Best Practices for Commercial Resilient Floor Installations

Tips for A Successful Floor Installation

All of the big flooring manufacturers – including Tarkett, Armstrong, Shaw and more – provide preferred methods of installation for professional flooring installers to follow when laying their brand of resilient floor. The methods in flooring brand installation guidelines and instructions are typically based on tried and true techniques for a floor to install successfully…

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Furniture Wreckin My Floor

Furniture Wreckin My Floor

Claims related to scratches, scuffs and scrapes on hard surface and resilient floors is a prevalent problem. I am not referring to one deep gouge in one spot where it’s evident that an object pierced the floor. I’m talking about situations where the source of the problem is not glaringly evident and marring is visible…

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Heat Welding Flooring Seams – Mastering the Fine Art

As an expert in providing heat welding help and training, I am often brought into a commercial flooring project when a problem arises on a heat welded resilient floor. Usually, I am asked to visit a facility when there is a noticeable problem with heat welded flooring seams post installation and after the customer has…

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Success with Spray, Tape and Back Rolled Adhesives

Floor prep is critical and the rules are different for a successful glued down resilient flooring installation when using a spray, tape or back-rolled adhesive system instead of the tried and true trowel spread liquid broom method. It’s interesting that people are reluctant to change in a world where change is fast and constant. The…

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Two Bucket System…huh?

Two mop buckets are better than one. Here’s why…

Two mop buckets are better than one. Here’s why… Most of my travels focus on two phases of resilient hard surface flooring installation – 1. while the floor is being installed; 2. after the installation is complete and the floor is in use. The later, which involves a review of maintenance procedures, is where I spend…

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LOW Maintenance Does Not Mean NO Maintenance

There is still no such thing as a no maintenance floor...

A frequently encountered and commonly misused phrase about flooring is “My floor is a no maintenance floor!” Apprehensive that I missed something earth shattering one night while sleeping, I decided to research 10 major US flooring manufacturers who make luxury vinyl tile. LVT is not the only type of flooring referred to as ‘no-maintenance’ however…

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ASTM F-710, Does the Subfloor Need to be THAT Flat?

Installation instructions, from most major flooring manufacturers, reference ASTM Standard F-710 for hard surface resilient flooring. The Standard simply defines the required flatness of a concrete subfloor. The subfloor, or ‘underfloor’ as I like to call it, “shall not deviate more than 3/16 of an inch in ten feet.” Photo 1 shows a ten straight edge…

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True or False: Tile Run Off Means Floor Tiles Not Square

  Several years ago I received a call from a flooring manufacturer disclosing that they had a seven-phase commercial project that was in trouble. The first two large phases, approximately 10,000 square feet each, had been installed and there was tile run off throughout the space. The flooring contractor filed a complaint with the manufacturer,…

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Who Is to Blame for Resilient Flooring Indentations?

It is seldom that hard-surface flooring indentations are the result of flooring material failure.  The source of indentations can typically be traced back to installation error, installation system failure, point loads exceeding the flooring system limits or an extreme environment that compromises the flooring.  Most important, the flooring manufacturer is usually NOT the culprit when…

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Part 4: Easy Reference Guide- Scratches, Gouges, Scrapes

Part IV of IV – Easy Reference Guide, Prevent and Repair Scratches, Gouges and Scrapes                      In order to bring together the information from the first three parts of the series on Scratches, Gouges & Scrapes, Part IV is an easy reference guide that provides an overview of steps that can…

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Part 3: Scratches, Gouges, and Scrapes…

Dr Schutz Scratch Fix Kit

Part III of IV – Repair Options – Scratches, Gouges, and Scrapes… Imagine That!?! Repairing damaged flooring is only worthwhile if preventive measures, as outline in the previous part (Part 2) of this four part series, are put in place. This repairs section will begin with the easiest, least expensive approach for superficial damage repair…

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Part 2: Scratches, Gouges, and Scrapes…

Floor Solutions Delaware

Part II of IV – Preventative Measures – Scratches, Gouges, and Scrapes… Imagine That!?! As a general “rule of thumb” damage to a hard surface or resilient floor can be minimized with preventative measures including placement of entry door mats, use of furniture moving aids, use and care of felt furniture protector glides and routine…

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