Epoxy floors have long been the flooring option of choice for retail stores, restaurants, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and a large variety of other venues. They’re known for their overall ease of maintenance, durability and easy installation. While maintaining an epoxy floor is not difficult, it’s important to understand tips on taking care of and buffing epoxy floors.
Buffing Epoxy Floors
This article highlights the maintenance tips you need to know to get the most out of your epoxy floor. It features everything from the maintenance plan, how to coat and buff as well as the cleaning agents you need to use.
Maintenance Plan
Like any other investment, taking proper care of your flooring will extend the useful life of the floor as well as the coating that’s on your concrete slab. Here are a few tips to bear in mind for maintenance.
For daily maintenance, epoxy floors don’t need much. A daily sweep and/or mop should be sufficient to remove any small particles and keep your floor free of scratches and reduce wear and tear.
Scrubbing the floor thoroughly every week will ensure the surface is clean and smooth -- especially in areas that have more moisture such as the kitchen or bathroom. Depending on how busy your floor is in terms of traffic, you may have to scrub it biweekly.
It also helps to watch out for large cuts, gouges, scratches and stains on the coating. The key to keeping your floor in tip-top condition is to treat any problems as soon as you notice them. If you’re not sure how to handle a stain, cut or scratch, check in with your floor installer for the best way to handle the issue.
Cleaning Agents
When conducting a weekly floor scrubbing, be sure to use the correct cleaning agent to keep your floor coating looking as good and shiny as new.
Ideally, you should use a cleaning agent that will not strip any of the coating off in the process. A non-alkaline, gentle cleanser should do the trick. If the floor space isn’t too expensive, dilute a third cup dishwashing soap into about five liters of water. You also want to avoid anything that will damage your flooring such as hard bristle brushes.
How to Buff Epoxy
Epoxy requires very basic cleaning to stay in shape. However, a time comes when you can’t restore the shine with routine cleaning, which means that it may be time to buff the floor.
Buffing epoxy is fairly simple. Start by cleaning the surface thoroughly. Using a mop or sponge, and a circular motion, wipe away dirt and grime. Be sure to rinse the surface with water so there’s no soap residue. Then give the surface some time to dry. Once the surface is dry, take your polish and start rubbing it in circular motions over the entire surface. Rub it until the scratches begin to blend into the epoxy. Once this happens, you need to wash the surface with water and soap once more and that’s it. If the scratches are deeper, you may have to do some wet sanding.
Bottom Line
Epoxy floors continue to be a popular flooring option for industrial applications. By taking care of your floor with daily sweeps, weekly scrubs and the occasional buffing, you can be sure it will serve you well for many years and will shine. If you’re not sure about what to do when buffing epoxy floors, for example, seek professional help from a reputable company.
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