Floor Care

A Little Upkeep Goes A Long Way...

MAINTENANCE

It is essential that you, as the owner, take the necessary measures to assure the proper care and preservation of your wood floors. Maintaining proper conditions within your facility after work is completed is essential to assure the trouble-free life of your floor. To protect your investment and to assure that your floor provides lasting satisfaction, we recommend the following:

DAILY

  • The floor should be dust mopped regularly, using a DRY dust mop that is devoted to one floor only. i.e. gym, stage, etc.
    • Dust mop treatments should be used as directed only. Improper use of dust treatments or waterless cleaners can leave a residue on the floor that will inhibit a later application of polyurethane finish for a maintenance coat.
  • The use of walk off mats before entering the room will keep down dust on the floor.
    • Mats placed on the wood floor should be smooth on the bottom, so not to dimple the floor and should not be left for extended periods of time due to moisture buildup on the bottom that will adversely affect the floor.
  • Spills should be mopped up immediately with a LIGHTLY DAMP mop to prevent tracking of contaminants and possible staining of the finish.
  • Gum can be lightly scraped off with a putty knife and cleaned with mineral spirits or VM&P Naptha. The use of aerosol products that freeze the gum may be also used to harden the gum and then lightly scrape it off the floor, being careful not to scratch the finish.

MONTHLY

  • Damp mopping once or twice a month is advised, but DO NOT flood the floor with water! This will cause damage to your wood floor!
    • Mopping solution:
    • 1 Gallon hot water
    • 1 cup vinegar
    • 1 cup rubbing alcohol
  • Use a mop dedicated to the wood floor. Mops used with other cleaning products such as wax or strippers, can leave a residue on the floor. These contaminants can cause problems with adhesion when trying to apply a polyurethane maintenance coat at a later date.
  • Change the cleaning solution frequently when mopping otherwise dirt will simply be moved around but not picked up.

DO'S and DONT'S

  • DO schedule periodic polyurethane maintenance coats which are recommended for wood gym floors every 12 months depending on usage.
    • A maintenance coat consists of light abrasion and one or two coats of application finish.
  • DO NOT use any tape on the wood floor. The tape may pull off the finish.
  • DO NOT use auto-scrubbers to clean the floor.
  • DO NOT apply any commercial waxes. They will leave a residue that can only be removed by completely re-sanding down to the raw wood.

TIPS

  • Environmental Conditions must be maintained YEAR ROUND in order for the full warranty to remain in effect.
  • Temperature and Humidity are critical considerations for your new wood floor. 55 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 35 - 50% relative humidity are required. Excess moisture will cause the wood to expand. Too little moisture will cause the wood to contract.
  • Expansion joints: In the floor, around the perimeter, at columns, or inserts, should never be blocked or obstructed. They have been engineered into your floor to permit natural humidity changes without damage to your floor. (NOTE: Certain floor systems may be designed to eliminate expansion joints. Contact us if you have any questions about your being of this type.)