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For more than 1 00 years, Congoleum has been manufacturing the
finest quality flooring products for the home. Our dedication, commitment to your satisfaction, and pride in the
products we produce have been an integral part of our culture and tradition.
The information contained in this Consumer Flooring Guide will provide you with easy care maintenance tips and preventive maintenance recommendations to help ensure that your new
floor receives the proper care it needs to continue to look its best.
In addition, you will find Congoleum Warranty Information ... our assurance to you that you have selected a floor that
meets the highest quality standards.
If you have any questions regarding your new Congoleum floor, need additional maintenance information or require any other assistance, please call the Congoleum
Consumer Information Hotline at 800-2 74-3266, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST
Thank you for choosing Congoleum.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTALLATION
Protect and do not disturb the sealed seams on your resilient sheet flooring for at least 16 hours after seam sealer application to ensure a proper seam bond. Permanent damage may result if seam sealer is stepped on or disturbed before it is dry.
 | Keep traffic to a minimum during the first 48 hours on all resilient sheet and tile floors to allow the adhesive to harden. |
| Furniture should not be placed on the floor until the adhesive has had adequate time to dry (at least 24 hours). |
| Always move heavy furniture and appliances with care to avoid gouging or tearing the floor.
First, lay strips of plywood or hardboard panels on the floor. Then "walk" or slide these
items on the strips. Do not push or pull appliances and heavy furniture without taking
these precautions. |
| Allow 48 hours for the seam sealer or the adhesive
to totally dry, then wash your floor using Congoleum Bright 'N Easy® No-Rinse Cleaner or other suitable
resilient floor cleaner to remove any dirt that may have been tracked in during installation. |
| Caution: Whenever washing, polishing or stripping floors, traffic should be excluded from the area to avoid the possibility of slipping. Place mats at outside entrances to prevent water, snow or ice from being tracked onto your floor. Water, other liquids and foreign matter on the surface of the floor can cause it to be slippery and should be removed immediately. Improper polishes or finishes can also cause slipperiness. |
PREVENTIVE CARE
PROTECT AGAINST INDENTATION5 AND FURNITURE DAMAGE
Always make sure furniture legs have large surface,
nonstaining floor protectors. We recommend that you:
| Replace small, narrow metal or dome-shaped glides. |
| Use hard, plastic casters and cups, because some types of rubber casters and cups may permanently stain your floor. |
| Use wide, flat casters and cups for heavy f u rn itu re. |
| Use nonstaining rubber-surfaced wheels that are a minimum 3/4" wide instead of metal casters. |
| Glides and furniture cups should be covered with felt pads. The pads should be checked periodically for grit and wear and replaced when necessary. |
TRACKED-IN DIRT CAN BE ABRASIVE
| Place mats at outside entrances to prevent dirt, grit and soil from being tracked onto your floor. Use 1 00% latex-backed mats, because some rubber-backed mats or carpets may permanently stain your floor. |
| Dirt, grit and soil can abrade, dull or scratch your floor. For additional protection, we recommend the use of a floor polish
as part of your regular maintenance program. |
PREVENTING PERMANENT STAINS
| Wipe up spills promptly with a damp cloth or mop. |
| Some mat backings, carpet dyes, porch and basement paints, and asphalt driveway sealers, particularly those that are coal tar or asphalt-based sealers, can permanently stain your floor. To
help prevent staining from asphalt tracking, we recommend the use of a latex-based driveway sealer. |
FLOOR5 CAN BE SUNBURNED
| Draw drapes and blinds during peak periods of strong sunlight. Resilient floors, like other home furnishing products, may discolor or fade when overexposed to the sun. |
PROTECT AGAIN5T EXTREME HEAT
| Heat-producing appliances such as a refrigerator or range, or hot air registers emitting a direct flow of heat in excess of 120'F, even intermittently, can scorch, burn, discolor or fade your floor.
Cigarettes, matches and other very hot objects can also damage your floor. |
A WORD ABOUT STILETTO HEELS
| Avoid wearing stiletto or spiked heels on your floor. These types of heels can indent or damage many types of floors including resilient, wood, and ceramic.
