specialty floor care - rj schinner...remove factory sealing surface and will react with linseed oil...

SPECIALTY FLOOR CAREMAINTENANCE AND FLOOR PAD SELECTOR GUIDE

AMERICO TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF FLOOR PAD SELECTION

Whether you’re looking to replace or simply extend the life of your flooring, understanding the key characteristics and maintenance requirements is fundamental to a successful floor care program.

FLOOR MAINTENANCE

FLOORING TYPE AND CHARACTERISTICS

MAINTENANCE

CONCERNS

FLOOR PAD RECOMMENDATIONS

Before you begin any maintenance, make sure you understand the “DOs & DON’Ts” of any floor defining what equipment, chemical or cleaning processes can be safely used. Always check with flooring manufacturer for their care and maintenance recommendations.

Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad

Recommendations

POLISHED MARBLE• Extremely attractive• Very soft limestone• Natural or Agglomerate

(man-made)• Sensitive to abrasion and

acid solutions• Polished, honed, or

flamed surface

• Polished surface damages easily

• Expensive to repair• Cracks easily• Deep scratches due to

abrasion• Corrosion due to acid

soils• Honed or flamed tile

sensitive to stains• Keeping grout lines clean

• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-film

cleaners• Impregnators OK• Diamond Pads OK• Machine scrub to keep

grout lines clean• Establish good mat

program

• Blue Cleaner• DiaMENDTM System• Red Buff• Image-Beige• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ Diamond System

TRAVERTINE• Composed of carbonates;

acts like limestone chemically, but is denser

• Antique look, surface pockets

• Honed only• Off white color• Naturally soft limestone• No man-made alternatives• Sensitive to abrasion and

acid solutions

• Stains easily• Deep scratches due to

abrasion• Corrosion due to acid

soils• Keeping grout lines clean

• Floor finish OK. Treat like vinyl floor

• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-film

cleaners• Spray buffing or

burnishing OK• Polishing OK• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Blue Cleaner• DiaMENDTM System• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Diamond System

GRANITE• Hardest natural stone

available• Extremely durable• Most expensive stone

floor

• Slip & fall hazard with wet & dry soils present

• Keeping grout lines clean• Can stain

• Marble finish OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming


burnishing OK• Diamond Pads OK• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Brown Strip• DiaMENDTM System• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Diamond System• White Polish

SPECIALTY FLOOR CARE


Recommendations

SLATE• Very dense silicious stone

(contains quartz)• Minimal absorption with

most varieties; others can be absorbent (over 2%)

• Acid resistant• Contoured surface

• Liquid stains on absorbent varieties

• Keeping grout lines clean

• Floor finish OK• Sealer needed on

absorbent varieties• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Impregnators OK• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming

cleaners• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets

PAVERS• Made from clay, shale or

porcelain• Machine-made tiles non-

absorbent• Hand-made tiles more

absorbent• Glazed or unglazed• Also referred to as

Mexican Tile or Terra Cotta

• Uneven surface can generate blotchy appearance

• Staining on more absorbent tiles

• Keeping grout lines clean• Deep stains may require a

poultice

• Floor finish & sealer OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming

cleaners• Machine scrub as needed

to keep grout lines clean• Establish good mat

program

• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TURFSCRUB™• White Polish

QUARRY TILE• Made from clay;

generally red in color• Unglazed only• Slip resistant in wet & oily

conditions due to surface porosity

• Generally used in commercial kitchen environments

• Becomes slippery in wet conditions if surface pores fill with grease or soil

• Surface staining due to porosity

• Keeping grout lines clean• Deep stains may require a

poultice

• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently

• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming

cleaner• Use degreaser where

appropriate• Machine scrub to keep

grout lines clean• Establish a good mat

program

• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• TwisterTM Yellow• TwisterTM Green


Recommendations

TERRA COTTA• Low fired natural clays

which give it a unique character

• Very absorbent• Stains easily

• Must be immediately sealed to minimize staining

• Not impervious; should not be used in kitchen or wet areas

• Keeping grout lines clean

• Floor finish & sealer required

• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or


cleaners• Machine scrub to keep


program•

• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Yellow• Twister™ Green

SANDSTONE• Quartz grains naturally

cemented together• Very hard & durable• Resistant to acids

• Staining possible• Deep stains may require a

poultice• Keeping grout lines clean

• Floor finish & sealer OK• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Impregnators OK• Use neutral, non-filming


burnishing OK• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Black Strip• DiaMENDTM (600 grit)• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• TwisterTM White• TwisterTM Yellow• TwisterTM Green

NATURAL LINOLEUM• Made from organic

materials (cork, wood flour, oxidized linseed oil and pine tar)

• Marble pattern; limited colors

• Sensitive to alkaline, abrasion and standing water

• Overuse of alkalinity will remove factory sealing surface and will react with linseed oil & pine tar to weaken the floor

• Surface scratches easily and is not repairable

• Damaged floor will swell with long term water contact

• Floor finish and/or sealer required

• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming

cleaners• Combined cleaner/

maintainers OK• Spray buffing OK• Spray cleaning OK• High speed polishing OK• Establish a good mat

program

• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish


Recommendations

RUBBER• Available in studded,

texture, smooth or hammered designs

• Self-polishing• Sensitive to alkalinity and

sunlight• Can stain easily with

wear

• Overall maintenance due to surface design

• High alkaline solutions can dry surface

• Scars & scratches easily• Impressions have little to

no recovery

• Avoid alkaline solutions (10 -pH or higher)

