Engineered Floors LVP Maintenance and Care

Luxury Vinyl Flooring Care and Maintenance 

Engineered Floors® (“EF”) Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVF) is beautiful, scratch resistant, and durable. Even so, all floor coverings require
care and maintenance to look and perform their best. The type and frequency of traffic on your floor will determine the frequency of
necessary maintenance. The design and even the color of the flooring will have some bearing on how much care may be necessary.
Solid colored floors will show scuffs, scratches, dirt, and general wear more than multi-colored and/or patterned floors. White or
lighter colors will show staining more than darker colors. For this reason, floors with solid and/or light colors should receive special
attention regarding preventative maintenance and the overall amount of care provided. Ultimately, the price of failing to clean and
maintain flooring is much higher than the time and effort required to actually cleaning and maintaining flooring. Taking care of your
floor not only increases your enjoyment level but also protects your investment.

INITIAL MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTATIVE CARE

Direct Glue Down Products:

• Strictly follow the instructions of the adhesive manufacturer. Do not walk on, place furniture on, or otherwise inhabit the space

where new flooring is installed until the adhesive is fully cured. Indentations in flooring due to displaced uncured adhesive
under the flooring are permanent and are not considered defective flooring. 

• Do not wash/mop the floor for at least 48-72 hours after installation.
• Remove any adhesive residue from the surface of the LVF using mineral spirits

All Luxury Vinyl Flooring Products:

 

• Be careful when placing furniture and appliances over your flooring. When moving heavy items, always carry them. Never push

or pull furniture or other heavy items over LVF.

 

• Check the condition of all the casters, rollers, legs, and bottoms of furniture before setting them on your flooring. Replace any

worn casters or rollers. Remove any protruding tacks, nails, or similar materials that may scratch the flooring. Remove any rust.
Sand or otherwise smooth any jagged or rough surfaces that will contact the flooring.

 

• Use heavy felt protectors under furniture. The heavier the item, the wider the ‘footprint’ should be to spread out the load.

 

• Protective pads are required where chairs on rollers will be present.

 

• Protect flooring by using mats outside and/or inside all entrances. Mats will collect tracked-in dirt, sand, pebbles, and other

particulate and will absorb moisture. Keep mats clean. Do not use latex or rubber backed mats on the LVF flooring, as certain
compounds in these materials can permanently stain or damage vinyl. Mats to lay on LVF should be labeled as ‘non-staining’.
Avoid tracking in tar or asphalt from driveways, as this can discolor vinyl.

 

• Avoid the use of stiletto heels on your floor as they can cause permanent damage.

 

• Post installation temperature should be maintained between 65°-85° (18.3°-29.4).

 

• Avoid exposure to direct sunlight for long periods of time. This type of exposure can cause expansion due to heat which may

result in buckling or other damage. Sunlight can also cause fading or discoloration. EF requires the use of UV protective film,
blinds, curtains, or shades to assure that LVF products are protected from the sun. Flooring that cannot be protected from direct
sunlight is required to be installed using adhesive.

 

• Protect your floor against burns. Cover vinyl flooring near fireplaces and open flame sources and near any extremely hot items

ROUTINE CARE AND MAINTENANCE

 

• Regularly sweep or vacuum thoroughly (once per week minimum). If vacuuming, do not use vacuum beater bar.
• Where robotic vacuums are used, confirm that abrasive contact does not occur and keep the wheels of the machine clean.
• Remove scuffs and excessive soil by carefully rubbing with a recommended solution and a soft absorbent cloth. Never use highly
• abrasive tools or solutions. Never use an orbital buffing machine.
• Promptly remove spills.
• Damp mop often using a pH neutral resilient floor cleaner or a solution of ammonia and water (4 parts water to 1 part
• ammonia). Do not soak or saturate flooring. Always test cleaners in an inconspicuous area or an unused sample before using on
• the entire floor.
• The following items must be cleaned promptly as they can permanently discolor the flooring: ink, iodine, mercurochrome,
• betadine, dyes, asphalt, tar, grease, baking grease, cooking oils, and nail polish

Acceptable Luxury Vinyl Flooring Cleaners:

When cleaning EF LVF, always use a pH neutral cleaner specifically formulated for cleaning vinyl flooring. Examples of acceptable
cleaners include but are not limited to:
Rejuvenate Luxury Vinyl Tile Floor Cleaner
ZEP Neutral Floor Cleaner Concentrate
Ammonia and water solution (4 parts water to 1 part ammonia (DO NOT mix stronger))

Do Not Use The Following on EF Luxury Vinyl Flooring:
 Vinegar
 “Mop and Shine” products
 Soap Based Detergents or Oil Soaps
 Abrasive Cleaners or Compounds
 Floor Wax
 Vacuum with a rotating beater bar
 One step cleaner/polishes
 Steam mops
 Harsh scouring or buffing pads or tools

Any spill should be cleaned immediately. The longer the spilled materials are left on the floor, the greater the risk of permanent
staining. Please refer to the stain removal chart below. The chart is provided as insight and covers some materials that are not
covered by the flooring warranty. When spot cleaning, it may be necessary to clean the entire floor to achieve a uniform look. EF
recommends keeping a list of products used to clean flooring which may be important if warranty service is needed.

Stain Removal Method:

 

For scuffs (material left on the surface due to friction), try rubbing a tennis ball over the area. Using extreme caution, a slit can be cut
in the ball so that it can be placed on the end of a broom handle if there is a sizeable area to be covered. If the wear layer is opened
up, or worse, if the cut is deep enough to need color added, consider one of the kits linked below.
https://www.1877floorguy.com/scratchfix.html or https://www.1877floorguy.com/dr-schutz-floor-repair-kit.html

For additional assistance or to obtain the most current Installation, Warranty, and Maintenance information please visit
www.engineeredfloors.com or contact Engineered Floors® Technical Services at 866-706-9745 Option 7 or
hstechservice@engineeredfloors.com.