Hard Flooring Archives | Green Man Cleaning

Parquet floor cleaning & polishing in Calne

Posted on December 5, 2021December 29, 2021 by Adrian Somerfield

Here you can see how a very dry, unprotected parquet hallway has been transformed by our team. Our process is eco-friendly, pet-safe & suitable for all types of wood that have been originally varnished, oiled or waxed.

Our initial deep-clean will remove years of built-up soil from the dirtiest of floors –

When we carry out an initial survey for wood cleaning, our technicians will offer honest advice regarding whether our process will deliver the required finish, or whether it is time to get your wooden flooring re-sanded. Many home owners are surprised to discover that sanding is not the only way to give wood floors a new lease of life.

Before and After

Sometimes, images deliver the message in the clearest terms, so here is a “before & after” of an area of our work on this project:

BEFORE
AFTER

Professional wood cleaning in Chippenham

Once clean, we then dry the wood so that it is ready to accept the new layers of polish. you can opt for a matt, satin or gloss finish to suit your taste.

If you have any questions regarding our wood cleaning & polishing service, please feel free to get in touch.

Thanks for reading!

Harlequin dance floors – full strip & seal

Posted on October 31, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

Last week, three of the Green Man team worked in this beautifully light dance studio in Gloucester. We regularly carry out stripping & sealing of hard flooring, but the two studios here combined to form a huge area to work with.

The video

We have created a short video that provides an overview of the process…

“Harlequin is the performance floor of choice for the world’s most prestigious dance and performing arts companies, theatres, venues and schools, production companies and global events.”

Our initial survey for cleaning the flooring confirmed that it would require a full strip & seal. If you look at the diagram below, you will see how the floor is constructed-

Allegro Vinyl Floor Illustrations for web

Stripping

The floor is designed to be coated with a vinyl polish to create a glossy, non-slip finish. Over time (and with repeated mopping), the floor dulls and accumulates a lot of dance-related wear & tear.

What we had not anticipated was that the owner of the floor had lovingly applied new coats of polish each year for 10 years!

This meant that an enormous quantity of polish has to be dissolved using stripping solution & weighted rotary machines.

Stripping underway
This stripping back took over 2 days!

Sealing

Once this stage was complete, we could apply the new coats of seal. As professional hard flooring contractors, we refer to the refinishing product as “seal”, although it is sometimes clearer to call it polish!

After 4 day’s work involving 3 of us in total, the floors looked fantastic…

If you have an enquiry about your own dance studio or theatre flooring, or about our commercial hard floor cleaning/ polishing services. we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!

Concrete cleaning for a new yoga studio

Posted on September 5, 2021December 23, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

One of the many jobs completed last week involved the deep-clean & decontamination of this concrete basement floor. Following a recent part-renovation, the owner had asked us to survey & carry out a deep-clean of the concrete, followed by the application of a biocidal solution to ensure the area was hygienically clean.

After a thorough sweep-up, our process was to use a rotary floor scrubber with an attached tank to simultaneously apply a deep-cleaning solution & agitate the concrete. We did this in small sections at a time, extracting the resulting slurry with a wet-vac, then moving to another area.

The image shows our Numatic Hurricane machine with a black floor pad. You can see the solution tank is attached to the machine, allowing the operative to apply the cleaning solution as they work.

Floor pads come in a variety of colours, each with a different purpose. The black pad is the most aggressive of these, meaning the surface is scoured & a deep level of clean is achieved.

This method relies on the concrete having been sealed, otherwise the cleaning solution is rapidly absorbed into the concrete & rendered completely ineffective.

Once the entire area had been deep-cleaned, we removed our equipment & mixed an eco-friendly, but biocidal solution that would kill any bacteria, mould & viruses. We decontaminated the concrete floor by applying this fairly heavily & allowing it at least a 10 minute kill time.

If you have any questions regarding concrete cleaning or concrete decontamination, please get in touch.

Thank you for reading.

Commercial Wood Cleaning

Posted on September 5, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

Green Man provide a range of interim & restorative solutions for all types of wood flooring. Our aim is to deliver a high quality & cost-effective alternative to sanding. An initial (free) survey will determine whether your floor is suitable & provide an opportunity to discuss the type of finish you are looking to achieve.

This project was for a high spec commercial premises in Bath. Highly unusually, this was a large area of parquet flooring laid over a year ago that was completely unsealed. Since it has been laid. high foot traffic has already lead to significant deterioration of the downstairs showroom. The manager was- unsurprisingly- keen that the upstairs areas did not suffer the same fate. The image above also shows a notable paint spillage (which later images show that we manage to remove).

