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Newly Installed Floors
The floors may immediately be used upon installation. Floor should be cleaned
as needed by vacuuming or sweeping and then damp mopping with sponge mop and
warm water or a warm water/neutral cleaner combination to remove any soil or
other installation related dirt, debris, or residue. Rinse the floor using
clean water and sponge mop. Always be sure to use clean water for rinses. It
may be necessary to change water several times during rinse. Never flood the
floor! If a commercially acceptable low speed floor-cleaning machine that is
recommended for resilient floor tile is available, follow the machine
manufacturer's cleaning instructions using only neutral cleaners and never use
abrasive pads, brushes or solutions.
Frequency of Floor Care
The frequency of your floor care depends on your traffic and soil conditions.
For private rooms, no coating is necessary for maintenance. For public rooms,
or high traffic areas, regular maintenance procedures will help ensure the
floor's appearance and lifespan. To maintain your floor like new, be sure it
remains clean and free of dirt, gritty particles, sand, or other foreign
materials that are abrasive under foot traffic.
Establish a maintenance program that will provide the following:
Daily Floor Care:
- Vacuum, sweep, or dust mop as necessary to keep floor from accumulating loose
soil or particles. Wipe up spills immediately using a clean, damp cloth. A
slightly alkaline cleaner is recommended for greasy spills. If necessary, damp
mop or wash the floor daily with recommended neutral cleaner. Do not immerse
and flood the floor with liquid cleaner
Weekly or As Needed Pending Upon Traffic and Soil Conditions:
- Vacuum or sweep floor. Use warm water with neutral cleaner following
manufacturer's mixing instructions. With a sponge mop, apply cleaning solution
to floor without flooding the floor. For difficult cleaning areas, let a film
of solution stand for two to four (2-4) minutes before mopping up. Do not allow
solution to dry. Mop the dirty solution up consistently wringing out the mop.
Rinse floor if necessary using clean, cold rinse water, and a clean sponge mop.
Alternatively, spray buff using a red pad. If a commercial cleaning machine is
available that is recommended for use on resilient floor materials, follow the
machine manufacturer's instruction. Never use abrasive cleaners, brushes, or
pads on your Variotec SL floor. Never allow machine RPM speed to exceed 175
rpms. The use of brown or black color-coded pads is not recommended. The
operator must be well trained; otherwise damage to the floors may result with
improper use. The surface can be renewed by applying additional thin coats of
dressing to the clean floor, following instructions on the label. The frequency
of this application will depend on use and traffic
Gloss Care:
- The natural soft patina luster of your floor can be maintained by keeping your
floor clean, free of dust and abrasive particles that can dull its appearance.
From time to time, depending on traffic, traffic patterns, and other use
conditions, the gloss level of the floor may dull from its original luster or
scuffs can result from usage. To restore or maintain the luster of your floor
after cleaning, you may use a slow speed floor-buffing machine, not to exceed
175 rmps. Use a white or red 3M Co. buffing or polishing pad, or an equivalent
depending on traffic pattern. In a LIGHT and circular motion, move the machine
over the floor evenly until the luster returns. Do not allow the machine to
remain in one area of the floor too long to avoid burning the surface. Standard
commercial spray-buffing procedures should be used
Annually or Biannually:
- Once or twice a year, depending on use and traffic and desired appearance,
remove all old finish and soil with the recommended floor stripper. This can be
done with the assistance of a rotary machine. No heavier grade than a green
colored pad should be used in conjunction with a standard or high speed
machine. When the floor is completely dry, apply at least three thin coats of
polish as directed on the container label. More coats will help protect traffic
areas. For damaged tile(s) or plank(s), use a putty knife to remove the damaged
tile from subfloor. Clean the subfloor and replace with new tile. Press into
place. Please note that there may be slight color variation due to dye lots
and/or wear on the surrounding tiles
Preventing Stain and Discoloration:
- Variotec SL floors can be protected from marks and indentations with proper
protective devices and coverings on furniture and equipments. These devices
should be fit according to their manufacturer's instructions and should be
sufficient in size to carry the weight of the furniture, have smooth, flat
surfaces, and rounded edges. Devices recommended include composition furniture
caps, felt based flat guides with flexible shank, nylon wheel castors. Stain
caused by spills can be prevented or diminished by immediately wiping up the
spilled material, and cleaning thoroughly with a neutral cleaner, properly
diluted. Once the remnants have been removed, rinse and allow the area to dry.
Protect from stains or discoloration effectively by protecting the floor
against rubber backed mats, runners, casters, or other products, asphalt
tracking, paint chips or other floor sealers, and ultra violet rays from
excessive direct sunlight
Preventing Indentation, Damage, and Separation of Tack:
- All floors need to be protected from permanent indentation, cuts, scuffs,
gouges, and scrapes caused by excessive weight loads, inadequate furniture
floor protectors, or improper movement of equipment, appliances, or furniture
over the floor. Furniture, equipment, appliances, heavy machinery, or other
heavy objects be carefully moved on protective sheets of plywood or hardboard,
which is placed over the vinyl tile. Small metal furniture or appliance "feet"
or legs should be replaced with larger, wider, smooth bottomed load bearing
"feet", or placed in smooth bottomed felt based flat guides to protect the
floors. Narrow, pointed, plastic casters should be replaced with wider and flat
hard rubber casters. Small plaster or metal domed furniture legs should be
replaced with wider, flat, smooth, felt based flexible furniture glides. Vinyl
backed walk off mats are recommended for exterior entry ways to protect the
floor from walk in of gravel, sand, or other foreign material
- High, "stiletto" heeled traffic can cause extreme forces on any resilient,
wood, or other floor surfaces. Floor protection mats are encouraged in areas of
concentrated high heel traffic. To avoid discoloration and the separation of
tack caused by direct flow of heat, protect areas around floor furnace heat
registers, radiators, appliances, or other heating devices from extreme or
prolonged heat by deflecting heat into the air around the heat source. Use
vinyl-backed walk off mats or runners to protect entry areas from
asphalt-surfaced areas or work locations that may have oil, petroleum, paint,
or other foot tracking residues, chips, grit or particles. Also, use shades,
blinds, drapes, curtains, or stained glass to minimize the effects of direct
sunlight, particularly from southern or western exposures
- Separation of tack refers to a layer of residual adhesive that has softened and
separated from product and may impair the reuse of a Laytac floor. If the floor
is cooled sufficiently prior to the removal of the product, the separation of
tack may be prevented
Maintenance precautions and safety information:
- All hard floors can be slippery when wet. Never leave the floor slippery. A
slippery floor can cause accidents. This can be caused by poor maintenance,
surface contamination or when the floors are wet. Ensure that the floor is dry
before it is walked upon. In wet weather, ensure that plenty of entrance
matting is used, and that any contaminants, including water, that get onto the
floor are mopped up immediately. In commercial areas, the use of warning signs
is recommended. Surface contamination can be caused by products such as fat,
grease, furniture polish, glass cleaner, airborne insecticides, disinfectant,
perfume spray and other foreign matter. Spillages should be cleaned up
immediately by first wiping the absorbent paper, and then thoroughly mopping
with a diluted neutral cleaner/warm water solution. The floor should then be
rinsed and allowed to dry
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