Hardwood Floor Maintenance FAQ:

  1. What are the most important factors contributing to proper drying of a finish?
  2. There are four – Temperature, humidity, film thickness, and airflow. Temperature affects viscosity, which contributes to film thickness. Humidity affects the evaporation rate of the solvents. The amount of airflow determines how much oxygen will crosslink with the finish to initiate the cure. High temperatures, low humidity, thin film thickness, and adequate airflow will all expedite dry time and cure time. Caution must be used during these conditions due to the risk of finish drying too quickly.

  3. When are hardwood floors ready for foot traffic?
  4. That will depend on the type of finish used. Light traffic in three days for Supreme or World Class Finish, normal traffic in seven.

  5. Would you recommend temporary game line tape?
  6. Temporary game line tape is never recommended on sports floors coated with polyurethane. There is a high risk of delaminating the finish from the floor when removing the tape. However, if tape must be used, use it at your own risk and follow these procedures to minimize damages:

    1. The finish on the floor must be cured for at least 30 days.
    2. Use only lightweight tapes that are easy to remove (3M brand 2080 & 2090)
    3. Do not leave the tape on the floor longer than 24 hours.

  7. What should I do for gym floor maintenance?
  8. Temperature and Humidity

    Temperature should be kept between 55°F-75°F. Humidity level should be kept between 35%-50% to insure minimal wood movement.

    Routine Cleaning

    Dry mop the floor daily to eliminate buildup of dust. As needed, tack floor with PoloPlaz Hardwood Floor Cleaner to remove perspiration, oils, spills, and residue from foot traffic. Do not use dust mop treatments or floor cleaners that contain wax, paraffin, silicone, and mineral oil. Do not use pre-treated dust mops. Use of these products can cause adhesion problems when recoating the floor.
    Dirt, sand, and grit will dull and accelerate the wear of the finish. Removing any sand or grit will extend the life of the floor. Place floor mats or rugs at all entryways, bathroom exits, or other high traffic areas to remove excessive dirt or moisture. Spills or liquids on the floor should be wiped up immediately.

    Power Scrubbers

    Never use power scrubbers or automatic floor cleaning machines that disperse water on the floor (especially water under pressure). The use of scrubber machines will void the warranty on your floor.
    Power scrubbers were designed for other surfaces such as terrazzo and vinyl floors. The chemicals typically used in these machines are too aggressive for wood and finishes. Even the softest brushes will scratch and dull the finish. The machine’s liquid and scrubbing action can cup the floor, and pull paint and finish from the wood.

    Floor Covers and Mats

    Gym floor covers should never be used on a freshly finished floor until at least three weeks after the last coat of finish has been applied. For complete curing, the finish surface must be exposed to oxygen in the ambient air. Covering the floor during this process would deny the finish of oxygen needed to complete the reaction. This may result in a partially cured coating with poor physical properties. Also, it is imperative that the floor be cleaned before the cover is laid. Otherwise, any grit or dust on the floor will mar the floor when the cover is walked on or when any loads are moved on the floor. Covers should not be taped to the floors. The adhesive in most tapes will attack the finish and result in delamination.

  9. What is recommended to clean my hardwood floors?
  10. Dry mop the floor daily to eliminate buildup of dust. As needed, tack floor with PoloPlaz Hardwood Floor Cleaner to remove spills and residue from regular foot traffic. Do not use dust mop treatments or floor cleaners that contain wax, paraffin, silicone, and mineral oil. Do not use pre-treated dust mops. use of these products can cause the finish to dull, appear cloudy, feel slippery, and cause adhesion problems when recoating the floor. Dirt, sand, and grit will dull and accelerate the wear of the finish. Removing any sand or grit will extend the life of the floor. Place floor mats or rugs at all entryways, bathroom exits, or other high traffic areas to remove excessive dirt or moisture. Spills or liquids on the floor should be wiped up immediately.

  11. Can I clean a gym floor with an autoscrubbing machine?
  12. Never use power scrubbers or automatic floor cleaning machines that disperse water on the floor (especially water under pressure). The use of scrubber machines will void the warranty on your floor. Power scrubbers were designed for other surfaces such as terrazzo and vinyl floors. The chemicals typically used in these machines are too aggressive for wood and finishes. Even the softest brushes will scratch and dull the finish. The machine’s liquid and scrubbing action will likely cup the floor as well as delaminate paint and finish from the wood.

  13. How soon can I get back on my floors?
  14. It varies with temperature and humidity but as a rule, an oil-based floor can be returned to in five days, and a waterborne floor in three. No rugs for a month with any product.

  15. How important is airflow?
  16. It is critical. After solvent evaporation, the film is very weak. The film must then build strength by crosslinking with oxygen from the air directly over the coating. If the air is stagnant, the solvent vapors, which are heavier than air, blanket the floor blocking the access of oxygen to the film. Things such as wrinkling, paint bleeding and peeling, and stain pull can occur. After the film has become tack free, even slight air circulation will bring oxygen in contact with the floor. Complete curing can take several days, but overnight is usually enough for topcoating.

