Timber Maintenance & Repair Commercial Timber Flooring Maintenance Instructions
Maintaining a timber floor in commercial areas will vary from installation to installation. Needless to say that all timber floors will need regular maintenance to maintain its aesthetic appeal.
In essence, there are two methods. The first method involves the application of one additional coat of polyurethane coating to the floor when the floor begins to look tired or show signs that the factory finish is wearing. The frequency of this maintenance will depend upon how clean the floor is kept, whether dirt trapping mats are installed at external entrances and the volume of foot traffic that the floor encounters.
The other method involves the application of a metalised polish called Renew. Renew application is easier but needs to be carried out more frequently than the application of a polyurethane coating. In essence, both systems add sacrificial wear layers to the timber flooring to protect the timber and its factory finish. As these sacrificial wear layers are worn away by foot traffic, they need to be replenished.
Light to Medium Traffic Installations
It is recommended that mats be placed at external entrances to help ensure that grit and small stones under street shoes don’t prematurely wear the surface layer. It is also a good idea to place protective mats in front of and behind cash registers where high levels of foot traffic are prevalent. As the floor starts to show signs of wear, either apply a coat of an approved gloss or satin polyurethane or start the Renew Maintenance System.
Polyurethane coatings are available in either water or solvent bases and exhibit significantly better wear resistance and longevity than a metalised polish like Renew. The Renew Maintenance System is however extremely easy to use, is low cost, water based and can be touched up in high traffic areas at any time using a Chux type cloth. Renew, despite being easy to apply and maintain will mean that your floor loses some scuff resistance and may require intermittent buffing to harden the surface of the polish.
Medium to High Traffic Installations
In general terms, follow the directions listed above for light to medium traffic commercial installations. The major point of difference is that the higher the levels of traffic, the more often the floor will need to be coated, either with Renew or with polyurethane floor coatings.
Day to Day Timber Floor Maintenance
Use a dry fringe mop, vacuum cleaner (bristles down) or soft bristled broom to sweep the floor when required. When your floor requires washing, use the Cork and Timber Cleaning Kit and spray the mop head with the maintenance product and clean the floor. No messy buckets!
When Your Timber Floors Starts to Show Signs of Wear
Applying a protective coating to the floor. Polyurethane floor finishes will generally need at least 24 hours to dry and require the entire floor to be clean and vacant of furniture or stock. Renew, although not as strong or scuff resistant as polyurethane will dry overnight and can be applied with stock or furniture in place.
Data sheets or tailored maintenance programs for commercial installations are available by contacting our Commercial Division. Contact details for our Commercial Division are listed in the Contact Us section of the Home Page.
