What is floor stripping and waxing and how it is done
You may have heard the term floor stripping or floor waxing but what does it actually mean? What type of flooring does it apply to and how is it done? For those of you who have a hard floor like wood, stone or tiles in your commercial premises, you may already have them stripped and waxed. For others you may have new or relatively new floors and not yet had to treat them. You can rest assured though that if you are operating a commercial premises with hard floors, at some point you will need to consider floor stripping and waxing.
Commercial floors are subjected to lots of wear and tear
Over time hard floors are subjected to lots of daily wear and tear, some more than others. For hotels, restaurants and shops where you are trying to create a good impression you want to keep them looking as good as possible, in health clinics and hospitals you want to make sure that the surroundings are clean and hygienic. Unfortunately given that floors are walked on this isn’t always easy - you can’t ask your customers to remove their shoes at the door so you have to accept that they will start to look dirty and worn quite soon, especially in places where the footfall is heavier.
Floor stripping
Once your floors start to look old and worn it is easy to get them looking like new again with the right help. It is important that you seek professional help though. A professional floor stripper will come in and remove the dirt, grime and build-up of debris by using specialist products and machinery to strip away previous wax, dirt, grime and oil. Now if there is no damage to the floor it is relatively easy to get it looking as good as new but if the floor has been subjected to heavy boots, stilettos, pushchairs and shopping trolleys then there may be dents and scratches that can’t be removed by stripping alone. The methods used for stripping a floor include using cleaning agents to break down the dirt and grime before buffing the floor with a machine to further break up the layer being removed.
Floor waxing
Once the top layer of the floor has been removed and it is looking as good as new again you want to make sure that it is re-finished. You can’t just leave it as it is – it must have a protective wax applied again. Once the floor is dry (professional companies may use floor fans to dry the area completely) then the finishing wax can be applied. The first coat is applied as a thin layer then left to dry out completely before applying subsequent layers. If the first coat is applied too thick then it runs the risk of not drying out completely and subsequent layers not sticking properly. Again a professional will know what they are doing and how floor waxing should be carried out for a professional finish.
Choosing the most suitable time for floor stripping and waxing
Make sure the premises are empty of customers and staff. Some of the agents used in floor stripping and waxing are quite strong and you don’t want people to be inhaling them. If you can make sure you have it done over the weekend, or cordon off the area that is being treated – if it is a specific room make sure that no-one enters that room until the job is finished. Not only do you not want your customers and staff to inhale fumes, you also don’t want them tripping over a wet floor or other hazard likes wires etc. Floor stripping and waxing can be a time consuming process. From the initial stripping process to drying out the floor and finishing it can take several days. Once it is complete the wax needs to dry out and cure completely before the floors can be walked on again – this can take up to 72 hours before the floor is suitable for the final polishing.
Make sure you hire a professional company
Make sure you hire a professional janitorial or commercial cleaning company. You must make sure that you entrust this task to experts that know what they are doing and that are insured to carry out this type of work. Not only do you want a professional job that makes your floors look as good as new, you don’t want anything to go wrong. By hiring non-professionals you could risk damage to the floors through inexperience. A professional company will have the right tools and equipment and more importantly know how to use them.
Sources
Hunker, Retrieved June 2017 – What is the meaning of stripping floors?
https://www.hunker.com/12003086/what-is-the-meaning-of-stripping-floors
Cleanlink, Retrieved June 2017 – Top ten mistakes when stripping floors
http://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/Top-Ten-Mistakes-When-Stripping-Floors--15612