Surface Restoration
If the floor finish has discoloured/yellowed, there is excessive finish/soil build-up or cleaning, spray buffing, burnishing, or refinishing does not give the results desired, then floor stripping is required.
Prepare the area
- Place 'floor hazard' signs and barricades in easy to see locations to keep people off the floor.
- Move furniture. Work around heavy furniture or equipment that cannot be moved. Tilt filing cabinets and mount on blocks.
- Sweep the floor with a dust mop or vacuum to remove rubbish.
- Remove gum and other foreign material with a putty knife or scraper.
- Place a large piece of cardboard onto the floor next to the area being stripped. When moving from flooring that contains stripper, step onto the cardboard to dry your shoes. This will prevent damage to other areas and avoid footprints appearing.
- Fit the Oates Black Heavy Duty Stripping Pad onto the machine.
Apply the stripping solution
- Use Research Products SLEDGEHAMMER, MELTDOWN, STEAMROLLER II or GREEN STRIP. Follow specific product labels for dilution instructions. Use cold water.
- Note: Hot water can loosen tile adhesive and cause solution to dry too fast.
- Dip a stripping mop into a bucket of solution (used mops are ok). Remove mop without wringing and saturate the floor. Start applying the solution at the edges (where the heaviest polish build up will be). Avoid splashing on the walls and baseboards - if this occurs, wipe off immediately with a damp cloth.
Repeat the process until the entire area is covered with a thick coating of stripper solution. If stripping large areas, divide the floor into smaller sections and strip them separately.
Let the solution soak on the floor for 10 minutes. Keep the floor wet during this time - spread it with the mop if it starts to dry or run. Scrub around the feet of shelves and fittings during this time.
After 10 minutes, machine scrub the floor (if using an Auto Scrubber, turn vacuum off). Overlap the strokes made by the machine and spend more time along the edges if necessary.
Test to see if the old polish has been dissolved. If not, keep scrubbing.
Once the old polish has fully dissolved pick up the dirty solution by mop or wet-vac. Do not allow the solution to dry on the floor.
Flood rinse the area using clean water. Research Products NEUTRO is recommended where STEAMROLLER II has been used. Ensure all areas of the floor are covered with water/solution to remove stripper residues.
Mop or vacuum up the rinse water, the rinse for a second time using clean water.
Allow the floor to dry. Check for any remaining sealer and re-strip high gloss spots if necessary.
Allow the floor to dry at least one hour after final rinse.
Check floor to be sure it is ready for finish by wiping your hand across a section of the floor. If a white powder comes up, the floor has not been rinsed properly and must be rinsed until no white powder comes up after the floor is dry. When the white powder no longer comes up on the hand, the floor is ready to be finished.
After following this procedure the floor will be free of all sealers, finishes, dirt, grime, gum, other foreign matter and have no powdery residue. The floor is then ready for finish to bond to the floor properly.
Note: Over time and the life of the floors, as the floor polish hardens and matures, it requires a more aggressive pad and a pad that applies more heat to remove the finish.
Once the topcoat of polish films have become worn or scratched, it is important that all traces of dirt are removed prior to recoating, Research Products SLEDGEHAMMER or SUPASTAR may be used to cut-back the film to provide a clean base for the new polish to be applied.
Cut-back the old film by diluting the product according to label instructions. Then scrub back the floor by applying detergent and allowing to soak for a few minutes.
IMPORTANT: Apply enough detergent to prevent the floor from drying while scrubbing.
Then machine scrub using an Oates Blue or Green (for heavier soiled areas) Scrubbing Pad.
Wet mop, rinse with cold water to remove scrubber residue using clean water in a bucket every 2 square meters.
Allow the floor to dry thoroughly and dust mop prior to dry burnishing with Oates Red or Tan Pad or Bassine Brush prior to re-coating with finish as described in the Preventative Surface Care instructions.
Note: Ultra High Speed (UHS) machinery will require an Oates Pro-Burnish Elite or Pro-Burnish Lite Pad.
The "No Scrub Method" can be used to save time and labour.
Flood mop by applying stripper such as Research Products SLEDGEHAMMER with an Oates Polyester Cotton Mop.
Allow up to 15 minutes for activation/penetration. Re-apply if drying too fast.
Wring out stripping mop, mop off sealer build up into an Oates Duraclean Bucket.
Push the mop ferrule heavily onto the floor to dislodge the existing finish, particularly at the edges (as an alternative use an Oates Eager Beaver Tool with the Black Floor Pad).
Dust mop and then dry burnish the floor with Oates Red or Tan Pad or Bassine Brush.
When fully dry, re-coat the floor with finish as per the Preventative Surface Care instructions.
CAUTION: Before use, wear impervious chemical resistant gloves and safety glasses with side-shields. Before use, dilute according to the application type as per the product label.