Karndean/Amtico - anyone got it?

Tommo781

Mealyn wrote: »

Just wonder if anyone can advise on this problem. We have currently moved house to find amtico flooring in kitchen, hallway, and cloakroom. The vendor told us it was laid about 6 years ago. But it just looks so dirty with the graining of the wood pattern filled with dirt. Cleaned it with mop and regular floorcleaner (flash) but no difference. I thought it was just the pattern! However when i looked where a fridge used to be i could see the original colour and design. It is of a light strip wood with a supposed painted pattern over the top , something that resembles painted floor boards.

So i got down on hands and knees and scrubbed an area with a scrubbing brush and OMG the muck that came off. However, reading through forums everyone says it is easy to keep clean.

Do I have to scrub the whole of the floor or is there something out there that will clean this back to its original pattination. And how do I keep it looking good? At this point in time i feel like ripping the whole lot up but again i wouldn't know how to do that either, so wondered whether I could lay some cushion floor over the top.

Any advice would be more than welcome as I know nothing about this stuff until I moved.

Thanks

Obviously I don't know how long the dirt on your Amtico has been building up. But PLEASE don't cover it with inferior cushion floor. Look up Amtico suppliers in your area or on the net and buy their specialist cleaning products. We have had our Amtico flooring for 20 years approx, and only use their own products. It looks like new still!

home_alone

home_alone wrote: »

I have 2 bathrooms and a shower come cloakroom all with Amtico tiles they worked out about £74 sq mtr fitted seems alot but 2 of the rooms are upstairs and ceramic was out of the question and these tiles are not cold to walk on and they look a million $ and really really tough and hard wearing.

gary

Just thought I should update on my amtico tiles (how wrong I was) they are rubbish because they are pearl coloured (sort of white) they have proven to be impossible to keep clean and with just me and the wife walking around I expected better for the high price. I contacted amtico and they send someone out to have a look he tried to clean a small amount of the floor and it was obvious it was not working and yes I have all the amtico cleaners etc. I am now looking to cover the tiles with a more lasting item. One of the bathrooms is very rarely used but the look of that floor is the same as the daily used bathroom so I think its a light problem so apart from closing blinds etc there is not much you can do to keep these areas looking good.

Sorry for taking so long to come up with my comments but I have just gone through another day of cleaning the floors (they do not look much better) on my knees and I am seventy.

keystone

home_alone wrote: »

Just thought I should update on my amtico tiles (how wrong I was) they are rubbish because they are pearl coloured (sort of white) they have proven to be impossible to keep clean and with just me and the wife walking around I expected better for the high price.

Yes they are very highly priced and I have to say that given the choice I would recommend the cheaper Karndean to my clients every time. Sorry if this is the teaching of eggsucking but the fitter should have applied a minimum of two coats of what is called dressing to the floor after it was laid. Did he?

Did the rep that was sent rounbd use the proper stripper? It sounds as though not because after you have used that then it also takes the dressing off as well as any dirt and you have to reapply the dressing afterwards. If they are very dirty then they do need the stripper (Amtico call it Remover) and not just the Cleaner on its own.

but I have just gone through another day of cleaning the floors (they do not look much better) on my knees and I am seventy.

Thats not good enough really for you is it.

BTW if its turned into a pigs breakfast for you you should be covered by the Amtico 25 year warranty which includes replacement if necessary but is dependent on the installation conditions being adhered to.

Cheers

home_alone

The original fitter did not say anything about sealing the floor etc but I have been using amtico remover and all the other little bottles of sealer since then. The guy who came round to look at the floor worked for amtico UK.

keystone

Oh. So what did he propose then, assuming your warranty is in place?

Cheers

home_alone

keystone wrote: »

Oh. So what did he propose then, assuming your warranty is in place?

Cheers

He only said he would speak to the actual fitter from Cardiff but apart from that nothing the tiles used are no longer available in fact I have not seen a white tile in amticos product line. On another forum some guy said that his tiles went the same and he put it down to light coming through the window having an affect on the photograph beneath the clear skin. Anyway the good news I borrowed my daughters steam mop and after discarding the cloth type head I used the brush head and bingo its looking a lot better its doing what the remover and maintainer could not do so lesson one do not buy the expensive amtico products just use a steam mop. One last thought the clear skin is not smooth maybe due to liability to cause slipping so the inherent roughness traps the dust. Thanks for your interest.

no1catman

We had quite a bit of refurbishment work done in the kitchen in 2011 (new worktops & tiling), that it was let down by the old flooring - laminate 'tiles'.
I checked out Homebase etc., then had a specialist floor covering guy visit (also in Cardiff), he showed us some Karndean samples. Like one, but taken aback by the price. Checked their website, still couldn't make up our minds, thought 'to 'ell with this' got in the car and drove to Evesham on a Sunday and into their Showroom.
Staff very helpful, not too pushy, gave us full size samples.
I think we chose the 'medium' price range. Gave the guy the details, he got them, laid the membrane first, then next day the tiles, with the edging pattern we agreed.
Very pleased with the end result - it's still a wow.

Tine

Have to say I am more confused than ever. My husband and I decided we would go looking this week for Karndean or Amtico. After reading this thread I am so confused! It seems to be the negatives are out weighing the positives for both. I have been thinking of this for three years now. Our minds were made up today! Tonight!!!!! Ugh We don't know what to do!

deejaybee

Had Karndean flooring fitted recently ( Michaelangelo umbria dark mosaic ) in bathroom and ensuite.

Really chuffed with results, I just have a slight nagging concern...

I have seen advice on here about floors being prepped with plywood - is that for wooden floors only ?

Our floors are concrete, I was at home during part of the fitting, and our fitter did not put any plywood down - he used the proper Karndean white adhesive ( I supplied the tiles, but he said not to buy any adhesive as he had plenty )

As I say, am very happy with how it looks, and the quality of fitting ie the shaping round WC and doors etc is excellent, just wanted to be confident that it will stay looking good given the comments about plywood prepping.

The guy isn't just a handyman, has run own flooring company for many years and came well recommended.

Apologies if I am just being paranoid

redmalc

Deejaybe
We recently had a Karndean floor layed in the kitchen by an approved fitter and he did not lay plywood.
We had some layed a couple of years ago in the bathroom over a wooden floor and plywood was used