[Mike Halliday]

I agree that hard floors is a very untapped market and has less  competition, I know a couple of guys my self and they often talk of job worth in thier £1000s so the job value makes the travel often involved worth it.

But another thing about it that makes it a hard market to get into is the technical knowledge required, you can't just get into hard floor cleaning you need very specialist training .

power-washing is not so technical, you can just buy the equipment and practice at home and on friends without risk of causing serious damage.

[Kev Martin]

I agree that hard floors is a very untapped market and has less  competition, I know a couple of guys my self and they often talk of job worth in thier £1000s so the job value makes the travel often involved worth it.

But another thing about it that makes it a hard market to get into is the technical knowledge required, you can't just get into hard floor cleaning you need very specialist training .

power-washing is not so technical, you can just buy the equipment and practice at home and on friends without risk of causing serious damage.

Mike

There is a massive difference in Hard Floor Cleaning and Natural Stone Restoration.  A 2 day course is all that is required to understand Hard Floor Cleaning

Kevin

[Mike Halliday]

Kev, when does cleaning become restoration? And after the 2 day course could you 'clean' natural stone ? (but not restore it)

[Tadgh O Shea]

I agree that hard floors is a very untapped market and has less  competition, I know a couple of guys my self and they often talk of job worth in thier £1000s so the job value makes the travel often involved worth it.

But another thing about it that makes it a hard market to get into is the technical knowledge required, you can't just get into hard floor cleaning you need very specialist training .

power-washing is not so technical, you can just buy the equipment and practice at home and on friends without risk of causing serious damage.

Hi Mike, most guys are walking past these deep cleaning jobs everyday that is why i said its an untapped market because very few guys offer it as a service or as an add on, now as Kevin has pointed out yes there is a huge difference (deep cleaning tiles and grout lines) simple very little cost to set up, (hard floor and natural stone restoration) expensive set up costs takes many years to become proficient.

[Plankton]

Where could I find a two day course near Glasgow and what would you be looking to pay.
Roof coating is around £500 for a days training down south.

[Kev Martin]

Kev, when does cleaning become restoration? And after the 2 day course could you 'clean' natural stone ? (but not restore it)

Mike

Hard Floor Cleaning becomes restoration the second you cannot put the problem right using normal machines.  To clean hard floors you require in my opinion a Mono Rotary Machine fitted with a water tank, a selection of brushes, drive boards, Pads, a decent wet vac and a microfibre mop, floor pads, cloths and professional bucket with ringer.  Once you have done our course you will be able to

Deep Clean any floor Stone , Tile or Linoleum.
Do any small cosmetic repairs to the above
Seal any of the above
Grout Colour any grout
Diagnose problems
Be aware of the correct cleaners to use in the correct dilutions
Identify any floor type
Re polish to a certain standard
Hone any of the above

That is about it anything after that is advanced restoration

[Kev Martin]

If you cannot do or understand the basic stuff below you should not really be cleaning be cleaning hard floors! IMHO

1.  Identify The Type of Floor (This includes knowing the difference between Ceramic Tile & Porcelain).
2.  Correctly Identify the problem or the contaminants!
3.  Know when to use pH Neutral, Alkaline or Acids on a floor to the correct dilutions and why!
4.  Carry out an effective test area to determine best method to clean!

Here are a couple of Scenarios if anyone feels up to them.

1.  Customer calls you in to reseal their bathroom complaining that the bedroom wall at the back of the shower is damp!

Question

What is wrong and what should you be looking for?

2.  Customer calls you in and complains that the tiler has left grout haze on their newly laid unpolished porcelain tiles. 

Question

What do you need to establish regarding the adhesive and grout used prior to even attempting solving their problem and the reasons why?

3.  Same as Q2 but now it's polished marble.

Question

How do you solve that

Question

You have an unfilled honed travertine floor to deep clean & seal it is 320M2. 

What's the best method to deal with it and they want all the pits and fissures  cleaning as well

You only have the basic stuff above

[Matt.]

Well,

A. I would give my mate kev Martin a ring, send him some pics and go from there, 

But in the mean time

I start with the windows and do a bit of pressure washing while am waiting for kev to get back to me 

Easy 

The thing is not everyone has got someone on end of phone !!!

[Rob@Blast off]

Question 1
Water penetrating through the grout possibly due to the fact the tiller hasn't "tanked" behind the tiles.
Question 2
The haze could be the transport wax still on the tiles.
Question 3
Build up of over application of surfactant
Question 4
Haven't a clue   

[Rob@Blast off]

Did I pass? 

[Matt.]

I will ring kev and ask Rob 

[Kev Martin]

Question 1
Water penetrating through the grout possibly due to the fact the tiller hasn't "tanked" behind the tiles.
Question 2
The haze could be the transport wax still on the tiles.
Question 3
Build up of over application of surfactant
Question 4
Haven't a clue   

Rob

Not a bad effort!  Do you wish you had been able to make day 2?

[Rob@Blast off]

Yeah wish I could have made the second day, but my ex employee couldn't handle it without me to babysit him, oh well back to being a one man band!

[Kev Martin]

Yeah wish I could have made the second day, but my ex employee couldn't handle it without me to babysit him, oh well back to being a one man band!

Staff can be a nightmare!  Gimme a bell when I run the next course and I will try and jam you onto day 2 FOC