Friday, October 26, 2012

How to Maintain Floor Cleaning Equipment

AutoScrubber Maintenance
Daily
- Drain dirty water
- Lift vac tank lid
- Rinse tank
- Run vacuum for 30-60 seconds
- Clean off squeegee
- Check water levels in batteries (not required for Gel or AGM Batteries)
- Check hoses
- Check pad
 - Wipe down Scrubber

Weekly
- Clean all filters
- Empty clean water tank and rinse
- Clean battery terminals

Floor Buffer Maintenance
- Check power cord
- Remove pad driver or block
- Remove pad and rinse of
- Clean machine

Friday, October 19, 2012

How to Dry Strip a Floor

Items Required:
- Square scrub or Orbital scrubber
- Back pack or hip vac
- Maroon dry strip pads
- Broom
- Bucket and wringer
- Autoscrubber (if available)
- Floor finish

Procedure:
- Fill bucket and/or autoscrubber with cold water and neutral soap
- Clear floor area to be stripped
- Sweep floor
- Check square scrubber or orbital scrubber cord for exposed or lose wires
- Place red buffer pad and dry strip pad under square scrubber
- Check back pack vac cord for exposed or loose wires
- Check vac bag
- Put on back pack vac and connect vac hose to port on square scrubber if one is available
- Turn on vac
- Starting in corner begin stripping in a horizontal line
- Depending on build up make a second pass
- When area is completed using back pack vac, Vacuum residue from floor
- Autoscrub or mop the floor
- Apply 3-5 coats of finish depending on expected traffic
- Remove pads from square scrub and rinse off if still good. Hang to dry for next time
- Remove bag and filter from back pack vac and clean out
- Clean both machines of any residue left

Tips:
- Make sure skirt is properly in place
- Back pack vac will save clean up as it will remove dust as you are going but canister vac will work as well
- This process will not work on heavy build up ( conventional stripping will be required)
- Consider using this process on Marmoleum and cork floors as there will be no stripper damage
- As you will not remove 100% of the finish off floor 3 coats of finish will usually be sufficient

Phil-T
"Nothings too filthy for Phil-T"

Friday, October 12, 2012

How to Refinish a Gym Floor (Waterbase)

Items required:
- 2 Buckets and wringers
- Broom
- Gym floor prep or heavy duty general purpose cleaner
- Black floor pad
- Swing buffer or auto scrubber
- Weighted T-bar
- Scraper
- Doddle bug or edging pads
- Water base gym finish
- Rags

Procedure:
- Prepare one bucket with cold water and floor prep and one bucket with cold water for rinse
- Thoroughly sweep gym floor
- Flood an area of about 5' by the length of he gym
- Scrub area with scrubber and black pad
- Scrub edges with doodle bug
- Pick up scrubbed area with wet vac or auto scrubber
- Rinse edges
- Repeat steps 3-8 on next section until gym is complete
- When complete pack up and allow to dry 1 hr
- Fill watering jug or Rubbermaid bucket with floor drain with gym finish
- Following the wood grain lay a bead of finish from one end of the gym to the other
- In a snow plow fashion drag your finish back and forth on the floor with your weighted T-bar
- Add finish as required
- As you arrive near the end wall hold back on amount of finish poured on floor
- Have rags at door to pick up excess finish
- Allow to dry for 1-2 hrs and apply second coat
- Reopen gym next day

Tips:
- use a lot of finish at the start and slowly reduce amount of finish so that you don't have too much overflow at the end
- Consider this a 2 man job if possible
- Use a 24" weighted T-bar with a synthetic refill
- If applying a 3rd coat wait over night before applying 3rd coat

Monday, October 8, 2012

How to Buff a Floor

We will cover 3 different ways to buff a floor. Before attempting this process be sure you are trained on the required equipment.
Materials Required:
- Broom
- Mop and Bucket
- Blue Ice or White Floor Pad
- Swing Buffer or High Speed Buffer
- Neutral Floor Soap

Process: 
-Sweep floor area to be buffed thoroughly
- Mop or autoscrub floor with neutral floor soap or floor restorer making sure edges are cleaned
- Allow to dry

Propane Burnish Procedure:
- Place buffing pad on propane buffer ( white, blue ice or natural hair) 
- Check oil on buffer
- Install tank
- Start buffer
- Walk at a moderate pace ensuring to not stand on one spot for any length of time
- When finished, remove propane tank and store outside
- Remove floor pad and rinse off, then hang to dry
- Clean off buffer
- Sweep floor thoroughly

