I have just had a new flooring installed. What should I do? What is the most appropriate treatment for my floor?

I have just had a new flooring installed. What should I do? What is the most appropriate treatment for my floor?

Chemio Tecnica can give you some practical suggestions to protect your floor, be it in stone, marble or terracotta. First, we recommend starting an in-depth cleaning and applying the protective coating only after all the building work (walls, plasterboards, wiring, etc.) has been concluded and before furniture and fixed structures are installed. The floor needs to be thoroughly cleaned before sealing: GS 10 and Policleaner for stone and marble and CT 55 for terracotta and sandstone are the most widely used products in this case. For special or very sensitive floors, please contact our technical office. The products must be previously diluted as specified in the instructions and should be preferably applied with a single disc machine, also using a liquid aspirator to collect the sludge. Alternatively, abrasive pads, sponges and changing the rinsing water frequently deliver an effective solution as well. When the floor is dry, you can apply the protective sealer: you can choose either a water-based or a solvent-based oil-water-repellent. Applied uniformly on the floor with a paint roller, a paint brush or a sprayer, these products help reducing absorption and provide optimal cleanliness. Subsequently, you can also routinely clean your floor with either GS 10, a neutral detergent, or Policleaner, a degreaser designed for a more thorough or heavy-duty cleaning.

Treating the floor with our protective oil-water repellents may solve the problem or at least help slowing down the formation and deposition of dirt. However, some floors may tend to get dirty easily even if treated with our products. Since our products do not form a film on the substrate, highly porous materials like terracotta, limestone and sandstone will still tend to collect dirt and remain quite difficult to clean. In these cases we suggest applying one or two coats of New Floor Wax or Glitter on the perfectly clean floor; these water based waxes can also be diluted and help making the floor surface uniform and thus easier to clean. After this treatment, the floor can be routinely cleaned with GS 10 while the waxing may be repeated occasionally, if needed.

The repeated waxing of the floor over time causes an accumulation of dirt that gets mixed to the wax at each application. After 10 to 20 years, these dirt deposits dramatically alter the natural aspect of the stone or terracotta, which end up looking like ceramic tiles and lose their original naturalness. Abrasions, scratches, damp in the substrate and a number of other conditions affect the wax layers and give rise to stains, peeling and unsightly discolouration. These defects can only be addressed by removing all the wax. The most suitable product to this purpose is Ceranet, a wax remover with a strong degreasing effect. The use of this product, combined with the scrubbing of a single-disc machine and the ongoing rinsing and suction of a liquid aspirator delivers excellent results. Once the wax has been removed, we advise washing the floor with a GS 10 neutral detergent, to be preceded by a cleaning with CT 55 in the case of terracotta tiles. When the floor is clean and perfectly dry (ideally you should wait 1-2 days after dewaxing), it can be treated with one of our oil-water repellent protective products.

Outdoor floors are affected by moss, lichens, moulds and deposits of organic matter. To remove them, a strong wash with an alkaline detergent is recommended: CT 51 is effective against obstinate dirt or smog residues, while Kramar K4 and Policleaner ensure an effective cleaning. The floor can be made more resistant applying oil-water repellent solvent-based protective products such as Skudo or CT 49. For floors that are not exposed to grease, oil, etc., a highly resistant water-repellent like CT 1000 is a viable alternative, as this product penetrates deep into the substrate and builds a lasting protection.

The white efflorescence is caused by crystalline salts that are brought to the surface by the water present in the material. These salts can be removed by washing the floor with CT 55, also using an abrasive pad and extracting out the rinsing water. To prevent the formation of these saline streaks, you can apply a water-repellent product like CT 1000 or an oil-water repellent, preferably a water-based one like N-Eco or CT Ecology System.

Stone floors require special care in terms both of cleaning and protective treatment. In fact, stone is often very sensitive to acids and aggressive detergents. To clean the floor thoroughly after its installation we recommend washing it with GS 10, a neutral detergent, to be applied diluted with the mechanical action of abrasive pads or a single disc machine, recovering the dirt captured by the water with a liquid aspirator. The scrubbing is needed to remove grout, plaster and other cement residues, but the greatest care should be used to avoid permanently scratching the surface, especially polished ones. For outdoor cleaning and to remove moss, lichens, organic matter and weathering effects, a diluted solution of Policleaner, CT 51 or Kramar K4 can be used with satisfactory results.

If your floor has been previously treated with Chemio Tecnica products, oil and grease stains can be removed by cleaning the floor with Policleaner or GS 10, using an abrasive pad and rinsing afterwards. If necessary, you should also repeat the original treatment. In case of localised stains, you can spray SprayNet directly on the stains, leave it for 1-2 minutes and brush it off. These cleaners can also be used on untreated floors, but there is a risk that the outcome is less than satisfactory or, in the case of very porous material, that stains become visible again 1 or 2 days after cleaning, thus requiring the cleaning to be repeated several times.

On stone and marble floors we suggest using GS 10 as a neutral detergent and Policleaner as a degreaser for a more thorough cleaning. For terracotta and other resistant materials such as stoneware we recommend CT 55, to be followed ideally by a new coat of the previously applied protective product. Chemio Tecnica products do not form a film on the surface and can therefore be applied several times without producing any unsightly difference between the areas where the product has been removed and those where it remains.

Rising damp usually becomes visibile in the lower part of walls as mould on the coating, paint peeling off, obvious colour changes in the mortar and the finishing. Chemio Tecnica provides assistance for both old and new masonry substrates of any type, implementing the most suitable technique each time. The best solution is usually to combine what are normally considered two different treatments: building a chemical barrier at the base of the wall and replacing the decayed plastering with a new special plaster that has a specific macroporous structure. The new coat painted with a suitable breathable paint provides a final solution against damp, with a satisfactory visual result and the advantage of removing damp and mould from indoor environments.

If the water infiltration is limited in size and the tiling is still compact, adhering and without visible cracks, you can use CT 900 Gram. This product must be applied with a brush or a roller and is absorbed by porous tiles and tile junctions. After 3-4 days, it will have formed a highly resistant waterproof barrier that prevents small water infiltrations. Alternatively, the terrace can be made waterproof with some permanent sealing system, although this would require a new tiling. The best waterproofing is provided by a combination of polymer cement compounds and elastic bands that can stand the stress and movements of hanging structures such as terraces. These products have significant advantages against traditional systems, as they can be used on existing floors and do not require the old paving to be removed.

If damp is coming from the walls, localised measures can be taken both on the outside walls or, even better, on the interior ones. Our engineers can solve water infiltration problems with tested techniques and products, also in case of repeated or permanent infiltrations.