Laminate Floors: Protect and Restore

Tuesday, 07 July 2020

You may be surprised that laminate flooring has only been around for a few decades. Today, Laminate floors are a high-tech solution to the problem of affordable, durable, and beautiful flooring that is easy to install, scratch and moisture resistant, and virtually maintenance free.

As durable as it is, we have some recommendations that will help extend the life of this amazing technology.

Of course basic preventive maintenance begins by ensuring the floor is free from all abrasive substances. A regular routine of vacuuming and sweeping your floor will minimize scratches and maintain your floor's beauty. Did you know that the legs of most dining room tables are designed to support as much as 260lbs. Now imagine a spec of dirt under that leg. Yes,  your floor pays the price. Let's take that a step further, what if some grit got under your dining room chair. You've seen the results,haven’t you, even on a laminate floor.

Therefore, cleaning is the key to maintaining your floor. What cleaner should I use? Most laminate manufacturers suggest using a neutral cleaning solution. In other words a pH that ranges from 7,5 ±0,5  to  7±0,5.  So, conduct some research and choose a cleaner that will effectively clean your floor without leaving any residue or causing premature damage.

Inevitably, what happens? Our laminate floor ends up with occasional scratches and starts to lose its shine in high-traffic zones. What's the next step? We can’tsand ans refinish the surface because it's an image or wood laminated on an MDF (most often) base.

But we can resurface your laminate floors to make them look new again.

Finitec has developed a finish called “Tonic” designed to address your specific problem.

In a simple 2-step process, we can resurface your floor.

First, Finitec has designed a cleaner called “Surface Preparation”. It has a pH of 11, which means it is more alkaline than your neutral cleaner. This will ensure that any contaminates that might interfere with the finish's ability to bond to the surface of your floor are emulsified. After a thoroughly cleaning and rinsing the surface, we move on to step 2.

Using an applicator or a 10-mil lint-free roller, apply 2 coats of finish, waiting 2-3 hours between coats.

Your floor will be ready for light traffic 4 hours after you complete your last coat and ready to replace furniture after 24 hours.

And now you have successfully contributed to extending the life of your high-tech investment, your beautiful laminate floor.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Finitec and a knowledgeable representative will be happy to help.