PREPARATION OF FLOORS
1. Stripping
a. Sanding This procedure should be performed only by experienced
maintenance personnel to assure good results. Improper sanding
can ruin a floor.
1. Remove all moldings. Sweep floor to remove all excess
dirt and grit which might clog sandpaper.
2. Using a commercial drum sander, make the initial cut
with the grain using #2-1/2 sandpaper for new floors and
open coat sandpaper for old finished floors. Trim work should
be done using the same grade sandpaper. Sweep or vacuum
all dust.
3. Make second cut using #1-1/2 sandpaper, sanding with
the grain. Again, sweep or vacuum up all dust.
4. Make final cut using #00 sandpaper, sanding with the
grain. All finish should be removed by the end of the third
cut. Sweep or vacuum all dust. Tack rag the floor twice
using a good quality waterless cleaner to remove finer dust.
b. Chemical Stripping
Chemical stripping of wood floors should be performed by
experienced professionals, due to the toxicity of methylene
chloride strippers. Other non-toxic strippers are commercially
available, however, they require special procedures in order
to work effectively.
1. Remove athletic painted court lines by first applying
a liberal amount of stripper using a wide paintbrush. Apply
sawdust over stripper to reduce evaporation. Allow to stand
10 to 15 minutes (or as recommended by the manufacturer)
and then scrap up paint with a putty knife. Eliminating
the lines first will prevent the colored enamel from staining
the wood flooring during the stripping process.
2. Apply stripper using a lambs wool applicator. Work in
small areas of about 80 sq. ft. at a time.
3. Keep stripper surface wet with more stripper as it cuts
into finish or evaporates. Never let floor dry out. Covering
stripper with sawdust will slow down the evaporation process.
After about 10 to 15 minutes, scrub floor with a floor machine
equipped with a steel wire brush. Clean out brush frequently
to prevent clogging and uneven stripping.
4. Sweep up sawdust, or push stripping solution into a small
area and pick up using a shovel, placing into a steel container
for disposal.
5. Abrade floor with a #120 grit screen. Rinse floor with
a good quality waterless cleaner, allow to dry and rebuff
with a #120 grit screen again. Vacuum and tack-rag the floor
once again to remove all dust and particles.
2. Screening
Begin by observing floor area for stains, spills, heel marks,
rubber burns, and gum on the floor. Use a good quality cleaner
to remove excessive soils prior to scrubbing operation.
Use a putty knife if needed, to remove gum. Begin screening
the floor at a moderate speed using a new 100 or 120 grit
screen under a slow speed buffer. Cross buff the floor.
For best results, screen east/west, then north/south. Use
one screen for every 500 square feet. Note: never use a
damaged screen on floors. This may result in uneven surface
dulling or create deep scratches in the finish that will
not be easily removed. When complete, the floor should have
a uniform white powder on the surface and a dull, even appearance.
Do not leave ANY shiny spots. Vacuum up all dust using a
non-marking vacuum head. Watch out for creating scuff marks
from black power cords, vacuum wheels, shoes or any other
black rubber material. Next, tack-rag the floor with a clean
turkish towel well wrung out in Clean-Up Waterless Cleaner.
Be sure to change out towel frequently and, above all, change
water when it becomes slightly discolored. Repeat this procedure
at least twice to ensure that all dust and soil has been
removed. Even more tack ragging may be needed, depending
on the amount of soil and dust in the air.
3. Scrub and Recoat
Most wood gym floors can be brought back to a beautiful
shine with a simple scrub and recoat process. Begin by observing
floor area for stains, spills, heel marks, rubber burns,
and gum on the floor. Use a good quality cleaner to remove
excessive soils prior to scrubbing operation. Use a putty
knife if needed, to remove gum. Mix two ounces of Prime
Time Gym Floor Cleaner per gallon of water in a clean mop-bucket.
