I need help on vinyl or laminate floor

**mightycleanhome** · 08-14-2010, 06:11 PM

Ok,
so we cleaning out a hoarders house for a company and they have these stained vinyl or laminate tiles in the basement , not really sure which they are . Im thinking vinyl and they probably about 30 to 40 years old. They are pretty much ruined and stained. I mean this stuff has been buried under god knows what for years. and when we cleaned the floors the dirt would not come out. we mopped it like 5 times and it still looks horrible.

We are a residential cleaning company and they told us they should come out better and still need to be cleaned and we should have some kind of floor buffers and big machines to do it. I told them that sounds more like a refinishing floor restoration company that needs to be doing that etc etc.

What do you think ? do normal house cleaning companies use those machines for house cleaning or is that for restoration experts and also can those stains even come out. the tiles were stained brown and were already cracking could those machines even be used .

ugh let me know

**Dave Y** · 08-14-2010, 08:34 PM

With vinyl, stains can be drawn into the flooring and become permanent.

Take with a towel and some spotter and test the stain to see if it is on the surface or permanent.

**Blind Dr** · 08-14-2010, 08:44 PM

Be careful some of those older tiles have asbestos in them

**mightycleanhome** · 08-14-2010, 08:49 PM

ok the stains are not coming out with spotter these things have been buried in dirt for like years with water ontop of it , this is in a home like those hoarders tv shows.

would those machines take them out better
and how do you tell if they are made of asbestos ?

**locko-fabara** · 08-14-2010, 11:31 PM

If you see shiny and they are 6 inches x 6 inches, they are asbesto tile.
That is a specialty job. for example you can clean a wood floor, but you won;t sand it and refinish it.

**Gemcleans** · 08-17-2010, 11:53 AM

If the floor is vinyl, I would strip it. Use a side to side buffer [ which you can rent for $30-50. ] and use a green pad first and then a black pad if needed. The stripper may or may not take the stains out. Dry completely. Then put down sealer and finish. I would not garrentee the stains will come out. If the floor is in the condition you say it is and it is as old as you say, then they have gotten their moneys worth and it needs to be replaced. Anything you do will be and improvement and that is all you can expect. Don't be afraid to charge them good money like almost replacement cost. Maybe they will replace it and you won;t have to worry about it.

**grimel** · 08-18-2010, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by mightycleanhome

would those machines take them out better
and how do you tell if they are made of asbestos ?

If they were installed in or before the '70's they are asbestos. If YOU start scraping them and break the surface YOU get the EPA fines and YOU get the remediation costs. Mop it, maybe buff it with a microfiber pad and have them call an asbestos specialist to be sure it's asbestos and deal with it.

**floorguy_724** · 08-18-2010, 11:29 AM

Yup, if they are 9x9's and/or have the old cut back glue (black) under them…probably asbestos. I would call in for a second opinion if I were you just to be safe.