding furniture, rather than lifting it across a vinyl floor. This is a mistake as it can lead to scratching, smudging and compromising the look of the floor. Finally, keep an eye out for any compromised spots on the vinyl floor and treat them immediately. Call the Floor Guy at 1-877-Floorguy.com (1-877-356-6748) or visit www.1877floorguy.com for all your Vinyl Floorcovering Cleaning and Polish products.
February 12, 2008 on 3:45 pm
How to Ruin Your Vinyl Floor Call the Floor Guy at 1-877-Floorguy.com (1-877-356-6748) or visit www.1877floorguy.com for all your Vinyl Floor Care Products.
October 26, 2007 on 3:28 pm
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