The flooring care and maintenance category is a growing segment of the flooring industry with many flooring manufacturers offering products that clean and protect their installed floors; however, it continues to be a widely misunderstood segment, requiring a great deal of education and training on the part of the manufacturer. 

“Consumers should not overlook the role of care and maintenance when purchasing a floor,” said Gary Keeble, vice president of marketing, Metroflor Corporation. “Metroflor encourages our retailers to educate consumers about the importance and value of using manufacturer-recommended flooring care products as part of the sales process.”

With the purchase of a Metroflor floor and registration of the warranty, the customer receives a free floorcare kit, featuring the Prevail-branded Neutral Cleaner and other Prevail maintenance products to help ensure the floor is maintained properly, according to Keeble. 

MAPEI, like Metroflor, is focused on training and education. Additionally, MAPEI offers demonstrations and field site support on how to avoid the issues that can lead to costly repairs and even replacements. 

Despite manufacturers’ best efforts to educate consumers and develop innovative flooring care and maintenance solutions, some issues remain.

“The people that understand and know what to use, why to use it and how to use it are doing a great job,” said Rod Sigman, business development manager—UltraCare, MAPEI. “Unfortunately, there is still a lot of misunderstanding along these lines as well from contractors to distributors/dealers, architects/spec writers to homeowners and the like. We, along with our competitors, still get many of the same phone calls about the same issues after they happen.”

Other issues compounding the problem include the lack of “industry standards via ISO or ANSI to help clarify and incorporate this side of the business with grouts, mortars, crack isolation, sound attenuation and waterproofing among other categories for installing tile and stone,” according to Sigman. 

Product Innovation

On the product side, many manufacturers continue to offer solutions that are simpler, faster, safer. But what else are consumers asking for? Read on for current solutions. 

Coval Matting Agent. Photo: Coval Technologies.

Coval Technologies Coval Stone coating with Coval Matting Agent achieves two things: it can deliver a honed natural surface and seal and protect stone from oil stains and water-based stains as well as resist acid etching. Additionally, it can be added to shiny stone to achieve the same honed look. A honed finish will camouflage etch marks on natural stone. 

According to the Coval team, “When requested, the surface still needs to be sealed and protected. Honed surfaces, however, will absorb more penetrating sealer and not all installers will take the time to seal the natural stone surface to rejection. (Note: sealing to rejection means that sealer is applied several times over the course of several hours or even days until the surface cannot absorb any more sealer.) The typical impregnating gloss sealer that is applied to natural stone does not last longer than a year, will not prevent oil-based stains and will not stop acid etching. Coval Coatings form a hydrophobic, stain-resistant, and oleophobic surface that soil cannot penetrate and is easy to clean.”

To apply the matting agent as well as any of the various Coval coatings, two sprayers were launched in 2024 that simplify product application:  

• Coval SP-12 Acetone Sprayer, a handheld 12-liter/3-gallon coatings acetone sprayer with a variety of spray tips included, a stable base, and a built-in inflation valve for pressurizing with a compressor.
• Coval SP-HV Sprayer, a cost-effective way to seal and coat large floors with a sprayer system applied with a minimal crew size. Built with diaphragm pump technology, it moves a high volume of product through the sprayer using a separate air compressor.

Coval SP-12 sprayer. Photo: Coval Technologies.

Coval SP-HV sprayer. Photo: Coval Technologies.

MAPEI’s Smooth Silicone in the UltraCare line. Photo: MAPEI.

MAPEI’s Smooth Silicone in its UltraCare line that will launch in December 2024. It is a water-based, spray solution suitable for silicone and urethane sealants as well as acrylic and latex caulks. It increases the speed and ease of finishing the sealant during application and contributes to creating smooth, compact surfaces that will reduce dirt pick-up and the formation of mold. It is suitable for use with sealants and caulks during installation of ceramic tile, porcelain tile, stone and glass tile.

MAPEI’s UltraCare Sealer for Glass Tiles & Shower Doors. Photo: MAPEI.

MAPEI’s UltraCare Sealer for Glass Tiles & Shower Doors is specifically designed to keep glass tiles and shower doors cleaner for longer. This easy-to-use formula uses advanced chemical technology that becomes part of the surface, creating a barrier that causes water to bead and slide off glass surfaces. Continued use of this product helps to repel the buildup of soap scum, calcium, hard water deposits and grime onto glass surfaces, significantly reducing cleaning time and effort.

Prevail 1-Step Neutral Cleaner and the Prevail Scratch Remover. Photo: Metroflor.

Metroflor’s Prevail 1-Step Neutral Cleaner combines cleaning capabilities with the ease of a no-rinse formula when applied with a damp mop for everyday soil. An alternative solution, Prevail Ready-To-Use (RTU) Neutral Cleaner combines cleaning capabilities with the convenience of a no-rinse, spray-on formula.

The Prevail Scratch Remover minimizes the appearance of surface scratches and minor scuffs, by helping to conceal and reduce the appearance of fine particle abrasion, micro hazing and minor surface scratches. The package includes a 10% off coupon for purchase of full-size products online.  

Liquid Grip sealant. Photo: Neverstrip.

NeverStrip Floor Coatings Liquid Grip is a sealant used to increase coefficient of friction (COF)/traction within wet environments on virtually any hard surface including ceramic, porcelain and resinous floors. Pool decks, shower floors and locker rooms are ideal—indoor or outdoor.

Liquid Grip has tenacious adhesion to the substrate. It exceeds the minimum Wet Dynamic COF Standard of 0.42 and is cleaned with a soft brush. Multi-year use between applications is common.

Scratch Patch is part of the Careworx accessories within the Totalworx line. Photo: Shaw.

Shaw Pet Perfect Cleaners enzyme formula in its Hard Surface and Carpet Cleaner solutions combat urine and soiled stains. Both cleaners are Cradle to cradle certified. Both contribute to the PetSmart Charity program donating $0.25 per 32oz cleaner. 

According to Adam Sartain, senior marketing manager Totalworx and national accounts, Shaw Industries, “We have a lot of requests for anything that rejuvenates floors.”  

Scratch Patch is part of the Careworx accessories within the Totalworx line. It helps rejuvenate resilient floors, eliminates any minor scratches or imperfections and strengthens the original protection. 

“We are always looking to see how we can fill the need that any of our customers have and are constantly workshopping new ideas,” said Sartain. “We are excited about what the next two years have in store for TotalWorx accessories and all of the products we have to offer.”