Why do Ice & Snow Melt Products cause issues on floors? Nearly all solid ice & snow melting products on the market today are made from one of (or a blend of) five materials. They are: Calcium Chloride Sodium Chloride Potassium Chloride Magnesium Chloride Urea Calcium chloride and sodium chloride (rock salt) are the most […]
A Direct Line: Why XL North’s Customer Support Stands Apart
If you’ve been in commercial floor care for any length of time, you know the difference between a supplier—and a partner. At XL North, that difference is what we strive to embody daily. It’s not just about selling chemistry. It’s about offering clarity, guidance, and confidence in every call. And sometimes, it feels as simple—and […]
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A Flooring Epidemic Caused by Trying to Prevent Epidemics
An epidemic has started in the world of flooring and, unfortunately in some cases, it cannot be corrected. It’s not done maliciously and it starts before anyone realizes it. In this new world of “sanitize this and disinfect that”, facility staff is asked or told to include flooring in the disinfection process. It’s at the […]
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Case Studies
Abraded Carpet Fibers Case Study
In this very informative case study where the pictures are worth a thousand words, Steve Brown of Southeastern Commercial Flooring in Woodstock, GA discusses a recent job where an annual restorative cleaning revealed an underlying issue – abraded carpet fibers. Equipped with the right chemistry, procedures and a bit of high-tech gadgetry, Steve was able […]
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Achieve Long-Term Success with XL Liquid Grab Green!
XL North partner RD Weis shares the successful results that can be achieved when commercial carpet manufacturing, maintenance, and chemistry are specified, installed, and performed properly. The photos from their customer’s facility tell the story. Carpet tile installed at Affinity Health Plan in New York in 2013 continues to look brand new. How are they […]
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Case Studies
Adhesive on Carpet Case Study
Learn how Steve Brown with Southeastern Commercial Flooring successfully restored the appearance of a customer’s carpet when plastic with an adhesive backing was used to protect the floor during a construction project. When construction was finished and the plastic was removed, the adhesive unfortunately stayed behind.
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Answers to Your Questions About Vital Oxide
Vital Oxide has been our most asked about product this year for good reason. Because it’s on the EPA List N, it’s become a favored choice for disinfection and sanitization use to safeguard spaces and facilities against Coronavirus. Below we answer some of the most common questions we’re asked about VO. What is Vital Oxide? […]
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Ardex & XL North Team Up for Article in The Flooring Contractor
Polished concrete has undisputed appeal. One of its advantages is lower maintenance costs than similarly specified hard surface flooring. Over time, however, the selling point of lower maintenance has been exaggerated to “no maintenance”, and it has created confusion and frustration for end users and maintenance service providers alike. The featured article in The Flooring […]
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Asphalt Yellowing
The gray tile is from attic stock. The “yellowed” tile from a mid building corridor with sufficient walk off at both entrances. The parking lot had been resurfaced 4 months prior with a top coat. Unfortunately, there is no solution.
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Avoid Plumbing Back Charges on Tile & Grout Installations with XL Clean-Up
In the past, Steve and Kathy Cloud would dread receiving a call from an end user or GC concerning a clogged drain on a job site. Not anymore. Owners of M. Frank Higgins in Connecticut, Steve and Kathy recently introduced a preventive procedure on all of their tile and grout jobs that requires the use […]
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Battery Acid on Carpet
Often floor care professionals are accused of things that are out of their control. This is one of those cases. The first indicator is the purple outline of the area. This is caused by battery acid dripping onto nylon fibers from a ride on vacuum.
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Bill Luallen Rides The Seattle Floor Care Train
Originally published by Starnet Commercial Flooring Long time Starnet vendor partner XL North brought a train full of floor care knowledge to Seattle recently. APEX Seattle welcomed Bill Luallen from XL North for a 2-day IICRC Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician training. This training accelerates the knowledge and expertise of floor care technicians and strives to […]
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Case Studies
Bonnet Rotary Machine Case Study
In this XLN case study, Andy Bayler of Tarkett discusses troubleshooting what appeared to be premature wear on commercial carpet tile. Learn how he investigated the issue and discovered the cause of the problem by downloading the PDF.
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Can Carpet, Fabrics, or Upholstery be Disinfected or Sanitized?
Disinfection and sanitization are trending topics due to the current pandemic. As the situation around the globe changes daily, it’s important to educate your staff and your customers with the most updated information. Although the words “disinfect” and “sanitize” may commonly go hand in hand, they are different. Here’s the distinction. Only hard non-porous surfaces […]
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Case Studies
Carpet Restoration Demo Case Study
Carpet in the main hallway of a Class A building in downtown New Orleans was not performing as well as carpet throughout the rest of the building. Sun Interiors was called in for a demo to see if the carpet could be “revived”. Check out their results and learn the process they used in this […]
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Cary the Carpet Guy Talks Shop
Cary Woodfield continues to make an impact in the world of commercial flooring. His 4 decades of experience in carpet installation and maintenance are nearly unparalleled. In that time, he’s traveled the globe (6 continents, 20+ countries, 80+ cities) to troubleshoot and resolve flooring issues through better education. With literally millions and millions of yards […]