Hardwood is a tremendous surface to use for the floors in your home. It’s durable, looks great and is easier to clean than carpet. There are a multitude of different varieties for every budget and every preference.
But like all the other surfaces in your home, your hardwood floors require some degree of maintenance. While sweeping is an easy way to clean off surface debris, you should really wax your hardwood floors. Floor waxing might be more involved than vacuuming, but the results are often more rewarding as well.
Here are three simple ways to wax hardwood floors and restore their shine.
Solid paste wax
This is an old-school type of wax, and it should only be used on floors that are true linoleum, unfinished cork, unvarnished hardwood or concrete. Avoid this type of wax if your floors are vinyl, no-wax or finished with urethane. You’ll be applying this wax by hand:
Take a soft, lint-free cotton cloth (an old T-shirt works), and get it wet. Wring it out until it is almost totally dry.
Refer to the package’s instructions, and softly and proportionately apply the wax to the floor using the cloth.
The wax may look murky as it dries, but this is ok. You can then use a clean towel, electric floor polisher or a sponge mop coated in terry cloth to buff it to a shine.
Liquid wax
Only use this on linoleum, unvarnished hardwood or unfinished cork. Refer to the package’s instructions before beginning, and refrain from using this if your floors are urethane-finished, vinyl or no-wax:
You can apply it with a moist cloth, as you do with solid paste wax, or use a mop or an electric floor polisher.
Apply the liquid wax delicately and uniformly. Watch it as it dries, as the solvent will dissipate, leaving behind the polish.
Once the polish has dried, you can buff it with an electric floor polisher, a clean towel or a terry cloth-covered sponge mop.
Water-based silicone polish
Avoid using this type of floor polish if your floors are unsealed wood, linoleum or cork. If your floors are urethane-finished, you can use water-based silicone polish on them safely. This process will involve the application of multiple thin coats as opposed to one thick coat. Be careful around your baseboards, as this type of polish may stain them:
Take a clean mop, and moisten its head with water.
Apply some of the polish to the floor and the mop.
Spread the polish on the floor as evenly as possible, taking care not to create bubbles.
After the polish has dried, buff it with one of the methods listed above.
Administer the second and third coats to any areas receiving heavy foot traffic. Make sure to buff the floor after each successive coat dries.
Call for floor cleaning service today
While waxing hardwood floors might not be the ideal way to spend your Saturday, as a reward, you’ll be able to bask in their newfound shine as you walk about the house. Whether you require floor waxing or carpet cleaning, give us a call at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center. We’re the industry experts when it comes to maintaining floors, and we’d be happy to help you, no matter what your floor is made of.
There’s nothing more stunning than tiled or hardwood floors. In any room, whether the property is commercial or residential, hardwood or tiled floors add so much value to the building, especially if these surfaces are well cared for year after year. To protect, maintain and extend the life of your floors, buffing and floor waxing in South Amboy, NJ are both absolute necessities.
What is buffing?
People often confuse waxing and floor buffing in South Amboy, NJ. Many use these phrases interchangeably, but they are two very different processes for maintaining your floors. Knowing the difference will ensure you are performing the correct tasks to keep your tiled or hardwood floors pristine.
Buffing a floor requires a floor buffer. You’ve probably seen one—it resembles a vacuum cleaner but has a horizontal handle with a large round brush at the bottom. A motor spins the brush to polish the floor. Buffing your floor will not restore any glossiness or smoothness that has worn off in the years since installation, but it will create a crisp wet-shine look.
What is waxing?
While buffing polishes, floor waxing in South Amboy, NJ increases the hardness of the floor along with providing stronger protection from scuff marks. This is the method of floor preservation we recommend to any client with hard surface flooring that they would like to maintain for many years to come.
The process of waxing floors is a bit more involved than buffing. While both techniques require that the area is thoroughly cleaned to remove any dust and debris, that is where the similarities end. Once all dirt has been scrubbed away, a stripping chemical is applied to remove any existing wax products on the floor. This substance is very toxic, so extreme caution is exercised when stripping a floor, including wearing protective equipment such as goggles, face masks, gloves and work boots.
After the floor is stripped, the wax is applied. Be aware that not all floor wax products are created equal. The wax should be designed for use on your flooring material specifically. Otherwise, the finished result won’t look nearly as lustrous as you had hoped.
A wet mop is used to thinly coat the floor with the selected wax. Once the wax has had sufficient time to thoroughly dry, you will want to buff the floors so they shine as though they were newly installed.
Buffing and waxing your floors
If you have consistently cleaned and cared for your floors, maintaining them with professional buffing and waxing services is much more effective. Even if that’s not the case, these methods can restore tired old floors.
Since buffing floors is much less time consuming, you should schedule an appointment for these services whenever your wood or tile is looking dull. Waxing should be scheduled every four to six months for floors in high-traffic areas and annually for floors that experience low to medium levels of traffic.
