Wood Floor Maintenance

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Steve Weatherley

Cleantalk Member
I've just been asked to quote to restore a wood floor in the local church hall. The area measures 100 sq metres. I've recently completed the Prochem hard floor course but this will be my first hard floor restoration job.
The floor is pitted all over (probably caused by stiletto heels) so will need to be sanded back before I re-seal and polish.
My problem is how do I quote for this job? I am considering taking the main element of risk out of the job by hiring a professional to come and do the sanding for me.
Any advice would be appreciated
 
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S.J.Carpenter

Hi Steve,

For maximum effect when refinishing wooden floors it is advisable to sand the floor down to bare wood. This removes the old coating and repairs surface damage. Wood doesn't like moisture and can be damaged by trying to remove the finish with water based stripping solutions. The residues they leave behind can also present a barrier to the coating.

It's best to sand the floor down using a belt sander to remove the old coating if the wooden floor will withstand this type of sanding. These machines can be hired and normally have vacuum extraction units fitted which controls a lot of the dust that's generated. You will also need an edging sander with vac attachment, low speed rotary, sanding screens, dry vacuum, terry towels, T-Bar applicator plus 2 applicator sleeves and product.

The floor can also be disc sanded using a low speed rotary with coarse sanding screens but this creates a lot of dust unless fitted with a vacuum skirt. It is however preferable to belt sanding when the wood is near its maximum limit.

I would add that skill in the use of this equipment is paramount to the job being completed correctly and without damaging the wood. I have seen many wooden floors ruined because of unskilled operators not setting up or using the equipment correctly.

Pioneer Eclipse have developed a non-slip acrylic wood floor care system that's second to none in my opinion providing outstanding results and durability that's unheard of with current UK available wood care products. It’s a 5-6 coat (2 of primer and 3-4 finish) water based treatment that's very durable and is approved in America for use on sports floors etc.

Once the floor has been finished with Pioneer Eclipses wood care products it can be easily maintained by dust mopping or vacuuming daily, damp mopping or auto scrubber cleaning with Pioneer Eclipse Neutral Cleaner diluted at 1:128. Once dry burnish with a 1000 rpm plus burnisher fitted with Pioneer Eclipse Blue Blend Pads. Once a week damp mop the floor with Pioneer Eclipse Rebound cleaner maintainer and burnish when dry.

1. Sand the floor in the direction of the grain.
2. Dust mop or vacuum floor to remove dust.
3. Tack the floor with damp terry towels to completely remove dust.
4. Let the floor dry completely.
5. Apply a coat of Pioneer Eclipse Wood Prime (coverage 74m2 per litre) using a Pioneer Eclipse T-bar Applicator and allow to dry (1-2 hours). Apply in direction of the grain.
6. Sand floor again in the direction of the grain with a low speed rotary fitted with 180 grit-sanding screens.
7. Vacuum floor again.
8. Tack the floor as above.
9. Allow to dry.
10. Apply a second coat of Pioneer Eclipse Wood Prime as above and allow to dry.
11. Sand the floor in the direction of the grain with a low speed rotary fitted with 220 grit-sanding screens.
12. Vacuum floor again.
13. Tack the floor again.
14. Allow to dry.
15. Apply 3-4 coats of Pioneer Eclipse Woodstar coating (coverage 20-37m2 per litre) in the direction of the grain using a Pioneer Eclipse T-Bar Applicator and allow to dry in between coats (1-2 hours per coat)
16. Curing will take approximately 2-3 days so the area should be free of traffic for this period.
17. Supply the customer with 4 litres of Pioneer Eclipse Neutral Cleaner and 4 Litres of Pioneer Eclipse Rebound along with a case of Pioneer Eclipse Blue Blend Pads.

The above process may sound long winded but is being adopted by cleaning contractors and County Councils. You do of course charge accordingly for this service. It’s a 2 or more man operation depending on the size of the area you've been asked to treat and material costs, wages and profit must be taking into consideration. Charges of £30.00 or more per square metre are normal for this type of work.

Also if properly maintained the finish can be repaired without the need to sand back to bare wood again.

Amtech UK run a wood care training course and as you are based in Kent I would recommend you contact my colleague at Amtech UK, Karl Nilchibar on Tel: 0845 130 4755. They run these courses frequently as they are proving popular with customers servicing both the commercial and domestic wood floor markets.

For further information please look at the Pioneer Eclipse website: www.pioneer-eclipse.com

The Pioneer Eclipse range is also available from the Worldofclean website.

Regards

Steve
 
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S.J.Carpenter

Hi Mark,

Yes, they also run a hard floor cleaning and sealing course that covers the floor coverings you mentioned plus many more including laminate, VCT, rubber, linoleum etc.

A training area has been set up so that attendees can strip and refinish floors. Identification of different floor types is also covered.

Regards

Steve
 
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