• Do not use floor finish except on smooth designs



cleaners• Spray buffing or high

speed polishing OK on smooth designs

• Establish good mat program

• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• White Polish• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ Green• Xtract Melamine

The Full Cycle® Line of Americo products are Green SealTM certified

High Quality & PerformanceWith Americo floor pads, our

customers don’t have to sacrifice

quality or product performance

to leave a green footprint. Our

innovative biotechnology does

not modify Americo's core pad

formulation. Our products have

the same high quality, product

performance and consistency that

customers have come to expect

from Americo.

All floor pads manufactured byAmerico are made in the USA

Full Cycle® Products are Certified by Green Seal™ for Environmental Innovation based on faster biodegradation in landfill conditions and 100% recycled content/natural fiber. GreenSeal.org/GS20


Recommendations

CERAMICGlazed• Glass like surface• Available in multiple sizes,

surface designs and colors

• Can not be repaired if surface becomes damaged

• Slippery in wet conditions

• No floor finish should be used


• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use a neutral, non-filming

cleaner• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TwisterTM Green• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine

Semi-glazed/Unglazed• Semi-glazed has matte

surface• Unglazed has dull surface• Available in multiple sizes

& colors

• Staining due to surface porosity

• Soil tracking in surface porosity

• Deep stains may require a poultice

• Floor finish & sealer OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or


cleaner• Machine scrub to keep


program

• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TwisterTM Green• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine

Polished Concrete• Very hard, durable• Smooth, highly polished

surface typically found indoors

• Staining due to surface porosity

• Soil tracking• Deep stains may require

heavier restoration methods

• Sensitive to acids

• Clean and polish using diamond pads


• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use any non-acid cleaner

ranging from neutral cleaner to heavy duty degreaser

• Establish good mat program

• Black Strip• DiaMENDTM System• Green Scrub• Flamingo• Porko Extreme• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ System

EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FLOOR


Recommendations

WOOD LAMINATE• Vinyl laminates can be

treated like tile floor• Laminates containing real

wood or cork must be cleaned with controlled water usage

• Authentic wood appearance

• All protected by clear vinyl wear layer

• Damaged wear layer can not be repaired

• Water damage on floors containing real wood or cork

• Seams must be protected from standing water because they are not heat welded

• Floor finish OK• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Mop or auto scrub;

minimize standing water on floors containing real wood or cork

• Use neutral, non-filming cleaner

• Spray buffing and cleaning OK

• High speed polishing OK• Establish good mat

program

• Aqua• Image Beige• Red Buff• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine

PARQUET• Real wood• Plasticized urethane

surface

• Damage to plasticized surface

• Standing water can warp wood

• Seams are not heat welded

• Floor finish OK• Damaged surface can

be sanded and replaced with new urethane


• Wet mop or auto scrub using as little water as possible

• Use neutral, non-filming cleaner

• Spray buffing and cleaning OK

• High speed polishing OK• Establish good mat

program

• Aqua• Image Beige• Maroon EcoPrep “EPP”• Red Buff• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish

THE RIGHT FLOOR PAD FOR ANY SURFACE

5


Recommendations

CONDUCTIVE FLOOR• Looks dull with metal

strings running through it• Any soil or maintenance

product that interferes with the floor’s conductivity

• Soil build up in the porous surface

• No coatings allowed!• Dust mop, sweep or

vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use a neutral, non-filming

cleaner• Machine scrub keep

surface pores clean• Establish a good mat

program

• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets

ANTI-SLIP VINYL• Vinyl with impregnated

aluminium oxide chips• Multiple colors and

patterns available

• Coatings or soil build up that interfere with the floors slip resistance



cleaner• Machine scrub as needed

to keep surface clean• Establish good mat

program

• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• White Polish

CORKRaw• Looks like a bulletin board

on the floor!• Water damage to natural

cork, i.e. dark spots and/or swelling


• Seal with solvent based products only

• Damp mop only using neutral detergent

• Establish a good mat program

• Red Buff• White Polish

Laminated• Highly polished smooth

surface• Natural cork appearance

• Damage to clear wear layer is not repairable

• Seams are not heat welded

• Water damage to natural cork, i.e. dark spots and/or swelling

• Floor finish OK• Dust mop, sweep or


cleaner• Spray buffing and

cleaning OK• High speed polishing OK• Establish a good mat

program

• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish

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ABOUT AMERICO

About Americo

Since 1969, Americo Manufacturing Company has grown to become one of the world’s leading producers of floor pads, cleaning accessories, OEM specialty nonwovens and floor matting, with products that are distributed and sold in over 70 countries worldwide. We are a family managed business, known for producing high quality products, while embracing environmentally sustainable practices.

Americo Manufacturing Company6224 N. Main Street, Acworth, GA 301271.800.241.9902www.americomfg.com [email protected]

specialty floor care - rj schinner...remove factory sealing surface and will react with linseed oil...

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