Congoleum Commercial Care and Maintenance

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

• Use extreme care to protect the newly installed Congoleum floor from rolling loads for the first 48 hours while adhesive is drying.
• Always use strips of hardwood or plywood when moving heavy objects such as appliances and furniture over the Congoleum floor even when using carts or dollies with wheels.
• Furniture legs should be equipped with large, flat surface protectors or glides.
• Protect the Congoleum floor with heavy kraft paper on construction sites where other trades are active and the initial application of Congoleum Comercial floor polish is prohibited. Do not use asphalt-saturated felt paper.
• Remove spills quickly to prevent staining.
• Some solutions contain chemicals that may permanently stain or damage flooring if not cleaned up immediately. Asphalt driveways, particularly those recently installed or resealed with coal tar sealer, can cause permanent staining in prominent traffic areas. Regular maintenance and floor mats placed at entryways will reduce or eliminate coal tar stains. Congoleum recommends the use of latex-emulsion sealers where possible.
• Avoid damage from tracked-in dirt and grit by placing floor mats at outside entrance doorways.
  
  Caution: Rubber-backed mats may cause permanent staining.

SAFETY INFORMATION

• Caution: Wet floors are slippery. Water, other liquids and foreign matter on the surface of the floor can cause it to be slippery and should be removed immediately. Improper waxes and finishes can also cause slipperiness.
• Whenever washing, polishing or stripping floors, traffic should be excluded from the area due to the possibility of slipping.
• The use of walk-off mats at entrances will reduce tracked-in water.

CONGOLEUM COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

• Caution: DO NOT DRY BUFF, SPRAY BUFF, OR BURNISH COMPOSITION (WITH OR WITHOUT ASBESTOS) OR ASPHALT FLOOR TILE WITHOUT PRIOR APPLICATION OF A METAL CROSS-LINKED ACRYLIC FINISH WHICH IS RESISTANT TO NEUTRAL CLEANERS. DO NOT DRY STRIP UNDER ANY CONDITIONS.
• Products: Specifications, Foundations, Choices, Alternatives, Selections, Special Effects, and CX Series
• The listed products must be maintained with floor polish to seal and protect the surface. Apply three to five coats of polish, 48 hours after installation and prior to normal use.

Congoleum Commercial Flooring Initial Maintenance

• Allow adhesive to dry a minimum of 48 hours before washing or polishing the floor.
• Remove scuffs and adhesive smears with a clean cloth dampened with lighter fluid.
  Caution: Lighter fluid is extremely flammable. Read and follow cautions on container label.
• Damp-mop with a dilute solution of Congoleum Commercial No-Rinse Floor Cleaner and rinse with clean water. Avoid flooding the floor.
• Note: Do not attempt to strip the factory finish on Specifications or Foundations. Stripping is optional on tile products.
• Allow floor to dry and apply three to five thin coats of Congoleum Comercial floor polish following all label instructions. Five coats are recommended in medium to heavy commercial applications

Congoleum Commercial Flooring Regular Maintenance

• Vacuum, sweep, or dust with an untreated mop, daily, to remove loose dirt and grit. Do not use sweeping compounds or oil treated mops.
• Damp-mop Congoleum floor regularly with a dilute solution of Congoleum Commercial No-Rinse Floor Cleaner. Follow all label instructions. To remove heavy soil use a slow speed floor machine equipped with a medium-grade, natural fiber scrubbing brush and a concentrated cleaner. Rinse floor after scrubbing.
• To refurbish and restore the gloss, clean the floor and spray buff with a high speed floor machine (1000 to 1500 RPM) equipped with a white, tan, or red-colored buffing pad. A dilute solution (1 part polish/2 parts water) can be used for spray buffing.
• After repeated spray buffing operations, additional coats of Congoleum Comercial Floor Polish must be applied.

CONGOLEUM PERIODIC MAINTENANCE

• Periodically, once or twice a year or as needed, strip the floor polish to avoid build-up.
• Use a floor machine (170 to 330 RPM) equipped with a blue or green pad or a natural fiber, medium grade scrubbing brush and Congoleum Commercial Stripper/Polish Remover solution following all label instructions.
• Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the residual polish and stripping solution.
  Warning: An electric shock hazard exists. Use a ground fault circuit interrupter for any electrical connection in a wet environment.
• Rinse the floor thoroughly with a clean mop, changing water frequently. Allow to dry.
• Re-apply three to five thin coats of Congoleum Commercial floor polish.

