Buffing and polishing wood floors (a part of wood floor restoration), used to be common practice. Whether it be in school corridors, offices or at home, most people will be familiar with the image of a janitor or maintenance worker hard at work with a rotary machine.
Polishing wood floors has gradually become obsolete, with very few workplace environments or professional floor cleaning companies continuing to offer this service.
This trend can be attributed to several factors. The polishes used in this process are typically emulsion-based and applied through simple mopping. These polishes are quite delicate and vulnerable to damage from regular wear and tear. As a result, they require frequent maintenance and the addition of multiple coats over time. Beyond the demanding upkeep demands, this approach is also not financially viable in the long run.
Beyond the considerations of time, effort, and expense, there’s arguably an even bigger reason why individuals tend to avoid the practice of polishing their wooden floors. Over time it starts to look awful! As layer upon layer is applied, the flooring can deteriorate, taking on a brownish hue and developing cracks, to the point where the natural wood beneath becomes nearly obscured by the accumulation of endless polish layers. Gradually, this practice can unintentionally harm the wood floor rather than preserving its beauty and integrity.
Too many layers & your floors can turn brown and crack
There are ways around this method of restoring and maintaining wooden floors, though. Good practice would be to chemically strip the polish and re-apply, but this is often overlooked as the chemicals can be quite nasty and can easily damage a real wood floor. This means that unless you’re experienced in this type of wood floor restoration, it’s likely to be more risky than it’s worth.
As wood floor restoration professionals, we have a much different approach nowadays. If we are working with a client who’s evidently polished their floors previously, we must strip back any previous layers of polish. We do this by sanding the top layers with industry-standard machinery, leaving the wood floor exposed. We then apply a high-performance lacquer which will restore the original wood, leaving it looking better than ever.
The lacquer we use comes in various different styles, meaning you’ll always find the finish to suit your interior.
Another benefit of using lacquer, aside from the excellent finish, is the longevity in which it keeps your floor looking amazing. Restoring your wood floor in this way will last you anywhere between 5 and 15 years before you need to re-apply, depending on use. This proves to be much more cost-effective over time as this requires minimal maintenance compared to frequent polishing.
To find out more about our high-quality wood floor restoration services, or if there is anything else we can help you with, please click here. Alternatively, you can speak with our friendly team by calling – tel: 01444 810505