Wood floor cleaning

Wood does not like to be over-wet, particular bare wood boards such as these. Our team specified a cleaning process where we would apply a wood cleaning solution, agitate using a rotary floor machine, extract the slurry with an extraction machine, then force dry with air movers.

The image below illustrates the process-

By accelerating the drying process, we are able to both protect the wood from damage & ensure that the protective polish can be applied during the same visit. This helps to keep costs down.

Once the floor is completely dry, the multiple layers of polish were applied. In this case, a matt finish was required.

Wood polish is carefully applied to deliver an even finish that enhances both the appearance & durability of the wood flooring.

We will usually apply up to 3 coats, allowing the necessary drying time between each application.

In the both images here, you can see the area where the large paint spillage had been. We managed to almost entirely remove all traces of this accident.

If you have any questions or would like to request a survey for our wood floor cleaning & polishing survey, please feel free to get in touch.

Victorian tile cleaning in a Tudor Castle

Posted on June 20, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

The Green Man team were recently invited to be part of a complete refurbishment of Thornbury Castle Hotel. This magnificent structure was begun in 1510 & it felt no small thing that Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn spent 10 days here in 1535. Our role was very modest in the scale of the refurb – the main entrance hallway between the hotel check-in & the restaurant had been uncovered & was in urgent need of protecting…

The initial clean

We were given a very short window in which to carry out the initial clean (between check-out & afternoon tea!), so we arrived & got started immediately.

As you can see in the image, these tiles have been quite damaged over time. Rather than engage in a complete tile renovation, the hotel wanted simply to thoroughly clean, then seal this important thoroughfare.

The work involved a brisk initial sweeping, followed by mechanical floor scrubbing using our trusty Numatic Hurricane. You can see the solution tank is part of the machine, allowing us to dose the correct amount of fluid to the floor, as necessary.

After small sections of the floor had been scrubbed, we used a grout brush to address the grout directly, then extracted the slurry & rinsed.

The floor then needed to be given twenty four hours to ensure it had thoroughly dried…

Midnight hours

Because the hotel is now fully operational, the only time we could apply the multiple layers of seal was between 11pm and 3am in the morning. This would give us the undisturbed time necessary for each layer to be applied, dry and so on.

Application of gloss seal to Victorian tiles

In order for the floor to be both protected & enhanced, we specified 6 layers of seal in total.

The floor absorbed an initial three coats of a colour enhancing seal, followed by 3 layers of a topical gloss wax finish.

The images here shows the Victorian tiles after their last coat of gloss wax, before completely dry.

N.B. If you have Victorian tiles at home, standard maintenance should include regular sweeping, occasional mopping & a top-up of the seal whenever necessary. You will be able to tell when the seals are failing, as the flooring will become absorbent, rather than resisting liquids.

In between the application of each coat of seal, we were able to walk the grounds alone on a perfectly clear night…

When the time came to leave, we were quite sad to go. The floor responded very well to the treatments & the management have expressed their thanks. I hope we get to return some day.

Village hall wood floor restoration

Posted on May 2, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

Last week, our team carried out a deep-clean & re-polish of a large wooden floor at Ston Easton village hall.

The following images & text give an overview of our work

1. The first job involved the clearing of the hall & the removal of dirt & the old finish from the wood floor. We swept the floor to begin with, then used an eco-friendly solution & abrasive pads on a rotary machine to strip the flooring back.

This type of process is generally viewed as an middle ground between cleaning & wood floor sanding. Sanding is generally much more expensive than this type of work. Judge for yourselves how the finished product looks…

The work included the lovely skittle alley.

We prepared this area with less agitation than the rest of the hall, because of its cambered & more highly polished surface….

3. Once the entire wood floor had been prepared, we used air-movers to accelerate the drying of the area. On the following day, we applied the two new coats of polish…

Polish of village hall wooden floor
Here’s how it looked in the end

If you are looking to renew a wooden floor without the expense of sanding, it might be worth contacting us & asking for a free survey. One of our team will offer honest advice as to whether or not we can help. After the work was done, it felt fitting to try out the acoustics in the hall with my new hobby – thank you for reading!

Stone floor clean & re-seal near Frome.

Posted on April 20, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

Last week, three of our technicians attended a large converted barn near Frome to carry out a variety of professional cleaning services. The brief was to remove all furniture & deep-clean the travertine tiles & grout on the ground floor, then apply new seal. As well as this, we were required to clean a pure wool lounge carpet & several rugs, including a dhouri.

The initial job here was clearly moving a significant amount of furniture…

The removal of furniture prior to professional stone tile cleaning.

When the day began, it was a beautiful Spring day – Later on, we were glad we brought our extra large tarpaulin!

