Floors and Floor Care Equipment

Course Number: 852

This course covers many different kinds of floors and flooring materials in use in many locations. It covers a variety of powered floor care equipment, explaining how to operate each device safely and efficiently. It also explains how and why to use floor machines and vacuum cleaners and their various attachments. Also covered is the use and maintenance of auto scrubbers, powered sweepers, pressure washers, and sanders.

Recommended Contact Hours - 8

Chapter 1: Kinds of Flooring

Topics: Resilient, natural hard, synthetic hard, and wood flooring; Special floorings

Learning Objectives:

• Tell how to identify the common resilient floorings, and explain the characteristics of each.
• Name the common natural hard floorings, and explain the characteristics of each.
• Explain how synthetic hard flooring is formed and installed.
• Explain why wood floors must be cleaned with care.
• List the main features of cork flooring.
• Explain where and why iron and steel, conductive, and pedestal floors are used.

Chapter 2: Floor Machines

Topics: Machine size and speed; Distribution of machine weight; Machine parts and attachments; Operation and care

Learning Objectives:

• Identify which size floor machine to use for various floor areas.
• Tell which speed range is best for scrubbing, stripping, buffing, and shampooing.
• Explain the relationship between electric motor horsepower ratings and machine size.
• Describe the function and operation of the transmission in a floor machine.
• Explain how to install pads, pad holders, and brushes on a floor machine.
• List the step-by-step operation and maintenance procedures for floor machines.

Chapter 3: Vacuum Cleaners

Topics: Dry-tank, wet/dry, upright, and backpack vacuum cleaners; Vacuum cleaner operation and care

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the basic operating principle of a vacuum cleaner.
• Describe the four most widely used types of vacuum cleaners and their main parts.
• Identify which machine to use for a particular vacuuming task on a particular surface.
• List common vacuum attachments, and tell when each is used.
• Explain the step-by-step operation and maintenance procedures for the four types of vacuum cleaners.

Chapter 4: Automatic Scrubbers

Topics: Autoscrubber types, drives, power sources, and controls; Preparing for use; Operating, cleaning, and maintaining autoscrubbers

Learning Objectives:

• Name the three pieces of equipment contained in a single autoscrubber unit.
• Name the different types of drives, power sources, and controls that a typical autoscrubber has, and explain how each functions.
• Explain when and where not to use an autoscrubber.
• List the step-by-step procedures for preparing an autoscrubber to dry vacuum, dry buff, dry buff and dry vacuum, wet vacuum, wet scrub, wet scrub and wet vacuum, and strip.
• Tell how to clean and maintain an autoscrubber.

Chapter 5: Other Powered Equipment

Topics: Powered sweepers; Vacuum sweepers; Pressure washers; Floor sanders

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the three different types of powered sweepers and tell where to use each one.
• Name the three sources of power for powered sweepers, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Identify which powered sweeper is best to use in a particular size area, surface, and type of soil.
• Explain the uses and advantages of pressure washers, and explain how they work.
• Describe the different kinds of floor sanders, and explain how to operate a floor sander.
• why you need an edger when sanding wood floors.