Sooo much pooping

[CatieB]

I think that I remember from when I ordered my flooring that there are karndean owners on here. If so do you only use their own products to clean the floor? I would like to use usual floor cleaner, not just due to the expense but the difficulty in getting the stuff.

 

I really don't want to risk any damage though, so unless I know definitely I wouldn't risk it. I have the wood look flooring and elsewhere I use CIF or flash. Thanks.

[chickencam]

I will keep a close even this because we are looking at Karndean flooring for our bathroom when we replace it later this year and may also replace the kitchen flooring with it too.

[Eggasperated]

We had wood effect karndean laid in our hall about six months ago, currently I have loads of their cleaner supplied at the time of installation and I haven't really thought about cleaning it with anything else. I'm intending to do the strip and refresh on the floor this week.

 

Overall we've been very pleased with it, the only problem we've found is that the dog slips on it, something we'd never even thought about, for this reason we wouldn't have it put in any of the living rooms.

[Bramble]

I've got wood effect Karndean all through the ground floor of my house and in bathroom - it's absolutely ACE!

 

It was in the house when I moved in (brand new house, 5 years ago), so I've been able to give it a thorough testing and no I've NEVER used Karndean stuff to clean it - just good old Flash/Dettol whatever happens to be available never occurred to me to use their own stuff.

 

Re dogs slipping on it - I find that's only a problem if the floor's wet or Willow herself is wet and even then only when she takes a corner too quickly!

 

Karndean is truly ACE, can't praise it highly enough!

[WitchHazel]

hi have Karndean un my kitchen, lliving room, hall, and bedroom. Eventually all my house will have Karndean, as the flooring needs replacing. The oldest, in our living room, is about 14 years old or so.

 

For routine cleaning you can also use the Amtico cleaner, which is the same stuff. but is more easily available. (That info came from my flooring chappie).

 

I have to confess that I rarely use the routine cleaner now. I mostly clean with a microfibre mop and water.

 

In the ktchen I use spray Dettol on the half where the chicken lives. If I need a cleaner for any of the floors, then I use Method's floor cleaner spray.

 

The floor is very hard wearing though, so I'm sure flash or anything else would be OK -just make sure it's very dilute.

 

btw, I have used the stripper and resurfacer once on the living room floor, about 10 years ago, and it was fantastic. It was a lot of hassle to empty the room, but it brought the floor up like new. It needs doing again now, and was on my lst of things to do this summer (oops). I haven't needed to use those on the other floors yet, they are only about 7 years old.

 

Hope that helps

[WitchHazel]

If anyone is thinking of getting Karndean, I can recommend a visit to their premises. They have a fantastuc display centre, it really showcases the different products (the different ranges are different qualities, and it's easier to see the difference when you see them all side by side). You can also see all the finishes, and they have an area where you can lay some out to see what an expanse of it looks like.

 

Address is on their website.

[Eggasperated]

btw, I have used the stripper and resurfacer once on the living room floor, about 10 years ago, and it was fantastic. It was a lot of hassle to empty the room, but it brought the floor up like new. It needs doing again now, and was on my lst of things to do this summer (oops). I haven't needed to use those on the other floors yet, they are only about 7 years old.

 

Blimey WitchHazel I was told I would need to strip and refinish every six months, which is why I was going to do it this week. Don't think I'll bother now for a few years .

[WitchHazel]

btw, I have used the stripper and resurfacer once on the living room floor, about 10 years ago, and it was fantastic. It was a lot of hassle to empty the room, but it brought the floor up like new. It needs doing again now, and was on my lst of things to do this summer (oops). I haven't needed to use those on the other floors yet, they are only about 7 years old.

 

Blimey WitchHazel I was told I would need to strip and refinish every six months, which is why I was going to do it this week. Don't think I'll bother now for a few years .

 

Well, it has actually needed doing for 2 years now, ... but I can't see why you'd need to do it every 6 months.

[Bramble]

Oooh eck, I 've just noticed the bit about stripping and resurfacing - I didn't know anything about that and I've certainly never done it in the five years I've had it

[CatieB]

We bought ours from an authorised stockist and they said to take with a pinch of salt the need to strip and refresh. Apparently I'd know when it needs doing. Ummmm how. We've only had it a year so I'm not worried but how do you know?

 

I would definitely recommend the floor. It's great. We have it in the hall and lounge, which is a large area. The reason I say this is because the dog soon got used to it and no longer skids. So I think if its a big enough area they soon acclimatise to it. Go for it

[WitchHazel]

We bought ours from an authorised stockist and they said to take with a pinch of salt the need to strip and refresh. Apparently I'd know when it needs doing. Ummmm how. We've only had it a year so I'm not worried but how do you know?

 

You can see when it needs doing.

 

I've been looking at my living room floor for the last two years thinking "it needs doing". My bedroom, hall, kitchen and utility room: I look at those and they don't.

[Eggasperated]

Well I'm certainly not doing my hall floor then, there's nothing wrong with it and I don't want to make myself a lot of work for no reason. I guess it just helps them sell more product by suggesting you need to do this every six months, it's certainly expensive enough as it is without any extra costs.

Really glad I came on this thread .

[sparkysmum]

Love our Karndean floors and always use any old cleaner

[PapaJuliet]

We've just moved into a new build house & have Karndean in our bathrooms. "Ooops, word censored!"ody mentioned that special cleaning products exist nor anything about stripping & resealing.

 

They are bathrooms so not a high use area so we'll just keep an eye on them for refinishing.

 

We would probably use normal cleaning products.

 

PJ

[WitchHazel]

Since this thread was started, I've been itching to do my living room. However, I need to wait for a sunny dry day, so I can put the furniture outside while I work/while the floor dries.

 

I've even been up in the loft to get the Karndean maintenane kit down, ready to use.

 

CatieB, if only you had started it a week earlier while the weather was fab!

[WitchHazel]

Well, 10 months later, I've finally done it. I've re=protected the Karndean in my living room.

 

The floor looks lovely, smells divine, and feels fantastic under my bare feet.

 

I'm going to do my hall and kitchen next. They will be easy, because there is very little I need to shift off the floor to do them. I just need to pick a day when we (and the cats) can stay out of the house for 6 hours while it dries.

[CatieB]

Im still interested in how you know it needs doing. Mine looks dull but then I dont want it shiney. When you do it, what do you have to do? Is it hard

 

Thanks for updating this

[WitchHazel]

When it's looking very tired and dull, that's when it's time to do it.

 

The DimGlow (Or "Refresh" as it is now called) desn't make it shiny, it just...well...gives it a glow.

 

There are some excellent YouTube videos on what to do.

 

Basically it is:

0. Empty the room of moveable furniture (that's what takes the time, I find)

1. Sweep the floor with a soft brush broom. You need to get the bits and fluff up

2a. Make up a solution of Karndean Clean and water, apply to floor. Mop it thoroughly. Don't let it dry. Wait 5 minutes

2b. Use the scrubbing pad, scrub the entire floor. (This is the hardest bit.)

2c. Rinse, rinse, rinse. You have to get ALL the Clean off the floor

3a. When dry, apply 1 coat of Karndean Refresh (was DimGlow) across the floor.

3b. Wait 30 minutes, then apply another coat of Karndean Refresh, this time lengthways

3c. Wait 6 hours before walking on the floor.

 

There is a leaflet here:http://www.karndean.com/~/media/Documents/Downloads/UK%20Downloads/UK_Residential_Floor_Care_Guide.ashx