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REGULAR MAINTENANCE
| Sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dirt and grit that can abrade, dull or scratch your new floor. Do not use a vacuum
with a beater brush, because it may damage the floor's surface. |
| Wipe up spills promptly with a damp cloth or
mop. |
| Wash your floor with Congoleum Bright 'N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner or other suitable
resilient floor cleaner. |
| Caution: Avoid one-step "mop and polish" products, dishwashing liquids and oil-based cleaners. These may leave a residue which can attract dirt and dull your floor's finish. Avoid cleaners that contain abrasives or solvents which may permanently damage your floor. |
CARE FOR CHROMABOND OR STANDARD WEARLAYER
FLOORS
| Resilient Tile |
Resilient |
Sheet |
| Advantage® |
Endurance® |
Valuflor® |
| Carefree® |
Flor-Ever® |
Valuflor Flex® |
| Designer Carefree® |
Medalist® |
Vinylcrest® |
| Reflection® |
|
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| Follow the regular maintenance tips outlined above. |
| Remove any scuffs and black heel marks with a nonabrasive polishing cleanser such as Soft
Scrub®. |
| For severe scuffs, remove with lighter fluid applied with a soft, clean cloth. Keep traffic off treated area for 30 minutes. |
| Caution: Lighter fluid is a flammable solvent. Carefully read and follow cautionary information on label. |
| Chromabond or standard wearlayer floors may be buffed using a mechanical buffer fitted with a lamb's wool pad to give it a shinier appearance, or simply apply Congoleum
Bright 'N Easy Polish. The optional polish application will add scuff resistance
to your floor.
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CARE FOR ULTRAGARD, DURAGUARD, SCUFF-TUFF OR URETHANE WEARLAYER
FLOORS
|
Resilient Tile |
Resilient Sheet |
| Classic Touch® |
Brightlife® |
Highlight® |
| Evolution® |
Celestial® |
Highlight Flex® |
| Forum Plank® |
Designer Inlaid® |
Ovations® |
| Intrigue® |
Exclamation® |
Ovations Flex® |
| Majestic® |
Futura® |
Starlight® |
| Regal Plank® |
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| Follow the regular maintenance tips outlined above. |
| These floors may dull over time depending on the amount of traffic, care, and maintenance the floor receives. To restore the gloss, first use Congoleum Bright 'N Easy Polish Remover to remove any ground-in dirt and excess polish buildup. Rinse thoroughly. Then apply Congoleum Bright 'N Easy Floor Polish
to obtain a high-gloss finish. |
CARE FOR FORUM®
SOLIDS TILE FLOORS
Forum Solids have been designed with a natural satin finish. Follow the recommended maintenance procedures to keep your new floor looking beautiful.
| Follow the regular maintenance tips outlined at left. |
| To maintain the luster or remove scuffs or scratches, periodic wet buffing is recommended using a mechanical buffer (I 75 rpm) fitted with a red pad. Rinse thoroughly. Then, dry-buff with a white pad to polish the floor and restore the finish. As an option, you may apply two coats of Congoleum Commercial Polish to reduce the frequency of buffing.
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CARE FOR FOUNDATIONS®, ALTERNATIVES®,
SPECIAL EFFECTS®, SELECTIONS®, CHOICES® AND CX SERIES™ FLOORS
Foundations requires
a polish to seal and protect the color and design. A minimum of two coats of polish for residential use and three to five coats for commercial use is required. For residential use, Alternatives, Special Effects, Selections, Choices and CX Series tile
require
two coats of polish to seal and protect their finish.
INITIAL RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE
After the floor has been installed and the adhesive has dried
(48 hours), initial maintenance MUST BE
performed on your Foundations, Alternatives, Special Effects, Selections, Choices
or CX Series floor. If these instructions are not followed, permanent staining may occur.
| Sweep or vacuum the floor regularly to remove loose dirt. |
| If needed, after installation use lighter fluid applied with a clean cloth to remove scuff marks and adhesive residue. Keep traffic
off treated area for 30 minutes. |
| Caution: Lighter fluid is a flammable solvent. Carefully read and follow cautionary information on label. |
| Wash your floor with Congoleum Bright 'N Easy No-Rinse Cleaner or other suitable resilient floor cleaner. Be sure it is thoroughly dry before applying polish. |
| Apply a minimum of two coats of Congoleum Bright
'N Easy Floor Polish to seal and protect your floor.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE |
| Follow the regular maintenance tips outlined at left. |
| Apply additional coats of polish as needed.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE |
| Periodically, it will be necessary to remove polish buildup. |
| Use Congoleum Bright 'N Easy Polish Remover, following label instructions. Rinse
well and allow to dry before re-applying
polish. |
| Each time the polish is stripped, apply a minimum of two coats of Congoleum Bright 'N Easy Floor Polish to reseal and protect the floor.
COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS
Commercial installations have specific maintenance
requirements. See your local contract retailer or write to Congoleum Corporation, Department C, PO Box 3127,
Mercerville, NJ 08619-0127. |
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