Once the main area had been cleared, we applied an environmentally friendly stone cleaning solution to the travertine & used a rotary machine to agitate the floor. We used a wet vac to pick up the resulting slurry, then repeated the process. We cleaned the grout lines manually with a grout brush.

Professional stone cleaning in Cheltenham

After this process was complete, we left the floor to dry. As you can see, at this stage the stone has been taken back to its initial matt finish-

While the stone dried, it was time to address the living room wool carpet & the rugs.

After the initial vacuum, a different eco-solution was applied to the wool.

This works at a nano level and sanitised the wool, as well as conditioning it.

Apart from a small area of permanent staining, the area responded beautifully well.

Professional rug cleaning in Frome scaled 1

Frome eco friendly carpet cleaning scaled 1

The dhouri rug had absorbed a considerable amount of soiling, so required significant agitation prior to the rinse extraction stage.

The image here shows our senior technician using a rotary machine to agitate the eco-solution throughout the pile in order to loosen & emulsify soils & absorbed oils.

After stone tiles & grout have been deep-cleaned, Green Man will always specify at least a top-up coat of seal. Most of the time, stone flooring will benefit from a full re-seal involving 2 – 5 coats of a protective seal to protect the stone from spillages & build-ups. Depending on the type of seal chosen, this will often significantly improve the appearance of the stone, intensifying colour and increasing the depth of the grain.

In the images below, you can see the impact a satin seal has on the area.

Professional tile cleaning
Sealing a travertine floor
Travertine floor after seal applied

If you have any questions regarding stone floor cleaning & sealing, please feel free to use our Contact page to get in touch.

Further information about our hard floor cleaning services can be found here.

Thank you for reading.

Sisal repair at Kenilworth Castle

Posted on March 18, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

A short while ago, English Heritage were in touch with us to ask whether we would be able to carry out repairs to some sisal flooring in Kenilworth Castle. Standard carpet cleaning can be challenging, but sisal is often extremely tricky & is impossible to repair “invisibly”.

We were given some images & measurements, so set about sourcing some replacement carpet & arranged a date to carry out the work.

The work was in the Keep of the castle, and involved patching up a few areas where display units had previously stood. The whole while we were there, fully conscious that we were within a building that had stood for over 700 years!

The brief was to create an insert of sisal with a flap to allow access to electrical sockets beneath.

After the work had been completed to a satisfactory standard, we were really delighted to be given a socially-distanced tour of the grounds, as part of our chaperone’s daily checks…

One of the great aspects of our work is the people we meet & the places it takes us to. It was a genuine pleasure to work alongside the conservators for English Heritage.

Days like this don’t come along too often, but it’s a memory we will cherish.

Cleaning & sealing a Victorian tiled hallway

Posted on January 20, 2021December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

Many homes from the Victorian/Edwardian era contain skillfully laid tiled hallways. When they were originally installed, they would have then been cleaned & oiled at least once a week. In the more recent modern era, mopping is the main method of cleaning and brings with it a few issues.

“What has this floor been cleaned with?”

The chances are that most tiled floors are cleaned with a general detergent based solution. Over time, the sticky residues left by mopping with detergent accumulate in the grout lines and flaws in the tiles, attracting further dirt. If this is combined with insufficient rinsing, then you will find that entrance tiles can soon lose their vibrant colours beneath layers of soil.

This image shows a typical example. The floor is actually quite recent, but a regime of heavy footfall & standard mopping has lead to a dull, faded appearance.

After an initial survey to determine the quality of the installation & integrity of the tiles, our technician performed a simple test of the seal (this is done by pouring a small amount of water onto the surface of a section of tiles to see if the water is absorbed).

Any absorption indicates that the seal has failed & will require new applications of a sealant.

The Clean

Stage One:

First of all, we conduct a thorough sweep & dry extraction of all debris & loose material on the floor.

Stage Two:

Next, we apply an eco-friendly tile specific alkali cleaning solution to break down historic deposits of soil, grease and layers of ingrained detergent residues. We do this in stages, using either a rotary machine or a more specialist agitating device (example video below) to ensure the floor is scubbed as thoroughly as possible.

How we deep-clean & re-seal Victorian tiles

Stage 3:

After the cleaning solution has broken down the layers of dirt in the tiles, we extract the resulting slurry using a rinse extraction machine or a “wet pick-up”. We then clean & rinse the floor again using pure water only. This tends to be the last stage of Day 1.

Stage 4:

On Day 2, only after the floor is completely dry, we begin applying the new layers of seal. The type of seal depends on the preferred finish type of the homeowner – in this case, we were instructed to put down a satin finish. After the initial layer has been applied, we allow the seal to dry or “cure” before applying further coats.

