Floor Care | Technical Information

Site Finishing, Cleaning and Maintenance of Temperate Engineered Flooring.

For the best result we always lightly sand the floor once laid. This allows for any damage to be removed and for special joinery items like stairs, platforms and nosings to be finished seamlessly.

We have two methods of finishing floors. Both are suitable for domestic and commercial situations.

1. Penetrating polyurethane sealer.
   This is worked into the floor until it can absorb no more. After drying two more coats are applied to provide a light sheen, as if the floor has been oiled or waxed – though the polyurethane sealer provides better protection than either. It has good resistance to red wine, coffee, grease, white spirit, methylated spirits and various other solvents.
   
   The natural, visible grain finish is preferred by most interior designers and architects.
   
   One advantage of this method is that the floor itself is hardened and protected in its top layer. The sealant penetrates and saturates the air voids in the timber.
   
   This finish helps the floor age elegantly. Small scratches are almost invisible. You can enjoy that floor, not worry about it.
   
   
2. Waterborne polyurethane lacquer.
   
   Three coats of matt lacquer are rolled on with denibbing between coats to remove the raised grain. This provides a full protection film.
   
   One of the advantages of this method is that the lacquer tends to reduce the colour of the floor slightly, so if a pale floor is required this finish is best.
   
   

Specialist Finishes.

Fuming, stains, coloured oils and specialist effects are all possible, but the client (the end-user) should be made aware that repairs to these finishes are difficult or impossible to match in. To remove damage the whole floor has to be sanded back to bare wood and re-treated.

We are happy to agree colours and depth of sheen on site, in the rooms where our floor has been laid.

Maintenance and Repair.

Our floors require no maintenance other than keeping clean and free of grit. Remember, abrasive shoes and grit and dirt from outside will all have an effect on the floor finish.

If the surface becomes damaged, call us and we will arrange for the repairs.

If after years of use you require full maintenance, we are happy to provide the service of re-sanding and sealing.

Cleaning.

The secret to keeping our floors looking good is to keep grit and dirt away.

Use mats or carpets for this. Vacuum or sweep the floor regularly.

If dirty, wash with warm water and a little detergent like Flash to release the grease and dirt. Use a squeezable sponge and rinse frequently in a clean bucket of water. Do not flood the floor.

Avoid dirt being ground into the floor. Never use additives in the cleaning process. Products that call themselves wood care, wood soap, wood feeder etc, are to be avoided. Use of silicon and waxes in cleaning products can prevent local or total repair, unless the floor is chemically cleaned.
Remember even 2% wax in a cleaning solution becomes 100% wax when the floor dries. Apart from poor adhesion, it can also smear unattractively.