Electric High Speed Buffer
- Install floor pad on buffer
- Check electric cord for any cuts or exposed wires
- Plug in buffer
- Lower handle to your mid section
- At a moderate pace, walk forward and backwards up and down the aisles or area you wish to cover
- When finished, unplug buffer and wrap cord up
- Rinse pad and hang to dry
- Sweep floor

Low Speed Spray Buff
- Pour spray buff into spray bottle
- Install drive pad on swing buff
- Place white or blue ice pad under buffer
- Check cord for cuts or exposed wire and plug in
- Lower handle to your mid section
- Engage lever and buff in a slow side to side manner, covering about 1.5 tiles worth per pass
- Spray small amounts of spray buff on black marks or areas that are quite dull
- If drag occurs, pad is too wet and you are using too much spray buff
- When finished, lift handle, and wrap cord up
- Store machine with pad driver removed
- Rinse pad and hang dry
- Sweep floor

Tips:
- Propane buffers will give best results but are not always allowed. Check with the manager of the facility to see if permitted
- Pad selection should be based on the finish on the floor. If the finish is hard and you are using a propane buffer consider natural hair pads. In most other cases use the blue ice pads.
- Buffer should always be stored off of their drive block. Leaving a drive block on will cause warping and may cause your buffer to jump
- Sweeping floors is the most crucial part of floor care always pre sweep and post sweep your floor

Friday, October 5, 2012

How to Restore a Marmoleum/Forbo Floor

Items Required:
- 3 Buckets and wringers
- Broom
- Johnson Linosafe
- Johnson Linobase
- Black pads
- Screen 120 grit
- Steel wool fine grade
- Autoscrubber
- Swing buffer
- Doddle bug or floor edging pad
- Sand paper 100 grit
- Scrapper
- Wet Vac

Procedure:
Day One
- Fill bucket with Johnson Linosafe at 10:1 with cold water
- Remove items from area to be stripped
- Sweep floor
- Flood an area of 10' X 10' with the Linosafe and let dwell for 5 minutes
- Scrape up any stickers
- Double scrub floor with swing buffer and black pad
- Scrub edges with edging pad
- Pick up solution with wet vac
- Rinse floor thoroughly with autoscrubber if possible
- Pack up items and allow to dry overnight
Day Two
- Check floor for finish residue and damage
- On heavily damaged floors use swing buffer and screen to level floor and remove damaged areas
- On less damaged floors use swing buffer and steel wool to level floor and remove damaged areas
- Have a small piece of sand paper to remove any heavy damage to floor
- When floor is even and consistent sweep floor
- Remove all dust residue by autoscrubbing clean
- When dry apply 2 to 3 coats of Linobase

Tips:
- This procedure is only for floors that have been damaged by stripping with caustic strippers
- As an alternative to the Linosafe a heavy duty general purpose cleaner may be used
- Always spot test any procedure in an inconspicuous area
- For floors with heavy buildup you may need to double strip with Linobase
- If unsure do not perform this procedure but contact a professional to help you

Phil-T
"Nothings too filthy for Phil-T"

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

How to Maintain a Marmoleum Floors

The maintenance of a Marmoleum floor is much the same as VCT with a few exceptions.

- Most marmoleum floors have a factory finish so IF possible try not to wax in the first year.
- This option will change if installed in a high traffic area

Items Required:
- Broom and dustpane
- Bucket and wringer
- Autoscrubber for (larger facilities)
- Neutral floor soap
- Swing buffer
- Spray buff

Procedure:
- Marmoleum floor should be swept daily
- Spot mop floor daily with neutral soap and cold water. In higher traffic areas, mop daily with neutral soap and cold water
- In larger facilities with high traffic patterns autoscrub the floor daily with nuetral soap and cold water followed by mopping edges with mop
- Spray buff the floor monthly for the first year with a white or a blue ice pad
- Scrub and wax as required after the first year, or after first application of non factory finish has been applied to the floor

Tips:
- Try not to wax floor until required - Marmoleum floor is fairly resilient and will take a lot of traffic. Usually 1 to 2 years
- When it's time to wax - Follow the Scrub and wax procedure
- Never use stripper on Marmoleum or Forbo flooring as this could remove the natural oils in the product and will remove the colour from the floor.

Phil-T
"Nothings too filthy for Phil-T"