Maintenance
Both water and oil based finishes can benefit from periodic maintenance in order to preserve them in their peak condition and ensure a long and satisfying service life. A regularly maintained water or oil based finish will outlast a solvent based polyurethane finish under most conditions given the same circumstances while providing a more natural and appealing look. Maintenance is an integral part of these finishes and should not be underestimated. This is particularly the case in circumstances where the floor may be exposed to excessive wear (i.e. office, kitchen or hallway). Please note that maintenance is a preventative measure and not a repair solution. It should be carried out when you notice signs of wear such as whitish haze on the finish similar to a CD / DVD that has rubbed against another in the glove box. Once your floor is worn through to bare timber in any place it's too late to do a maintenance coat and the floor should be re-sanded and resealed.
Two ways to maintain a floor
Reapply the existing finish (water or oil)
If you have a floor coated with a water or oil based finish, the best thing to do is to have it re-coated. This is the most effective way of maintaining your floor and one that will maximise its life span over the long term. This is because the products used are much thicker and harder wearing than simple polishing products.
This method of maintenance is best left to the professional especially when large areas are involved. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the floor will require buffing prior to re-coating to promote adhesion. The buffing is done using large buffing machines that are tricky to use and can easily damage either your floor or the walls when used by untrained persons. Furthermore, the application of these finishes requires certain amount of knowledge and skill to be done correctly and can lead to less than optimal results when done by untrained or less than handy persons.
Maintenance by re-coating is inevitably more expensive whether a professional is used or not as both machine hiring costs and product costs are high and unavoidable.
Apply an acrylic floor polish such as "GEMINI"
An acrylic polish such as ‘GEMINI’ is designed to act as a sacrificial protective layer when applied over water or oil based finishes. This means that it is the polish which is being worn away rather than the finish itself. In addition to this primary function the regular application of an acrylic polish conceals superficial scratches and rejuvenates the floor giving it back its original sheen and luster. It is important to note here that once an acrylic polish like "GEMINI" has been applied to your floor it is not possible to have the floor subsequently re-coated with the original finish unless it is chemically and mechanically stripped. As stripping is quite messy it is advisable to continue using the acrylic polish for maintenance until such time the floor is re-sanded to bare timber and resealed.
Maintenance by regular floor polish application is simple, cost effective and requires no special tools. Any half handy person following product instructions should achieve good results at a considerably cheaper cost. However, to be really effective this type of maintenance must be carried out on a regular basis.
Solvent based polyurethanes
Solvent based polyurethane finishes are not designed to be maintained. They are considered to be ‘maintenance free’ and as such should be completely re-sanded back to bare timber and re-polished once they become worn or undesirable. The application of solvent finishes or acrylic polishes such as ‘GEMINI’ on these floors is not recommended as the products are incapable of achieving a chemical nor a physical bond which usually leads to rejection or subsequent peeling.
Two ways to maintain a floor
- Reapply existing finish
- Apply acrylic floor polish
Reapply the existing finish (water or oil)
If you have a floor coated with a water or oil based finish, the best thing to do is to have it re-coated. This is the most effective way of maintaining your floor and one that will maximise its life span over the long term. This is because the products used are much thicker and harder wearing than simple polishing products.
This method of maintenance is best left to the professional especially when large areas are involved. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the floor will require buffing prior to re-coating to promote adhesion. The buffing is done using large buffing machines that are tricky to use and can easily damage either your floor or the walls when used by untrained persons. Furthermore, the application of these finishes requires certain amount of knowledge and skill to be done correctly and can lead to less than optimal results when done by untrained or less than handy persons.
Maintenance by re-coating is inevitably more expensive whether a professional is used or not as both machine hiring costs and product costs are high and unavoidable.
Apply an acrylic floor polish such as "GEMINI"
An acrylic polish such as ‘GEMINI’ is designed to act as a sacrificial protective layer when applied over water or oil based finishes. This means that it is the polish which is being worn away rather than the finish itself. In addition to this primary function the regular application of an acrylic polish conceals superficial scratches and rejuvenates the floor giving it back its original sheen and luster. It is important to note here that once an acrylic polish like "GEMINI" has been applied to your floor it is not possible to have the floor subsequently re-coated with the original finish unless it is chemically and mechanically stripped. As stripping is quite messy it is advisable to continue using the acrylic polish for maintenance until such time the floor is re-sanded to bare timber and resealed.
Maintenance by regular floor polish application is simple, cost effective and requires no special tools. Any half handy person following product instructions should achieve good results at a considerably cheaper cost. However, to be really effective this type of maintenance must be carried out on a regular basis.
Solvent based polyurethanes
Solvent based polyurethane finishes are not designed to be maintained. They are considered to be ‘maintenance free’ and as such should be completely re-sanded back to bare timber and re-polished once they become worn or undesirable. The application of solvent finishes or acrylic polishes such as ‘GEMINI’ on these floors is not recommended as the products are incapable of achieving a chemical nor a physical bond which usually leads to rejection or subsequent peeling.
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