Using a clean mop, mop the solution over a small area of
the floor, using a very light amount (do not flood). A one
person is mopping down solution, have another person begin
to scrub the floor using a low speed floor machine equipped
with a 120-grit screen under a suitable pad. Begin operating
the machine in the same direction that the floorboards are
running in. Work in small 12’ by 12’ areas to prevent soiled
scrubbing solution from drying on floor. Once this section
has been scrubbed, immediately pick up solution with wet
vacuum or auto-scrubber. After picking up solution, damp
mop the area twice with clean fresh water and a well wrung
out mop. A fresh mop for this process is recommended. Continue
this procedure of small area treatment until all of gym
is completed. Then perform a final damp mop of the entire
floor with clean fresh water. Allow floor to dry overnight
before applying the solvent based finish. Prior to applying
Prime Time Water based Oil Modified Urethane Wood finish,
tack-rag the entire floor once again with a clean Turkish
towel wrung out in Prime Time Water based Wood Floor Cleaner.
APPLICATION OF SEALS AND FINISHES
A newly prepared floor (sanded or chemically stripped) should
first be sealed. Sealing penetrates the wood surface and
binds the wood fibers together for greater strength. Sealing
also allows the finish to remain on top of the floor surface,
thus forming a sharp glossy layer of protection.
1. There are many types of applicators for wood finish application.
It is best to consult the directions supplied by the applicator
manufacturer prior to using.
2. Apply one coat of Prime Time Water based oil-modified
Urethane Wood Finish, allowing overnight drying with adequate
ventilation. Buff the floor with a #100 or #120 grit screen,
vacuum and tack-rag using Prime Time Water based Wood Floor
Cleaner.
3. Apply a second coat of finish, repeating above procedure.
4. After floor has dried, Lay out athletic court lines (see
Game Line Section).
5. Apply the first coat of Prime Time Water based oil-modified
Urethane Wood Finish in the same manner as the sealer. Allow
to dry a least 8 hours. Buff floor with a #100 or #120 grit
screen, vacuum, and tack-rag one to two times with a Turkish
towel dampened in clean water, until no dust is noticeable
on floor.
6. Apply a second coat of Prime Time Water based oil-modified
Urethane Wood Finish, allowing at least 24 hours dry time
prior to opening floor to traffic. Weekend dry times are
preferable.
GAME LINES
Game Lines should never be painted onto the raw wood of
new or sanded floors. When finishing with Prime Time Water
based oil-modified Urethane Wood Finish, apply the game
lines after the second coat of sealer/finish. When scrubbing
and recoating, patch or apply game lines before finishing.
1. After the second coat of sealer/finish has dried overnight,
screen the sealer with a new #120 grit screen or #2 steel
wool pad, working the machine with the grain of the wood.
Tack-rag the floor with clean water. Allow floor to dry
60 minutes before applying line tape.
2. Paint the lines using a good quality all-purpose enamel
paint, pulling up the tape within two hours after application.
3. After drying overnight, lightly abrade the floor once
again using a green pad, Vacuum up dust and tack-rag using
clean turkish towels dampened with clean water. Be sure
that all gloss has been removed from the floor and lines
before applying finish
4. Apply two coats of Prime Time Water based oil-modified
Urethane Wood Finish as per previous section on application.
DAILY AND WEEKLY MAINTENANCE
Once the floor is completed, it is important to implement
an effective daily and weekly maintenance program. Good
maintenance practices keep the wood gym floor looking its
best while reducing the wear and abrasion to the surface.
Daily dust mopping with Dustract or Aquatreat Mop Treatment
does an excellent job of removing the grit, sand and dirt
which gets tracked onto the gym floor. Dust mopping is the
first line of defense against abrasive soils that dull the
finish. Dust mopping should be performed at least twice
a week. Walk off mats should be located at each entrance
and should be vacuumed or shaken out weekly. During normal
usage periods, the floors should be damp-mopped or auto-scrubbed
once a week using Clean-N-Shine. This procedure will remove
excessive dirt, spills and excess mop treatments from the
floor, bringing back the original shine and beauty of the
floor. |
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