Product: Congoleum Flor-Ever

• Congoleum Flor-Ever has a no-wax surface that requires minimum maintenance. Spray buffing is recommended to maintain and restore the gloss and remove scuffs that may occur with use. Floor polish is generally not required; however, it will provide added protection in areas of heavy traffic.
• Initial and Regular Maintenance
• Allow adhesive and seam sealer to dry a minimum of 48 hours before washing the floor.
• Vacuum, sweep, or dust daily with an untreated mop to remove loose dirt and grit.
• Damp-mop regularly with a dilute solution of Congoleum Commercial Floor No-Rinse Cleaner and water. Use a more concentrated solution of Congoleum Commercial No-Rinse Cleaner following all label instructions for heavily soiled floors. Rinsing may be necessary to remove heavy soil.
• Spray Buffing
• To refurbish and restore the gloss, clean the floor thoroughly and spray buff with a low speed machine (170 to 600 RPM) equipped with a white buffing pad. A dilute solution (1 part polish/2 parts water) can be used for spray buffing.

Polishing

• Congoleum Commercial Floor polish will provide additional protection in areas of high traffic.
• Thoroughly clean and rinse the floor.
• Allow to dry and apply two to five coats of floor polish.
• Spray buff occasionally to restore the gloss.
• After repeated spray buffing operations, additional coats of Congoleum Floor polish should be applied.
• Periodically (once or twice a year) strip the floor polish to avoid build- up.
• Use a floor machine (170 to 330 RPM) equipped with a tan or red pad and Congoleum Stripper/Polish Remover solution.
• Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the residual polish and stripping solution.
• Rinse the floor thoroughly with a clean mop, changing water frequently. Allow to dry.
• Re-apply two to five coats of  Congoleum floor polish.
  
  Caution: Severe or extensive damage to the floor will occur if a floor machine is used improperly or carelessly.

Product: Congoleum Forum Solids

• Forum Solids has a break-in period. As your floor is broken in with normal traffic, its finish will develop to a rich, natural, uniform patina.
• Initial and Regular Maintenance
• Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove all loose grit, sand, or soil.
• Lightly soiled floors may be damp mopped with clear water.
• At regular intervals, based on conditions such as traffic and soil to which your flooring is subjected, the floor should be cleaned with a dilute solution of Congoleum Commercial No-Rinse Cleaner and water. Heavily soiled floors may require rinsing to remove excessive soil. Hard to remove heel marks or scuffs may be removed by rubbing in a circular motion with a nylon pad dampened with Congoleum cleaner.

Finishing

• Congoleum Forum Solids has been designed with a natural satin finish. While this finish can be maintained with regular cleaning, over a period of time traffic may diminish its gloss level. To maintain the luster of this finish or remove any scuffs or scratches, periodic buffing is recommended.
• Sweep or vacuum the floor in order to remove all loose grit.
• Wash floor with a dilute solution of Congoleum No-Rinse Cleaner and water (see Initial/Regular Maintenance).
• Rinse floor with water.
• While wet, buff the floor with a standard floor buffing machine (175 RPM) fitted with a red pad. For severely abraded floors, a blue pad should be substituted.
• Wet mop entire floor picking up any buffing residue.
• Always dry buff the floor with a white pad. The use of a white pad is necessary to polish the floor, providing a smooth surface and a final patina.
• Congoleum Floor polish is not necessary, but may be used if a higher gloss or less frequent buffing is preferred.

CONGOLEUM COMMERCIAL FLOOR CARE PRODUCTS

• Use Congoleum Commercial floor care products as part of an easy, economical maintenance system that will help preserve the original appearance of the floor.

Congoleum Commercial No-Rinse Floor Cleaner

• Timesaving, one-step, no-rinse formula
• Removes tough dirt on contact
• Leaves no dulling film residue
• Economical - One gallon makes up to 64 gallons of solution
• Recommended for all resilient floors
• Sizes: 128 oz. (1 gallon), 4 bottles/carton; 55 gallon
   

Congoleum Commercial Floor Polish

• Guards against scuffs, scratches, and deterioration from cleaning detergents.
• Ultra-durable, high-gloss shine
• Reduces need for frequent buffing and re-coating
• Spread rate: 2,000 sq. ft. per gallon
• Recommended for Congoleum commercial sheet flooring and tile.
• Sizes: 128 oz. (1 gallon), 4 bottles/carton; 55 gallon
   

Congoleum Commercial Satin-Gloss Floor Polish

• Guards against scuffs, scratches, and deterioration from cleaning detergents.
• Ultra-durable, satin-gloss shine
• Reduces need for frequent buffing and re-coating
• Spread rate: 2,000 sq. ft. per gallon
• Recommended for Congoleum commercial sheet flooring and tile.
• Sizes: 128 oz. (1 gallon), 4 bottles/carton; 55 gallon
  
  

Congoleum Commercial Stripper/Polish Remover

• Maximum strength, deep cleaning stripping detergent
• Quickly dissolves old polish build-up
• Economical - One gallon makes up to 9 gallons of solution
• Recommended for all resilient floors
• Sizes: 128 oz. (1 gallon), 4 bottles/carton; 55 gallon