Next to a house or automobile, floor covering is one of the largest purchases that many homeowners will ever make.  Like that car or house a floor covering can be a purchase of joy or pain.  A floor covering that is properly specified for the location, in which it is to be used, will add to the beauty of its environment.  A properly selected floor covering will also add value, comfort and pleasure to a home or business. At the same time, a floor covering that is selected with little or no thought as to its environment is likely to result in a major disappointment. 

Floor covering is both an important and a valuable element of a property design.  Floor covering can offer both the desired aesthetics and required performance qualities, when care is taken in its selection.  With the huge variety of materials, fibers, styles and colors available an individual can find a product in the correct price range that will provide years of enjoyment and function. 

Should an improperly selected floor covering be it sheet vinyl, laminated wood, carpet, hardwood or any other product fail, the unhappy consumer often places blame on the dealer they purchased it from.  In turn, the dealer will likely blame the problem on the floor-covering manufacturer. If the floor covering is carpet, the carpet manufacturer might blame the problem on the fiber manufacturer who in turn places the blame back on the retailer, consumer or another individual or inanity.  This can result in a big viscous circle with everyone being blamed but no one taking responsibility. 

As a consumer you should expect the sales representative to educate you and steer you in the right direction instead of going along with you to make the easy sale.  Unfortunately many companies fail to educate their sales representatives so that they understand how products differ and therefore a consumer must be prepared when making a purchase.

This writer sees it as a responsibility of those marketing a floor covering product to understand color, construction, performance and installation, and to pass this information on to the end user.  The consumer needs to understand that by spending just a little more money, (often only a few extra dollars more a month) on the purchase, it will save them many dollars and a lot of grief over the life of the carpet.  Unfortunately, for a consumer the word is caveat emptor (buyer beware).

The writer has spent over thirty-five years in the floor covering industry as a dealer, contractor, consultant and inspector.    In this roll he has analyzed thousands of installations to determine what has caused the products premature failure or loss in appearance.  Regularly it is found that the performance exhibited by a product is consistent with the characteristics of its construction.  What this usually means is that the product has failed as it was not properly specified or selected for the environment in which it was to be used.  Often the cause of the failure is a result of the floor covering being improperly cared for due to lack of knowledge or neglect.  Improper selection and care are avoidable situations that may require a little study on the part of the end-user.

Remove soil with a broom, non-oily dust mop or vacuum on a daily basis. Soil can abrade a floor as badly as taking sandpaper to it.

Broom: When selecting a broom find one with a bristle that matches the floor surface. A soft broom or brush is recommended for smooth surfaces. A medium-soft bristle is ideal for texture surfaces.

Vacuum: A vacuum cleaner works better than a broom on textured surfaces. On large floor areas a vacuum is almost always quicker than sweeping.

Damp mop for routine maintenance, using a damp mop or damp cloth. Damp mopping will pick up microscopic abrasive soils and potential staining agents. Damp mopping on a regular basis is recommended for most smooth surfaces. All surfaces should be swept of vacuumed before mopping.

• Remove stubborn debris by scrapping with a putty knife.
• Washing should be performed regularly. The most frequent problems encountered with tile and stone floors are related to ineffective or lack of maintenance. For most surfaces clean with an approved tile or stone cleaning product or use clear water and a mild non-sudsy detergent.
• Thoroughly rinse with clear warm water and wipe the floor dry. Dirty mop water residue is a frequent problem and a major cause of complaint. A two-bucket rinse method will help to prevent a floor from graying out due to soil residues.
• While glazed tiles have good stain resistance spills of any type should always be wiped up immediately.
• Allow tile to dry before placing back into use.

Grout Maintenance

• To remove stubborn stains clean with a fiber or nylon scrubbing pad and grout cleaner.
• Whitening Grout use a commercial grout cleaner that will bleach the grout. If a grout will not whiten removal and replacement is another option.

