[Neil Mc Anulty]

A builders office phoned me to ask about a maintenance programme for their wooden flooring  reception area. They informed me they were getting it varnished over the festive holidays.
As there is alot of site personnel entering the building there is a lot sand and concrete.
Should I suggest a metallised floor polish on top of the varnish to provide an extra coating which could be maintained by a cleaning technician on a more regular basis.   

[Keith_Robertson]

Hi

I have just read your question.   What you are suggesting is quite sensible.   It is much cheaper to strip and seal an emulsion dressing rather than sanding and sealing a floor so it is quite logical to explain this to your client on the basis that it is a sacrificial coating.   It could be that instead of using an everyday seal which you put down with a mop or laying tool you use a product such as 'Insurance' from Best-Chem which can be spayed or eventually misted on to the floor and buffed in.   Over a period of doing this you form a very hard skin which may never, if looked after correctly, need stripped back.   It is important, however, to ensure that the wood seal has completely cured before doing either of these things.  It is sensible to leave for say 10 days,

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Keith

[Fox]

Ok floor is layed and sealed/varnished professionaly?  Using a high solids metallised polish (25% solids) on this floor could cause slip problems. 

The varnish itself can be maintained with a spray burnish.  Find out what was used on the floor and the recommended product to maintain - use a simlar product from your own range. 

You can simply coat the floor (as Keith says) with a polish but a 18% solid would be the limit in norm circumstance and even then you are liable to make more work than nessecary.

These type of floors (if I have got the type of flooring you are on about correct!) are better laid for 6 months before any polish is applied, thereafter the finish is more ready to accept a good polish.   

As for NEVER stripping what aload of bo***cks - depending on the floor and the upkeep you can maintain for many years ( I prefer a strip and seal at least yearly) but to keep it immaculate you have to go to bear basics evey now and again!

Fox 

[DP]

 
As for NEVER stripping what aload of bo***cks

Fox 

Cracks me up, I take it you disagree then fox 

[Mike_Boxall]

I think we might be 'splitting hairs' here. Keith says a floor may never need stripping if looked after properly and Fox says it could last 'many years'.

Yes, an emulsion polish maintained on a regular basis would be the best recommendation (although, I'm not sure what difference 18% solids will make over 25%)

I would encourage them to get plenty of entrance matting (which you could possibly 'rent' to them) and generally, unless someone is maintaining the floor with a high speed machine on a daily basis, I would tell them to expect to have to strip and reseal regularly. If it's a high traffic area with these sorts of abrasives it will need a lot of maintenance to keep it to a high standard.

p.s. double check that the contractor hasn't just used a solvent wax on the floor!

Regards

Mike