Nestor_Kelebay

If Top Shield is not a Johnson Diversey product, why does the first page of that Brochure I referred to in my last post have an introduction by the CEO of Johnson Diversey that reads as follows:

"Thank you for choosing JohnsonDiversey products and systems. We’re proud to partner with Forbo Flooring, the global leader in flooring systems, to help you deliver safe, healthy, high-performing facilities.

Ed Lonergan
President & CEO,
JohnsonDiversey, Inc."

Why the heck would a brochure from Forbo feature Johnson Diversey so prominantly if Johnson Diversey didn't make the Top Shield that you guys apply to your Linoleum? The S. C. Johnson Wax Co. specializes in acrylic floor finishes, and they don't have any expertise in Tall oil, pigments, wood flour, jute or anything else that's used to make linoleum. They made the Top Shield.

Tall oil is a drying oil just like linseed oil. I read in another Forbo web site that Marmoleum is linoleum made with Tall oil instead of linseed oil. Both oxidize to dry to a solid, it's just that Tall oil is cheaper because it's a by-product of the pulp and paper industry.

Forbo Marmoleum with Top Shield is ordinary real Linoleum with Carefree (or dam similar) on top of it to make it more stain resistant and easier to clean.

But, that also means you can make your own Forbo Marmoleum with Top Shield by buying anyone's real linoleum and applying several coats of Carefree from Johnson Professional, or any acrylic finish meant for VCT flooring like CastleGuard from Buckeye or Liberty by Swish.

pmarotto

aaahhhhh now I understand the confusion! The cleaning instruction you are referring to is in our commercial cleaning & maintenance guide. Marmoleum is a well regarded specified product for hospitals, etc where the cleaning challenges are much greater. You can imagine, in a school for instance, high traffic and daily cleaning would not be unheard of. Residentially, the care is so much less complicated and I would say 99% will never need to concern themselves with any restorative care. You can download the residential care instructions from our residential site: Forbo Residential Let me know if I can help in any way.

pmarotto

Hi Nestor, Hope all is well. Although brands of linoleum can be said to be generally similar there are variables in the production process, raw material acquisition, innovations, etc. Topshield is one of those unique factory innovations that adds to the product appearance, makes cleaning easier and yes, protects from stains, etc. In North America, Forbo Flooring does highly recommend Johnson products because their formulation is perfect for use with Marmoleum. Especially in commercial settings when additional finish is needed the Johnson product gives the marmoleum a beautiful matte satin shine.
Forbo always strives to improve. With our committment to conducting LCA's, we always discover areas for improvement. In 2001 we started to use some Tall oil along with the linseed oil and that improved our eutrophication impact by 40%.

It's always easy to communicate the positives of our company and product but the true committment is to be "transparent". For further information Forbo's "Sustain" brochure can be downloaded from our web site: Forbo >

Have an excellent day!

barrycarlton

I am a member now. Thanx Jim.

Brasilmom, Listen to pmarotto, Marmo is not bullet proof but for residential applications it is virtually unbeatable. And what is more, you can truly and completely customize your floor with the right mechanic.

barry