Welcome

[Paul Elliott]

Welcome to the latest addition to CleanTalk. We feel that many Carpet Cleaners can help to improve profits by moving into hard floor cleaning.

We have negotiated long and hard to secure the services of Mr Steve Carpenter. Steve is very well respected in the industry and will help to moderate the Forum and give expert answers to your questions.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

Regards

Paul.

 

[Des Rynne]

Hi steve
Thinking of getting into hardfloor cleaning and have been looking at differnt hard floor pressure cleaners like the turbo ,But i would like one that i could use on patio,s to What do you think is the best hard floor cleaner on the market
many thanks des at mister clean

 

[S.J.Carpenter]

Hi Des,

If you’re a truckmounted operator this is an area that you can easily expand into. There are various suppliers of exterior floor cleaning equipment in the UK; some of the American designed equipment also has vacuum capability. This would enable you to clean driveways, patios, kitchen floors and areas such as swimming pool changing rooms and surrounds etc that would obviously be a major health and safety issue for electric scrubbing rinsing equipment.

One supplier that comes to mind for this type of equipment that could be connected to your solution line is Dual Pumps www.dualpumps.co.uk

Or you can purchase the vacuum assisted versions from the Hydroforce agents in the UK such as Hydramaster in Cornwall or the Bridgepoint distributor Restoration Express in Farnham, Surrey.

Remember though to select the correct cleaning products for working in these areas.

Regards

Steve

 

[Len Gribble]

Hi Paul

This looks like it could be a good forum.

It’s funny I started the other way round, first offices cleaning then expanded in to retail. I used to sub out the carpet and hard floor cleaning thinking not a lot of profit there due too cost of equipment; wrong my Core business is now Carpet and hard floor/surface cleaning.

Having said that; hard surface cleaning can sometimes be as technical as carpet/upholstery cleaning one can screw up big time.

Examples inexperience use of floor striper another one burnt Tarket flooring using wrong floor pad both were done by two of the big boy’s in the general commercial cleaning game.

Regarding presser washing care should be also taken here, know the material you are required to clean example; asphalt is asphalt NO most domestic customer who have asphalt drives laid are what in the trade are called cold asphalt (not the same as used on roads) and are probably laid by the fly be nights and very thin pressure on this will lift it.

I’m not trying to discourage any one from going down this avenue you will need training! Lucky for me the subbies I used trained me on use of machines; cleaning agents got the rep out to test.

If any of you carpet cleaners (and only cc) and are trying to break into this field are in need hard floor machines to test (scrubber/buffer 300 to 1000rpm) before buying please e-mail me at mail@angcc.com (I’m based in SE London North Kent) it’s free but if you what to take away to test a deposit of £200 per machines (sorry)

Len

 

[Paul Elliott]

Les,

I too have moved from Floor Maintainance in shops etc into carpet & upholstery cleaning.

I spoke to Steve about some floors I was stripping and re-coating over the christmas holidays and he and Karl from Amtech gave me some advice regarding some US cleaning products. I was amazed at the difference in results.

I still have much to learn.

Regards

Paul.

 

[David Ware]

Hi steve have a customer that wants vinyl flooring polished but not mantained.Is there different polishes that do not require high speed polishers to maintain there appearance.

David Ware

ps thanks for the advice on the cfr carpet floor tool

 

[David Ware]

Hi Paul, hard floor cleaning and maintaining is a very good extra area to look after.Perhaps this would be a good course to run.
David Ware

 

[S.J.Carpenter]

Hi David,

An excellent product to use in this environment would be a product called Sta-Brite floor coating from Pioneer Eclipse. It’s a long lasting no burnish finish that’s resistant to wear and detergent scrubbings.

I use it on uneven surfaces, stairs and for customers looking for a wet look floor finish who don’t want the expense of buying a burnisher. Apply a minimum of 5 coats and offer a periodic maintenance programme to repair eventual damage. It should last 2-3 years if maintained correctly.

