[Mike Halliday]

I have done quite a few ceramic tiled floors in kitchens and restaurants, they have been an easy job just pre-spray  then  extract with a spinner tool attached to the T/M.

I understand that there are some specialist hard  floors but most i see are easy ceramics, could I start advertising tile cleaning without going on a specialist training course? would i find my self turning down more work  than i did?

i guess the question I'm asking is how many hard floors jobs that you do are straight forward ceramic tiles 70-80%?

[peter maybury]

I think that with the majority of easy to maintain surfaces most people would do themselves.
I advertise hard floor cleaning a lot but the majority of the equiries that I get are for the more specialist services. These are normally 100+ year old masaic or terrazzo floors or slate. I think that most peple will seek advice when they see the need for equipment. If you have a truckmount and a rotary and spinner then you can takle a lot of things. A hard floor tool is a good investment as is a heavy duty crb machine.
Most janitorial suppliers have staff that are trained to advise you on the chemicals and proceedures use in maintaining of and restoration of these surfaces.
My largest market growth over the last few years has been into hard floors. There is not a usefull section on this forum on the subject.
Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[derek west]

most i quote and do are travertines mike. a few quarries and a few terra.s, then behind them are woods and laminates, most ceramics can be cleaned by the owner, its the grout they struggle with. i'd say around 25% hard floors for me are ceramics and out of all the ceramics, there has only been one that was a dirty tile (and not the grout lines) that needed cleaning, one of them textured ones that even i struggled to get the crap out of, lol

[sherco]

I have done quite a few ceramic tiled floors in kitchens and restaurants, they have been an easy job just pre-spray  then  extract with a spinner tool attached to the T/M.

I understand that there are some specialist hard  floors but most i see are easy ceramics, could I start advertising tile cleaning without going on a specialist training course? would i find my self turning down more work  than i did?

i guess the question I'm asking is how many hard floors jobs that you do are straight forward ceramic tiles 70-80%?

If you only want to do ceramics then it sounds like you are ok. But when you start with Natural stone you have to know a bit more about cleaners & sealers. Repair works like chip repairs, replacing cracked tiles is quite a good add on but i would recommend training for this. I would really recommend you go onto Kevin Martin's training days if you have not had any dealings with Natural stone.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I suppose that's why alot of US cleaners advertise Tile and Grout cleaning.

Shaun

[Craigp]

*******would i find my self turning down more work  than i did?*******


No you would not. Trust me.

Yes advertise it.

[ian harper]

Mike

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

There is far more money in hard floor cleaning, both in terms of job ticket price and hourly rate.

Training is a must. I've done the IICRC course and Tiling Logistics. Natural Stone has many pitfalls waiting for the untrained operator.

Equipment wise all you need is a decent rotary and a wet vac.

Your existing database of clients are your ideal first port of call to promote your new service.

[Jamie Pearson]

hour for hour carpet cleaning earns more money

My experience is the opposite. Especially for restoration works.

[Mike Halliday]

from what i've seen most of what i would clean are just ceramics I have only been asked to quote on 3 natural stone floors in the last 3-4yrs and then i was just honest and said i wouldn't be comfortable tackling the job and passed the work onto a more experienced company.

i see some really dirty ceramics which the owner does attempt to clean but never gets a satisfactory result

[Shaun_Ashmore]

What's an 'average' price for tile and grout cleaning?

I have a Challenger Op machine and cleaned some shower rooms which I do every January but usually with a standard rotary, the Op machine was approx 4 times faster.

I don't advertise hard floor cleaning and that's why I don't get asked to perform this service much the Op machine sits in the garage most of the year I may have to rethink my stratagy bloody carpet cleaning gets in the way though!

Shaun

[Craigp]

Porcelain is another easy and common one.

[Craigp]

I've had people say they got a terracotta kitchen floor only to find it's a porcelain In terracotta style. I leave them thinking that.