Vinyl and Thermoplastic tiled Floors - Some tips on their care and upkeep
I used to get many phone calls from people regarding care of their floors, varying
from 'How do I clean it properly?' to 'What's the best polish to use?' and all sorts
of variations in between. This page runs alongside the one which deals more specifically
with wooden floors, as many techniques are common to both those and the vinyl/thermoplastic
ones discussed here. In general it can be said that 'Vinyl' (as I'll call them from
now on) type tiled floors are easier to care for, not requiring quite as much preparation
as their wooden counterparts but that doesn't mean to say that they can be neglected
and still continue to look good. A simple programme of regular maintenance will,
however, ensure that they will keep their good looks indefinitely
Different types of 'Vinyl' floor.
'Vinyl' flooring is made of several materials, the most common being true vinyl,
thermoplastic, and linoleum, which is making a comeback due to its versatility and
good wearing properties. All are smooth, water resistant to a high degree and can
be polished to virtually a mirror-like finish. Care must be taken, however, to protect
the surface from new, as once the surface finish becomes abraded by foot traffic
it becomes progressively more difficult to maintain a highly polished finish and,
if the wear is bad enough, it can prove to be virtually impossible. It's therefore
essential to start maintaining the floor surface from the moment it is laid and that
is the procedure we're going to look at now.
I cannot stress enough the importance of preparation to the eventual finish. Skimp
on this part and at best you won't get the results you would like - at worst you'll
have to start all over again! The floor must be cleaned thoroughly - even if it's
brand new. If it has had polish applied previously, this should be removed using
a proprieatary polish stripper such as Selden's Selate. If the floor does not have
polish on it that has to be removed, it can be cleaned using a solution of neutral
detergent and then rinsed thoroughly with clean water and left to dry. Once this
process of preparation is complete, the polish can then be applied. Because this
type of flooring is impervious to liquid, the polish can be applied directly to the
surface without need for a seal. Many people confuse seals and polishes, so a brief
definition of both appears below.
Seal. - A seal is a substance that, when applied to a porous surface prevents the
transmission of liquids through that surface. Seals may dry to a shiny finish when
applied to the floor but they are not intended to be burnished to a shine like a
polish is - you'll get your shine but eventually you will wear the seal through.
Seals are intended to be a permanent barrier between the surface to be treated and
liquids (in this case, polish). Some polishes can also be used as seals (just to
confuse the issue) but generally a seal goes down first, followed by polish.
Polish - Sometimes called a finish or finishing coat, a polish is a substance that
is applied to a surface to protect it and enhance its appearance. So for porous floors,
the polish is applied on top of the seal, to give your floor its shine - and to protect
the seal! The idea is that polish can be reapplied and maintained fairly easily,
leaving the seal in place to protect the floor surface.
The application of polish to vinyl flooring is a simple task - but one that must
be carried out correctly if the final finish is to be of a high standard. The floor
should be cleaned as described above and rinsed thoroughly. When totally dry - and
at this time probably looking quite dull - the polish can be applied using either
a clean round mop or applicator (see the wooden floors page for methods).
It is very important not to over-apply the polish - the floor should have a 'wet-look'
finish with no opaque streaks visible- if there are streaks it means that the polish
is being spread too thickly - drying time and finish will suffer if polish is over-applied.
There are several different kinds of polish which are normally applied to vinyl flooring,
here we'll look at the two most common types.
This kind of floor polish took off in a big way with the advent of thermoplastic
vinyl tiled floors, seen in hospitals, schools and various institutions absolutely
everywhere. This kind of flooring is tough and hard wearing, but will periodically
need to be completely removed and re-applied - most metallised emulsion polishes
are difficult to 'patch' on heavy traffic areas and with even the best maintenance
will eventually 'traffic-off', leaving worn or even bare patches. Metallised emulsion
polishes come graded by their 'solids' content -- the higher this is, generally the
better the shine but very high solid content polishes can be tricky to handle and
maintain - go for one with about 12 - 18% solids and you will find it much easier
to handle. The other option available is -
B. Co-polymer Emulsion Polish
A relative newcomer, this type of polish has the advantages of being easy to apply,
quick drying times (typically ten minutes in a dry, well-ventilated room!) and it
can be 'patched - in' to worn areas without the need for complete stripping off.
It gives the deep shine of metallised emulsion polishes although is perhaps not quite
so hard-wearing - this is offset by the ease which it can be 'patch-applied' to worn
areas. Both these kind of polishes are easy to apply and straightforward in their
care needs, although different products are necessary to look after each one. So,
here goes with-
3. Application - Emulsion Floor Polishes
The method of application for both types of emulsion floor polish is the same. An
ordinary, clean mop of the round-headed type (kentucky mops can be tricky due to
their size) can be used and is cheaper than an applicator. Ensure the applicator
or mop head is rinsed with clean water beforehand and squeezed until just damp.
Tip a small amount of the polish into a clean bucket - about one inch depth of polish
is adequate. With the floor cleaned as described above and dry, dip the mop into
the polish, taking up a small amount, then spread thinly and evenly, using broad
strokes, onto the floor. The object is much the same as wax polish - the floor should
look wet but should not show opaque streaks - if it does, you've applied the polish
too thickly!
When the floor is completely coated, rinse the mop head out and wait for the coat
to dry - probably about half an hour, or ten minutes for copolymer polish. When you
go back to have a look, the polish will have dried to a bright finish (hence its
other, often-used name, 'dry-bright emulsion') All that remains is to repeat the
process - four or five coats should prove adequate - until a sufficient thickness
of polish has been built up to allow burnishing to take place. This is accomplished
using a rotary floor polisher and floor pad (check with the pad manufacturer as to
which colour to use - tan is usual, but this varies according to maker and can be
red or even blue!).
Spray a small amount of polish onto a couple of square yards of floor surface using
a trigger spray type atomiser (as used on your roses) - be very sparing with this,
as it only serves to lessen the resistance on the polishing pad for the first few
seconds. As you burnish, you will soon see the floor assuming that 'six-foot deep
shine' you want - don't be tempted to rush this, though. The action of burnishing
hardens the polish, giving greater slip-resistance and wearing qualities and is important
if the polish is to be durable and long-lasting,
When you're satisfied with the finish, move on to the next couple of square yards
and repeat until the whole floor gleams. There! You've done it! Now go and invite
the neighbours around for coffee!
Maintenance - Emulsion Floor Polishes
Once you have attained the quality of shine your floor deserves it makes sense to
maintain its shine. This is easily achieved if carried out on a regular basis. Mop
the floor to remove soilage, or vacuum if dusty - though personally I would always
mop as well!
Slightly different products should be used for metallised emulsion and copolymer
polishes - if in doubt, check with the manufacturer of the polish. When the soilage
had been removed, mop over again with the maintenance product - I know this sounds
tedious, and that you can use the maintainer to clean the floor in one stage instead
of as described above, but you'll get better results this way.
When the floor is just about dry, burnish over with your floor polisher - any really
dry bits can be 'eased' slightly with a puff or two from the atomiser which should
contain maintainer in this case, not polish. You should find that the floor resumes
its good looks in very short order!
That's a very brief, though fairly comprehensive guide to caring for your vinyl flooring.
I don't pretend it's the last word and manufacturer's instructions can and do differ
from those above (and should be followed!) but in the absence of other instructions,
follow these guidelines and you will not go far wrong. Why not have a look around
the rest of the site for other tips and information - thanks for your visit!
