Maintenance Guide for Hard Floor Surfaces

1. Treating New Installations
   1. Dust Removal and Wet Cleaning
      • Remove heavy soil with push broom.
      • Remove fine dust with non-oily dust mop or heavy-duty vacuum cleaner.
      • Prepare a cleaning solution as recommended by the manufacturer's instructions.
      • Apply and allow solution to stand for an adequate period to loosen soil.
      • Machine scrub with fibre scrubbing brush or scrubbing pad on floor machine. Do not use steel wool on hard surface flooring.
      • Pick-up and remove soiled solution from surface with a wet pick-up vacuum or wet mop.
      • Rinse with clean, warm water.
      • Rinse second time with clean warm water.
      • Pick-up rinse water with wet vacuum, wet mop or automatic scrubber.
      • Allow floor to dry for four hours or overnight depending on humidity prior to allowing traffic.
   2. Sealing
      • Prepare surface as outlined in A.1.
      • When the floor is dry, apply acrylic type water base sealer or silicone impregnator, for maximum protection of the floor and grouting. Depending on the porosity of the floor surface, a second coat may be required. Apply seal coat using manufacturer's suggested method.
   3. Finishing
      • To protect the seal and for ease of maintenance, apply floor finish following the manufacturer's suggested method.
2. Recommended Care and Maintenance
   1. Daily maintenance
      • Dust mop with clean non-oily dust mop of size to suit floor area.
      • Remove dust particles from mop frequently by vacuum.
      • Remove any wet spillage immediately by damp moping.
      • Damp mop entire floor surface using a natural (ph-7) detergent.
   2. Periodic Maintenance
      • Wet mop the surface with detergent or neutral type cleaner solution.
      • Agitate with floor machine and scrubbing brush attached or wet mop.
      • Remove dirty cleaning solution from floor with wet vacuum or damp mop. Then damp mop with clear, warm water.
      • Let floor dry before allowing traffic.
3. Reconditioning
   • Remove dust and wet clean as outlined in A.1. above.
   • Remove existing floor finish and sealers using detergent stripper according to manufacturer's recommendations.
     CAUTION: May cause skin damage, follow manufacturer's recommendations in the material safety Data Sheet.

   Prior to cleaning the floor surface, it is imperative that the wash mop, scrubbing pad and water be thoroughly clean and the water changed frequently.

4. Glazed Tile

   Sealer or floor finish is not required on this type of tile with epoxy or polymer modified grouts. Portland cement grouts may require a sealer. Follow manufacturer's recommended procedures to apply sealer to portland cement grouted glazed tile floors.

5. Slate

   Follow directions as specified in item A.1. Following the rinse inspect the floor, should there be a milky film evident use a 5% solution of phosphoric or sulphamic acid to clean the floor. Follow this by neutralizing the surface by rinsing the floor thoroughly with clean water. When the surface is dry, apply a coat of seal or silicone impregnator following the manufacturer's recommendations.

   For preventive maintenance and entrance mat is the most basic requirement.

   It is important to follow manufacturer's strict written instructions.

Source:findstone.com