  17. When should I use Tie Tack?
  18. Use the following Tie Tack cleaning systems for periodic deep cleaning, tacking between coats, and to reduce spreading contaminants during screen and recoats. The mixing ratios indicate the water : Tie tack ratio. 3:1 would imply three parts water to one part Tie Tack.

    Periodic cleaning 3:1 Mix solution in bucket and clean entire floor. If floor is heavily soiled, two cleanings may be required.
    Tacking Between Coats 3:1 Do not increase the Tie Tack ratio. You must final tack with clean water only before top coating.
    Clean Before Screening 0:1 Use Tie Tack full Strength before screening to reduce the risk of contaminants. Do not use full strength between coats.

    1. In a bucket, mix the appropriate ratios of Tie Tack and water. Dip untreated cotton towels in solution and wring towels before placing flat on floor.
    2. Place push broom on towel one foot from leading edge and fold leading edge over the top of push broom. Push towel the entire length of floor. Before returning back down to the floor, lift and move push broom back on towel about six inches so that only a clean portion of the towel is on the leading edge, and fold the soiled portion of the towel on top or behind the broom bristles. Repeat the process until there is not a clean edge on the towel. At that point turn the towel over and continue.
    3. When a towel becomes dirty or dry, replace with new clean towel. Never dip dirty towel in clean solution. Continue cleaning with fresh towels until entire floor is tacked. If floor still appears dirty it may be necessary to tack the floor again with the Tie Tack solution.

  19. What is the difference between drying and curing?
  20. Drying occurs when the solvents evaporate from the surface of the film and it becomes tack free. Curing is when the residual solvents leave the film and it begins crosslinking with oxygen in the air to develop its strength, toughness, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance. Although most finishes reach 90% cure in seven days, full cure takes up to thirty days.


Athletic and Gym Flooring Services offered by Z Floor


WOOD FLOORING

Wood Floor Installs
Screen and Recoat Hardwood Floors
Screen and Recoat Gym Floors
Wood Floor Repairs
Wood Floor Sand and Finish
Wood Floor Water Damage Repair
Gym Floor Logos
Wood Flooring Installs
Basketball Wood Floors
Sport Flooring
Gym Floors – Resurfacing
Gym Floors – Refinishing
Hardwood Floors
Wood Floor Staining and Bleaching
Dance Floors
Sprung Floors
Marley Floors


OTHER FLOORING SERVICES

Weight Room Rubber Flooring
Rubber Athletic Flooring Systems
Racquetball Court Flooring
Volleyball Court Flooring
Squash Court Flooring
Home Gym Flooring
Sound-Proof Floors


RUBBER FLOORING

Rubber Flooring Installs
Rubber Floor Repairs
Rubber Floor Rejuvenation
Rubber Floor Water Damage Repair
Rubber Floor Logos
Rubber Gym Floors


BASKETBALL COURT FLOORS

Basketball Court Design
Basketball Court Construction
Basketball Court Surfaces
Basketball Floors
Basketball Gym Flooring
Indoor Basketball Courts


OTHER SPORT/FLOORING PRODUCTS

Covermaster Gym Floor Covers
Spalding Volleyball Equipment
Clarin Sideline Chairs
B.B. Sideline Chairs
Poloplaz Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Poloplaz Gym Floor Finishes
Mats Inc. Rubber Flooring
Spalding Basketball Goals
Marley Dance Floors
Sprung Dance Floors
Northwest Rubber Sports Floor
Mats Inc Spectation
PlayBound™ Playground Surfaces
Telescopic Bleachers
Basketball Goals
Gymnasium Wall Pads
Volleyball Equipment
Pickleball Courts
Futsal Flooring
Indoor Synthetic Turf
Batting Cages
Sport Courts
Scoreboards
Wood Weight Lifting Platforms
Gym Floor Covers
Gymnasium Wall Divider Curtains
Tennis Court Surfacing
FDA Hand Sanitizer


VINYL FLOORING

Vinyl Basketball Court Floor Installs
Vinyl Sport Floor Repairs
Vinyl Athletic Floor Rejuvenation
Sport Vinyl Floor Water Damage Repair
Sport Vinyl Floor Logo Printing
Commercial Vinyl Gym Floors
Vinyl Flooring Installers
Vinyl Floor Covering
Vinyl Gym Flooring
Marley Dance Floors


FLOORING BRANDS

Connor Sports Flooring
Connor Sports Wood Flooring
Connor Sports Synthetic Flooring
Connor Sports Vinyl Flooring
Traction by Connor
Tajima Sports Flooring
Tajima Vinyl Flooring
Everlast Sports Flooring
Everlast Weight Room Rubber Flooring
Everlast Rubber Flooring
Ecore Sports Flooring
Ecore Weight Room Rubber Flooring
Ecore Rubber Flooring
U.S. Rubber
Sporturf