The following procedure is for reapplying coats to an already
finished floor or applying finish to a new floor. When finishing a new
floor always follow the manufacturers recommendations for prepping the
floor. You should always consult the flooring manufacturer on the types
of finishes that are suited to your floor. When finishing any floor we
recommend that you use a quality floor finish that is correctly matched
to your flooring. Our online floor finishing procedures are the general
guidelines for finishing a floor. These days floor finish has become
the alternative to old fashioned waxes. Floor finish can give a floor a
great long lasting shine without the problems of conventional waxes.

Procedure:

Make
sure that your floor has been prepared for finishing. Clean the floor
removing as much dirt and debris as possible. If the floor has more
than 5 coats of finish we recommend stripping the floor first. Too many
layers of finish can dull a floor. Over time floor finish can yellow
in color, if you see any yellowing on the floor we also recommend that
you strip the floor first.

After the floor has been prepared,
vacuum or dust mop the floor to remove any dust. We recommend that you
spray your dust mop with dust mop treatment to remove as much dust as
possible. Make sure to remove anything stuck to the floor, anything
that is on the floor when you finish it will become part of the floor
finish and you will have to strip your floor and begin again.

Make
sure that the floor are you are finishing does not and will not have
traffic moving through it for at least 12 – 24 hours depending on the
type of finish that your are applying (see floor finish manufacturers
specifications for curing and drying time). Use warning signs to make
sure the area where you are finishing is marked out so that everyone is
aware of the area.

Finishing a floor requires the use of two mop
buckets. One bucket will be used to keep the finish mop damp and the
other will be used to apply the floor finish. Line the floor finish
bucket with a clear trash can liner so that you can dispose of the
finish easily after the job is complete.

Fill one mop bucket 1/2
way up with water and the lined mop bucket 1/4 full with floor finish.
Dip your finish mop into the water bucket and wring until the mop is
damp and water does not drip from the end. Next, dip the damp mop into
the floor finish and wring until the finish mop does not drip.

The
best way to finish floors is to divide the floor into sections to
assure that an even amount of floor finish is applied everywhere. Begin
applying the floor finish at the furthest corner from the entrance.
Apply floor finish to the baseboard area first (a block applicator can
be a great tool for this job) working away from the corner. Make sure
the floor finish is going on to the floor in a thin even coat.

After
you have applied floor finish to the baseboard move on to the open
areas of the floor. Move the mop head in a figure eight motion
overlapping mopping sections by about an inch.

After you have
applied the finish evenly to the entire area, let the floor dry. The
floor should look glossy with no raised areas or drip marks. Follow the
floor finish manufacturers recommendations for drying time. Depending
on the floor finish you may wish to apply more than one coat of floor
finish, if so, let the floor dry in between coats. You may also want to
buff the floor in between coats so that the second coat adheres better
to the first coat.

To maintain the new look of the floor finish
you can burnish with a burnishing floor pad, again see the manufacturers
recommendations for maintenance on your floor.

After 12 hours your floor should be fully cured. Floor traffic can now resume.