Flooring Care

Vinyl Flooring

If you are unsure whether your vinyl is felt-back or a fiber floor, please contact Harding’s and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Felt-back Vinyl Flooring

You can protect your Felt-back Vinyl Floor by following these easy guidelines.

– Use a doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Use non-staining mats on your floor. Do not put latex-backed or coco-fiber mats on your floor because they will stain or damage the surface.

– To minimize potential staining from asphalt tracking, we suggest you use a latex-based driveway sealer

– Close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor. A combination of heat and sunlight causes most home furnishings, including resilient floors, to fade or discolor.

– Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. Ideally, the protectors should be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4″ flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Make sure any metal protectors are rust-proof. Replace your narrow dome furniture rests with wide-bearing ones.

– If you need to move heavy furniture and/or appliances, such as your refrigerator, across the floor, always use strips of wood or hardboard runways to protect the floor. Always use runways even if you have an appliance dolly, or even if the heavy objects are equipped with wheels or rollers.

Here are some simple things you can do to keep your Felt-back Vinyl looking like new:


Initial Maintenance (within 24 hours of installation)

– Keep traffic light during the first 24 hours so adhesive can dry properly

– To minimize potential staining from asphalt tracking, we suggest you use a latex-based driveway sealer

– If the floor has been seamed, avoid stepping on the seam sealer for 24 hours so it can dry undisturbed

– Avoid scrubbing or washing floor for at least three days after installation. Spot clean floor avoiding all seams

– When moving heavy furniture or appliances across the floor, always use wood or hardboard runways to protect the floor


Routine Maintenance (daily/weekly as needed)

– Sweep your floor regularly (at least once a week) to remove loose dirt.

– Prevent stains by wiping spills promptly.

– Occasional mopping with products available from Harding’s is recommended when dirt builds up and sweeping alone is not sufficient. Use a solution of 2 to 3 capfuls of Cleaner (or clear, non-sudsy ammonia) in one gallon of warm water. Using more than the recommended amount of cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Do not use soap or detergent products as they will leave a dulling film. Rinsing is not required when but if time permits, rinsing will provide the best care and highest shine.

– All high-gloss floors will lose shine over time. To restore gloss, apply Floor Polish also available at Harding’s. Do not use wax. Do not buff. Be sure to thoroughly clean, rinse, and allow the floor to dry completely prior to applying polish.

– After several applications of polish, an occasional stripping and reapplication of polish may be necessary. This may also be necessary for excessive dirt and grime build-up. We recommend the Heavy duty cleaner and Stripper available at Harding’s. After thorough cleaning, rinsing, and drying, apply a floor polish to restore the shine. High traffic areas may require more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry “tack-free” between coats.

– Caution: Vinyl floors can be slippery when wet. Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.

(Recommendations on Vinyl Floor cleaning are courtesy of Mannington.com)


Fiber Floor Maintenance

You can protect your Fiber Floor by following these easy guidelines.

– Use a doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Use non-staining mats on your floor.

– To minimize potential staining from asphalt tracking, we suggest you use a latex-based driveway sealer.

– Close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor. A combination of heat and sunlight causes most home furnishings, including resilient floors, to fade or discolor.

– Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. Ideally, the protectors should be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4″ flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Make sure any metal protectors are rust-proof. Replace your narrow dome furniture rests with wide-bearing ones.

– If you need to move heavy furniture and/or appliances, such as your refrigerator, across the floor, always use strips of wood or hardboard runways to protect the floor. Always use runways even if you have an appliance dolly, or even if the heavy objects are equipped with wheels or rollers.

Here are some simple things you can do to keep your Fiber Floor from Harding’s looking like new:

Initial Maintenance (within 24 hours of installation)

– Keep traffic light during the first 24 hours so adhesive can dry properly (if adhesive was used)

– If the floor has been seamed, avoid stepping on the seam sealer for 24 hours so it can dry undisturbed

– Avoid scrubbing or washing floor for at least three days after installation. Spot clean floor avoiding all seams

– When moving heavy furniture or appliances across the floor, always use wood or hardboard runways to protect the floor


Routine Maintenance (daily/weekly as needed)

– Sweep your floor regularly (at least once a week) to remove loose dirt.

– Prevent stains by wiping spills promptly.

– Occasional mopping with Cleaner available from Harding’s is recommended when dirt builds up and sweeping alone is not sufficient. Use a solution of 2 to 3 capfuls of Cleaner (or clear, non-sudsy ammonia) in one gallon of warm water. Using more than the recommended amount of cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Do not use soap or detergent products as they will leave a dulling film. Rinsing is not required when cleaning, but if time permits, rinsing will provide the best care and highest shine.

– After several applications of polish, an occasional stripping and reapplication of polish may be necessary. This may also be necessary for excessive dirt and grime build-up. We recommend the use of Cleaner and Stripper available at Harding’s. After thorough cleaning, rinsing, and drying, apply a floor polish to restore the shine. High traffic areas may require more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry “tack-free” between coats.

– Caution: Vinyl floors can be slippery when wet. Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.