[benny d]

I have cleaned Karndean flooring in quite a few kitchens without having too move much furniture...easy.

Now I have a possible customer with Karndean in lounge. The problem I can see in the finish that I apply after the cleaning.
I cant see how I can clean and put the furniture back on what will still be damp finish. If I did, the furniture will stick to the flooring!
I do normally use two coats of finish, after drying with first coat with a blower.

I thought about using polystyrene blocks, they will also stick to the floor I guess. Catch 22?
am I missing a simple trick? I do use a air mover to help with the drying, so perhaps do half and half?

Any thoughts?
Thanks

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Do half then half again, I would clean the lot first then neutralise then apply half with 2 coates of polish making sure that when you finish you go for a joint so you can't see the seam.

Shaun

[Barry Livingstone]

omg............you shouldnt be speed drying it and ....nothing should be on the floor when cleaning or drying .

[benny d]

So what would you do with all of the furniture?
Tnx

[Fintan_Coll]

Take the furniture out of the lounge and replace when the finish has dried.

[Len Gribble]

Tell the customer to remove all furniture, there problem?

Benny

What finish do you use?

Len

[Jim_77]

I very tactfully put the onus on the customer to clear the rooms out.   Your job is to strip and seal the floor, not move their stuff around for them.

If they object, offer to leave the sofa in place and stack stuff on it, then go round the sofa.  Explain that this adds more to the price.  They normally change their mind and somehow miraculously think of a way to do it

As long as you do this subtly and not in a bullying way, you almost have to be apologetic, they will come round to the idea

[richie]

I agree,  you need to get the customer to remove the furniture.  Dont bother cleaning & applying one side then going back to do the other.  Clean the whole floor.  Personally as its in a lounge i would apply 3 coats.  Inform the customer that the floor requires 24 hours before any furniture can be replaced.  Dont speed dry, apply 3 thin coats. Thin coats dry faster & harder than thicker coats.

Richie.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

But is there anywhere for the furniture to go? can you afford to turn down well paid work? think of it if you can move all of this and get on with it the impression you leave behind!

Shaun

[benny d]

Many thanks for the info, it's appreciated.

[richie]

No Shaun it is not always possible to have all the furniture out of the room.  In the cases that it is not possible then the floor would have to be done over 2 days.  This is ok as long as you charge extra for the 2nd visit.

Richie.

[graeme marchbank]

Wait till the summer and put the furniture outside

Shaun, not sure how a seam would look unless you try and hide

[benny d]

I told her summer is the best time to do it so she booked in for July 15th 2010.
That was a good idea 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I'm sure you could seam it but the way I would do it would be to apply the 1st coat and slightly fan it thinner towards the edge then apply coat 2 ontop but smaller area, the idea is when day 2 comes when area b has it's 1st coat applied you match it up to area a 1st coat (which will leave a tide mark) then over coat the 2nd coat.

Bloody hard to explain that!

Anyway area A coat 60% of floor
area A coat 50% of floor
area B coat 40% of the remainding floor
area B coat 50%

Shaun

[Joe H]

I told her summer is the best time to do it so she booked in for July 15th 2010.
That was a good idea 

Long range forcast says its going to rain that day 

[benny d]

D'oh! 

[derek west]

do you have to seal karndean?, got a quote tomorrow with some in the hall, was just gonna strip clean it. job done, its vinyl ffs. why seal it. answers on a postcard please to "i hate sealer competition" po box............

[Jim_77]

Treat it exactly the same as Amtico Derek   Karndean do their own products but I'd use the Amtico ones because they're a bit better and cost roughly the same.  Other option is use a professional trade floor sealer, probably much higher gloss though so you need to ask the customer what they prefer - higher gloss and more durable, or satin sheen and needs more maintenance

[derek west]

come on jim, do i need to or is it just like carpet protector, an add on for holidays and xmas presents

[Jim_77]

Of course it's beneficial!  The idea of the sealer is that it takes all the wear & tear, then you strip it off and start again.  In theory the actual surface of the vinyl stays intact, so the floor last much longer and looks much better whilst it is lasting longer.

In practice however, vinyl floors always suffer scrapes and scratches which go through the sealer, but a sealed floor will always outlast an unsealed floor.  Considering the cost of installing it, paying a little more money now and then to haver it sealed is very cost effective.

And incidentally exactly the same principle applies to protector, definitely not a con and not a waste of time/money