Cleaning Chemicals

• Natural soaps will help to provide sealing and/or dressing function for stone floors. The best soaps are vegetable based. Highly recommended are specialty soaps that have been formulated for use on most natural stone floors and other stone surfaces.
• Detergents are synthetic surface-active agents (surfactants). They are effective at picking up soils and emulsifying grease and oil. These wetting agents are very effective cleaners. When selecting a detergent for stone cleaning its selection needs to be carefully evaluated for compatibility with the stone.
• Acids are used for removing grout haze, mineral deposits and rust. Care must be taken as acidic type chemicals will attack lime and cement. Caution must be taken with acids and acidic pH products as they attack the polish on marbles and limestone.
• Phosphoric acid, citric acid and sulfamic acid is preferred over muratic, sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids in most situations for both safety and control issues.
• Abrasives should only be used on non-polished surfaces. Abrasives can be used in conjunction with detergents or soaps for scouring and removing thin layers from the tile or stone surface.
• Leaches are typically oxidizing agents (generate oxygen) and are helpful in stain removal. Non-hazardous enzyme types are available.

Stain Removal from Stone

• Coffee: glycerin, ammonia, enzyme cleaners
• Copper/bronze: ammonium chloride & talc
• Ink: ammonia, sodium perborate, solvents
• Iron: Phosphoric acid, sodium citrate, glycerin
• Linseed oil: hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, tri-sodium phosphate, sodium perborate
• Oil: acetone, amyl acetate, aromatic solvents
• Soot: tri-sodium phosphate, chlorinated lime
• Tobacco: sodium perborate, soap, sodium carbonate
• Urine: sodium carbonate, sodium perborate
• Wood: glycerin, tri-sodium phosphate, enzyme cleaners.

Notes: You will find that removing stains from stone will often require some experimentation. The above list consists of tips that have worked for others but no guarantees are offered. It is recommended that when you know what a stain is, call your dealer for advice before attempting its removal.

Re-polish an old marble floor

Stone is made shiny by its smooth surface that reflects light. A rough surface must be smoothed to reflect the light evenly. Determine the depth of scratches. Scratches that can be felt with a fingernail are too deep. Light scratches can be seen but not felt.

• To remove light scratches buff with a floor machine and a red pad.
• To remove deep scratches you will need to grind/sand the surface down until the scratches no longer show and a refinisher is applied to bring back the shine.

Efflorescence Removal

• Give the installation plenty of time to dry and the concrete to cure.
• Remove the white powder during this drying time by brushing.
• When new white powder stops developing clean the grout with a tile and grout cleaner to remove the stains.
• If necessary clean with diluted sulfuric or phosphoric acid. (Sulfuric is normally the preferred acid.) Dilution ratio a minimum of 5:1 to 7:1.
• Wet the surface prior to applying the acid.
• After applying the acid, wash the tile thoroughly to remove the acid residue.

Warning

Do not allow the acid to get on anything including carpet and other floor covering products as it can cause severe damage.

When working with chemicals always follow the manufacturer recommendations and good safety practices. Do not allow the acid to come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing.

Epoxy Removal (black grout stains) from Unglazed Products. The film of epoxy grout will not come off with an acid cleaning. The epoxy cures quickly and cleaning needs to be attempted within no more than 48 hours of grouting sooner better.

• When using a dark grout on an unglazed paver or unglazed quarry product the tile should be sealed in advance with a penetrating sealer. The sealer will not change the tile appearance but it does fill the minute holes in the surface that will trap and hold the dark grout. If the tile was not sealed it will likely have discoloration that may need to be removed. The success rate with this type of stain will probably be no more than 90%.
• From your supplier obtain and use a heavy-duty stripper or a sealer and adhesive remover that is compatible with the product you are going to clean.
• Work the stripper with a stiff bristle type of scrub brush or a nylon-scouring pad. If the stains are stubborn try steel wool.
• Clean the area with a household cleaning product and scrub vigorously with a scrub brush or power floor scrubber.
• Rinse the area thoroughly, repeating as may be required.
• Using lacquer thinner, dampen a cloth and apply the thinner to the epoxy film. Using disposable cloth pads or rags, promptly remove the softened film from the tile surface. Repeat as needed until all traces of the film are no longer visible.
• For heavy coatings of epoxy use a heat gun to soften the coating and scrape off or rub off until the film is no longer visible.

Removal and replacement of a single tile:

• Remove the grout around the tile using a grout saw or utility knife.
• Hit the tile hard right in the middle and chip it away from the middle out. (Value your sight and wear eye protection.)
• A single tile can be placed into the area an appropriate tile adhesive or a silicone adhesive. Care must be taken to sit the tile level.
• For a group of tiles use the same type of adhesive as the original tiles.
• Clean up any adhesive that oozes through the joints.
• After the adhesive has set it can be grouted with a matching grout.

Recommended book: Tile Council of America Handbook of Ceramic Tile Installation.