Regards

Steve

 

[David Ware]

Thanks Steve, will have a chat at Amtec See you soon
David Ware

 

[S.J.Carpenter]

Hi David,

This is 5 coats of Pioneer Eclipse finish on a victorian tiled floor. The floor was stripped, neutralised, rinsed on day 1 and then 2 coats of Hard Floor sealer and 3 coats of Sta-Brite were applied on day 2.

Regards

Steve

 

[Des Rynne]

Hi steve
What about a finding out how many members would be interested in a Hard floor cleaning and maintenance course and have one in the south and one in the north .And as the next cleaning show is not to 2005 get some companies who are into hard floor cleaning to show of there goods I can get a large club for free if cost were a problem
des at mister clean

 

[Keith Robertson]

Nice Floor Steve,

A good example of the quality that was achieved by our great grandfathers and this one does appear to be in extremely good condition. We restore about 40 of these floors per year and I am constantly amazed at the detail and precision of the laying of them. I understand they used to have pattern books and dependent of what you wished to spend, the mix of quarry, geometric and encaustic could be supplied in ever increasing complexity and diversity.

I was interested to note that you prepared one day and sealed on the following. Most people I know who use water based acrylics and emulsion dressing do so on the same day. Was this to allow the tiles to dry or was it because of the amount of restoration the floor required in the 1st place?

Unless the client requests a wax finish to their Victorian tiles I recommend that we seal these floors with a spirit based impregnator so it is essential that the floor is absolutely dry before its sealed. Not only is this type of product ideal for tiles allowing them to “breathe” but it gives it a more authentic look as the tiles do not become unnaturally shiny as they usually do with other sealants. And yes, before anyone asks, there are clients who occasionally demand gloss finishes and we give them what they want!

Can you give an indication of how you price this sort of work?

 

[S.J.Carpenter]

Hi Des,

Amtech UK are holding a 1 day “Introduction to Stripping and Sealing Floors using the Pioneer Eclipse Floorcare Range” on the 26th March 04 in Burgess Hill. Places are limited to 10 and the course fee is £80.00 plus VAT per person. Tea, coffee lunch and course manual will be included in the price.

The day will be hands on so all those attending will gain valuable knowledge and skills in the very latest floor care techniques.

We will also hold 2-day training courses for wood floor sanding and sealing. Dates to be advised.

Regards

Steve

 

[S.J.Carpenter]

Hi Keith,

I agree the quality of workmanship from craftsman of old is quite amazing. This particular site has been occupied since the 15th Century and some of the buildings are truly amazing having withstood the passage of time. This customer prefers a wet look floor finish floor finish on all their floors regardless of age or condition. I have often told them that some floors are best left unfinished to preserve the character of the period.

I charge £5.50 per m2 for safety floor cleaning, £8.50 per m2 for vinyl/linoleum flooring and up to £30.00 per m2 for stone, marble and wood flooring depending on type and age etc.

All floors regardless of age will be stripped to remove manufactures protective coatings or old and worn floor finish. This prepares the floor for adhesion of the seal and finish.

Once the floor is finished I provide the customer with 4 litres of Neutral floor cleaner and a method statement detailing the maintenance procedure. It’s a condition of treatment that they only use the recommended cleaning products listed in the method statement.

Regards

Steve

 

[Danny Scarborough]

Does anyone maintain Laminate floors, there are millions of yards of the stuff now unfortunately.
I attended a two day floor course at Premier a while back and got a black look when I asked this question, I don't think they are very impressed with this type of flooring, they said the veneer is so thin that hardly anything can be done to it.

Cheers, Danny.

 

[Danny Scarborough]

I seem to have a problem with this Hard floor forum, I keep having to scan left and right to read it, does anyone else have the same problem.

Cheers, Danny.

 

[Matthew Taylor]

The reason you have to use the scroll bars at the bottom of the page is that there are pictures in this thread that are too big for the screen causing the necessity to scroll the whole width of the page. I have changed the settings for uploading pictures so they will have to be smaller.