Floor Consult

Cork is a resilient, eco-friendly flooring material that has a unique aesthetic appeal and can reduce stress on your feet and legs when you spend a lot of time standing on the floor (as compared to other hard surface floors).  Cork is not as commonly used as other types of flooring materials, such as wood, vinyl and laminate.  Because of this, not everyone knows how easy it is to maintain a Cork floor.  Here are some basics for Cork floor care that will get you started in the right direction.

A Cork floor should be swept frequently enough, depending on the amount of traffic it gets, to remove loose dirt and debris off the floor thereby reducing the instances of microscopic scratches that occur when these particles become ground or rubbed into the floor.Microscopic scratches will dull the appearance of your floor. Always sweep your cork floor prior to mopping or use a vacuum on the “hard floor” setting.  Note: Vacuums with metal beater bars or in poor condition can damage cork so check your machine before vacuuming. Place mats near exterior doorways to limit dirt and debris tracking on your floor.  Avoid rubber or non-porous types of backings on mats because they tend to trap moisture that could damage your floor.

Clean up spills right away with a soft cloth because, like hardwood floors, moisture is not cork’s friend.  To clean up after a spill, if it’s something other than water, use a spray cleaner to remove any residue left behind.  Wipe the cleaner until it’s dry.  This will be the same product that you use to clean the floor.

Use manufacturer approved cleaners on your cork floor to uphold your warranty on a new cork floor.  Check your manufacturer warranty for specific time frames and details. If you don’t know the flooring manufacturer, there are products approved for use on cork floors such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or Basic Squeaky Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner. These are spray cleaners that spray directly onto the floor then mop with a microfiber mop. Both, Bona & Basic, have a mop kit that includes cleaner and mop. Replacement mop covers (Bona,Basic) can be purchased separately.  Bona also has a spray mop for all-in-one cleaning.  If you are uncertain about what product to select, ask the retailer.  A knowledgeable retailer, local or internet, will be familiar with cork and what types of cleaner or finish is compatible.  Basically, you’re looking for a cleaner with neutral pH and that leaves no residue.1877floorguy.com is available by phone during our normal business hours at 1-877-356-6748.

Minimize scuffs and scratches. Save your floor from furniture scratches by using felt pads under furniture legs and bases.  This is a MUST DO to protect the floor from scratches especially on tables and chairs that are frequently moved!  Be aware of spike-heeled shoes or shoes with worn-out or excessively heavy heels that can dent and damage the floor.  Remove shoes or ask others to do so in order to save your floor.  These rules apply to any hard surface floor in your home.

When moving large pieces of furniture or appliances on cork, don’t drag!  Cork will scratch or gouge if a heavy or sharp object drags across it.  If possible, lift objects to move them.  If items are too heavy to lift, such as hutches or large appliances, use tools to assist you such as EZ Moves felt bottom slides. This will save your floor and your back! Again, good practice for any hard surface floor.

Follow these basic rules, along with the Manufacturer’s Care Instructions, and your cork floor should look good for many years. Finishes can sometimes be applied to cork for added protection in high traffic areas. To be sure you select a compatible finish, we recommend you call us at 1-877-Floorguy or contact the flooring manufacturer for guidance before you purchase and apply a finish.  If you buy from 1877Floorguy.com, use coupon code “FGBLOG” for a 10% discount off your order.

Check our website under Cork & Rubber Floor Care for some manufacturer recommended care products or our Hardwood Floor Caresection because many wood care products work well on cork floors.  For assistance from one of our knowledgeable agents, call 1-877-Floorguy, with your questions.

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 Teamwas 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 aresult 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.

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.

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.

What does all of this mean to you?
Green Seal Certified and EPP Approved (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) both focus on the impact that manufacturing and materials used have on the environment.

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…