This article continues our discussion of fixing a composite floor that is deteriorating and has been maintained improperly. The floor has too many coats of finish on it and stripping it will cause further damage.

As we researched this product we learned that it was installed incorrectly and has been maintained against the manufacturer’s directions. We have determined that your floor crew needs to immediately stop 1) mixing a “little stripper” in their daily scrub solution and 2) applying the 25 percent solids floor finish to a floor that needs to be able to breath and 3) using a harsh disinfectant without rinsing.

I refer to the first issue as the “accumulative effect” in that mixing even a trace amount of stripper in the mop water day to day causes the floor to soften over time and oftentimes destroys the glossy appearance. I cannot stress enough the importance of understanding that the crew should not be using any stripper unless their intent is to strip the floor. I highly recommend that they be trained to use the appropriate mix of a neutral floor cleaner for day to day cleaning as well as scrubbing/recoating processes.

As to the second point, the use of a 25 percent solid floor finish on this type flooring defeats the ability of the floor to “breath” or off gas which is essential to the health of the product. We will look at the wall-to-wall application (including baseboards) in a future article. Finally, point number three where they are being directed to apply a harsh disinfectant to the floor and not rinsing it goes against the manufacturer’s directions and only damages the gloss (similar to a little stripper) and can severely damage the floor product itself.

We will continue this subject in a future article. Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net


posted on 11/12/2015