Floor Buffer Machine

The other day we received a call from an agitated customer who wanted to know why his new floor burnisher made his polished floor look hazy, and acquired a milky look. Like anybody else who isn’t aware of the subject, he thought it had something to do with the floor machine itself or perhaps the pad attached underneath was causing it.

When we informed him that invariably the cause of such haziness was the left over stripping solution on the floor, he found it difficult to believe and insisted it had never happened earlier. Well, he had been lucky all that while. You can rent floor buffer or even have a used floor buffer on your hands, and you will be OK. But the strong solution is a dangerous thing.

After removing the old wax from a floor, a fairly strong alkaline solution is applied to it that partially dissolves the old finish. The stripping solution is allowed to remain on the floor for ten to fifteen minutes before being agitated by a floor buffer with a coarse stripping pad. That causes any other wax finish to loosen up for its convenient removal.

As you can see this process is quite alike removing varnish from a piece of old furniture, which follows the sequence of applying a stripper, waiting for sometime and then mechanically removing the old softened coating.

Most of the stripping solution and old wax slurry may be removed with the aid of a wet-dry vacuum. Once that has been achieved, a neutralizing solution has to be applied. Make sure that the floor is absolutely clear of old stripping solution. Even a little of its left over on getting dry can form a chemical reaction with fresh wax and cause hazing on the floor. The neutralizer, as the name suggests, neutralizes the high pH of the stripping solution and thus prevents the hazing.

Though the application of a neutralizer is essentially needed after stripping of floors, a cleaning with cold water for better results should definitely precede it. Keep using your dry/wet vacuum in between washings to take away the neutralizer and clean water washes. With a fresh coating of wax on such a washed cleaned and dried floor that has been thus neutralized will not make it look hazy.

Despite your taking all the measures like cleaning, weeping and waxing to keep them shining, hardwood floors are sure to lose their shine over r a period of time. Nevertheless, the appearance of a few nicks and cuts here or there on the floor doesn’t call for a replacement o the whole floor. That will be a very expensive and time-consuming option.

You have an alternative that is inexpensive and not so massy, and that’s buffing your floor. That’s one of the modern techniques for refinishing that revives the looks of any old hardwood floor. Proper execution surely delivers a shiny new look to your old floor. And, what it delivers’ll surprise you!

Buffing is not the best solution under certain circumstances. If the floor is badly damaged the buffer can’t be expected to bring true original shine and looks. But, buffing takes good care of petty flaws like small gaps, minor scratches, and gouges and slight wearing off of boards.

Buffing hardwood floors is a potentially good way of getting partially refinished floors. Moreover, every time you get an almost new finish. Buffing is helpful in removing the old existing finish quickly, thus enabling the floor to accept the new finish effectively.

-Tools

For buffing of your hardwood floor you need a machine known as a buffer. You really don’t have to buy this equipment because you are not going to use it all that often, may be once a year would suffice. Financially, it’s not a very viable proposition to invest in a machine so infrequently to be used. It’s good to rent it for a couple of days from a rental company.

The buffers have a screen. For hardwood floors a screen of around 100 grits is recommendable. While using the buffer care should be taken to sweep the whole area evenly.

- Proper Steps

1. After sanding the floor must be vacuumed. Ensure that the floor is free of all dust particles before buffing it.

2. Go for a trial run of the buffer in the middle of the floor before going with full steam. Be aware that a buffer takes a little time to get used to, more so when you are buffing your hardwood floor for the first time.

3. For best results, use a screen of 100 – 120 grit.

4. Hardwood flooring with a wax finish, should be stripped of wax coating before buffing it.

5. Remove wax, buff it and then apply wax for a great looking floor.