Floor machines were designed to clean a myriad of different floor types proving itself a pretty powerful tool in your cleaning arsenal. By simply switching out your pad driver and pad you can refinish VCT floors, tile and much more. Using a floor machine pretty much anyone can strip a floor bare and completely refinish it in an evening (obviously depending on the floor size).
Before embarking on this adventure it’s important to pick the appropriate floor pad for your floor machine. Some pads were designed for lower RPM floor machines while others were designed for higher RPM’s so check the specs on your machine first. Pads themselves will aggressively remove wax, dirt and finish or simply polish clean, dry floors depending on your goals. If you want to remove light scuff marks and dirt you may want a less abrasive pad in a lighter color. If you are working a harder finish you may need a pad with hog hair to cut through the dirt and scuffs.
After you’ve determined the correct pad for your machine actually moving through the process is fairly simple and straightforward. Check out these steps as a high level overview.
Make sure all furniture and items are removed from the floor before starting. It’s better to work a clear area than work around something. If there are fixed items in the area like a pillar or column be sure to tape off the base for protection. Clean the floor surface with a mop or vacuum removing all loose debris.
With a clean slate you are now prepped and ready to go. Begin by mixing your stripping solution and water in a mop bucket. Mind the directions on the solution bottle to get the most effective mix, as this is essential in pulling up the existing finisher. Once mixed submerge a clean mop in the solution and then apply the saturated mop head to the floor. Move the solution all the way around the floor providing a healthy dose and coverage. You will probably need to add more solution to the mop several times so be prepared for that. Once the floor has an application of the stripping solution let it sit for 20 minutes. It is important to let the stripping solution sit and interact with the existing flooring finish to soften it up.
After the 20-minute period is over take your floor machine and start to work the floor area with a fluid back and forth motion. Floor machines necessitate control so try not to move with jerky movements as you cover the floor. Jerky or less controlled movements will result in the floor machine moving where you don’t want it and potentially banging into the wall. After working the entire area you can take a scraping tool and make sure hard to reach areas like a corner and floor edge are clear of floor finish. Then clean up the mess you just made with a mop and water. If you have one at your disposal this is a good time to employ a wet dry vac. Your goal here is to end up with a fully stripped, completely dry floor before adding new finish. If you need a fan or dryer to help in the drying process feel free to use one.
Now in your mop bucket take a trashcan liner and line the mop bucket with it. This will save you clean up time on the back end. Mix you floor finish and water, again following the directions on the bottle. Using a new mop head submerge the mop in the bucket and then allow some solution to drain before moving it onto the floor. Start by working the finisher along the perimeter of your floor area providing an event coat along the way. Once the perimeter is established you will work the interior area. Move the mop in figure eight movements to achieve a consistent application throughout. Once the area is entirely covered with an even coat of finish allow it to dry for around 15 minutes.
When the first application is dry you are ready to move through the process again as you work to achieve 3 to 5 coats of finish depending upon your needs. Once complete you have a newly finished floor!
This is obviously a high level overview on stripping a floor. Everyone has their own unique techniques so feel free to comment on what they like best.
Thanks.