“A completely reinvigorating facelift”

After 3 layers of sealant have been applied, the job is complete.

You can see in the image opposite that not only have these tiles been deeply cleaned, but that their colours are now enhanced.

This is the beauty of applying the right type of seal – you are protecting your floor from scuffs & spills, as well as giving the very first area of your home that people see a completely reinvigorating facelift.

If you have any questions regarding the cleaning, sealing or general maintenance of your floor tiles, or any type of stone or laminate flooring, please do get in touch using either our CONTACT page, or by calling your local branch of Green Man using the number at the top of the page.

Thank you for reading.

Marmoleum polish & repair at The Corinium Museum, Cirencester

Posted on November 18, 2020December 9, 2021 by GrrenManCleaning

This week, the Green Man team were working in the impressive new extension at The Corinium Museum, Cirencester. The museum houses a fine collection of large Roman mosaics from the 2nd and 4th century, and a wide array of artefacts from the Roman town of Corinium. The new extension is designed as a narrative through time and describes the evolution of the Cotswolds from a prehistoric landscape to more civilised times.

Damaged marmoleum

During the renovation of this part of the gallery, contractors fitted brand new marmoleum flooring. Unfortunately, a shallow gouge occurred in the floor after it had been laid-

These types of shallow scrapes present multiple challenges.

Sometimes it is easier if the damage is deeper, as it allows for the repair to bond with the marmoleum more fully.

Before attempting to repair the damage, it was important to ensure the surface was clean…

Cleaning this flooring begins with a thorough removal of loose soil & debris to ensure that there is nothing abrasive left prior to machine cleaning…

In the image, you can see our technician Pete wielding the mighty “scissor” (dry) mop. This is an especially handy tool for sweeping large areas of commercial hard flooring.

After we had removed as much loose material as possible, it was time to apply a cleaning solution & agitate the flooring.

Forbo, the manufacturers of marmoleum, specify their own cleaning solution and method of clean.

We applied the product & agitated the floor with a lightly abrasive white pad. This works the solution evenly across the floor, as well as helping to lift out any stubborn or sticky soils.

After the cleaning solution has been agitated & dwelt sufficiently on the marmoleum, it needs to be rinsed off the surface using a wet vac.

This ensures no residue remains and leaves the flooring streak-free.

The floor dried very quickly, which meant we could begin to address the marmoleum repair.

Repairing marmoleum

On this occasion, our work was made more difficult becuase the damage ran across two differing types of marmoleum.

Firstly, a paste is made by mixing a powdered sample of the same type of marmoleum & an appropriate type of glue. This is placed into the areas of damage.

This is then carefully pushed into the gouge to ensure the best chance of adhesion…

The paste is then allowed to dry, ideally overnight.

Once dry, the area of repair is sanded down to the level of the floor. This leaves a flat surface which is easily distinguished, owing to its lack of reflectivity.

This area now requires additional cleaning to remove the fine debris from the in-fill. Following the clean, the area is force dried & several layers of marmoleum polish are applied.

The result

To be honest, the result in this instance was not perfect. Marmoleum is designed to be repairable, but the more heavily patterned styles hide repairs much more easily. As you can see from the image, the lighter area of flooring is more forgiving of the repair.

What we certainly managed to achieve here was a level finish. Those involved with the fitting of marmoleum will confirm that achieving an invisible repair with the simpler designs of this flooring type is practically impossible. Over time, the accumulations of cleaning & polishing will help to blend out the areas of repair.

Importantly, we had done our best to manage our client’s expectations from the start. No-one wants to send brand new pieces of marmoleum to the tip, so often it makes sense to attempt repair first.

We would like to thank Amanda Hart (Museum Director) for her kind assitance and for making our time in The Corinium Museum an interesting & valuable experience.

Thank you also for reading!

Category: Hard Flooring

Parquet floor cleaning & polishing in Calne

Before and After

Harlequin dance floors – full strip & seal

The video

Stripping

Sealing

Concrete cleaning for a new yoga studio

Commercial Wood Cleaning

Wood floor cleaning

Victorian tile cleaning in a Tudor Castle

The initial clean

Midnight hours

Village hall wood floor restoration

Stone floor clean & re-seal near Frome.

Sisal repair at Kenilworth Castle

Cleaning & sealing a Victorian tiled hallway

“What has this floor been cleaned with?”

The Clean

Stage One:

Stage Two:

How we deep-clean & re-seal Victorian tiles

Stage 3:

Stage 4:

“A completely reinvigorating facelift”

Marmoleum polish & repair at The Corinium Museum, Cirencester

Damaged marmoleum

Repairing marmoleum

The result

Bath

Bristol

Cotswolds

Swindon