Locally owned and operated since 1948, Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center provides top-of-the-line services and the highest quality care available in the area. Contact us today for a free estimate on waxing and floor buffing in South Amboy, NJ.
When you install your gorgeous tile or hardwood floors, you hope that they will stay looking gorgeous for years. Yet, in the back of your mind, you understand that the only way your new floors will stand the test of time is with some tender love and care. That’s where waxing comes in!
This essential aspect of floor maintenance helps preserve your hardwood or tile even as it protects from scratches, marks and other unsightly mistakes. Waxing can also slow the progress of grooves caused by continuous traffic. And that’s just the beginning of the benefits to waxing. Of course, to get the job done right, you have to follow the correct process to wax floors in South Amboy, NJ.
Prepping the space
The first step in a floor wax is to deep clean the area that will be waxed. Start by removing any furniture that can be moved. Then, sweep and mop the area. A lot of DIY-ers make the mistake of using a soiled broom and/or mop. That’s no good. You’ll have to specifically clean your broom and mop to ensure that your space is entirely free from dust and dirt. Any particles left over could have an impact on the overall quality of your wax job.
Use caution with the stripping materials
Before you can properly protect a floor with a new coat of wax, you have to remove what’s there. Be careful, though, because of all the steps to floor wax in South Amboy, NJ, stripping the floor is the most hazardous. Use lots of safety gear, including a face mask, plastic boots, specialized gloves and safety glasses.
Stripping the floor
Once the stripping agent has been applied to the floor, it should sit for around 15 minutes. Do not let the stripper dry. Over a few minutes, the stripping agent will collect minute particles of dust and debris that you can get rid of as you remove the stripper.
Waxing
Once you’ve cleaned and stripped your area, it’s time to prepare the wax. Of course, waxing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You have to use the right kind of wax that will bring out the brilliance of your floors. Once you’ve selected your wax, pour it into a bucket lined with a heavy-duty garbage bag. Dampen a new mop with a thin coat of wax and apply it in small sections until the entire floor is coated. Allow the wax time to dry, then buff to a shine.
Skip the hassle
There are so many steps involved in waxing a floor, and so much that can go wrong if you don’t have the right tools or the know-how. There is no need to plod through all the steps to floor wax in South Amboy, NJ—not when you can call the professionals at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center.
Since 1948, we have worked to provide the area’s best waxing, buffing, rug cleaning, carpet cleaning and more. When you need top-notch service at a fantastic price, call on Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center. Schedule your appointment today. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Daily vacuuming or sweeping is a good way to maintain your flooring, but certain types of hard flooring can really benefit from waxing every so often. Waxing is a floor finishing technique that calls for a clear or colored wax—beeswax, carnauba wax or a blend of solvents and synthetic waxes. A thin layer of wax is applied, then buffed away to reveal a shine. Once the solvents in the wax evaporate, the wax hardens into a beautiful, protective seal.
First, you have to select the right type of wax product for your particular flooring material. (If you have a no-wax floor or floors with a urethane finish, then you’ll want to treat them with a water-based silicone polish instead of wax.) The two basic types of floor wax finishes are liquid waxes and solid paste waxes. Liquid waxes are easy to apply, and ideal for linoleum floors and unfinished cork or timber surfaces. Solid paste waxes require more time to apply than liquid wax, but they last longer and provide a deeper shine.
So, what does waxing floors do for your South Amboy, NJ home or business? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:
Stain resistance: The wax seal increases stain resistance by limiting the absorption rate of spills. This keeps your floors from staining. However, you should still do your best to clean up spills on waxed surfaces immediately.
Extends floor lifespan: When properly applied, wax will create a nice durable layer over the top of your floors. The increased hardiness of waxed floors can prolong their lifespan. These floors, if regularly maintained, have the potential to last years longer than unwaxed floors.
Hides minor imperfections: A good wax job can fade or eliminate the appearance of small imperfections, like minor scratches, scuff marks and dings. Additionally, wax has a knack for diminishing the appearance of grooves and pits in hardwood flooring.
Protects underlying finishes: Wax is a floor’s first line of defense against dirt, dust and spills, because it keeps these substances from encroaching on underlying finishes. Oil, for instance, is one underlying finish that could potentially last longer.
Increases beauty: Vacuuming and wet cleaning your floors keeps surfaces clean, but a clear wax is what creates a shiny look and glossier feel. Colored wax does the same, plus providing a beautiful tint.
Looks professional: Professional establishments and many business environments—such as offices, hospitals, lawyer suites and restaurants—are subjected to a lot of heavy foot traffic. But no matter how often you have your hard floor surfaces vacuumed or wet cleaned, nothing can shine them up like a quality wax application. Waxed floors can provide a more professional appearance, and an indication to clients and customers that you care about cleanliness.
Homeowners and business owners who wish to hire professionals for floor waxing services don’t have to look far. Now that you have a better idea of the benefits of waxing floors in South Amboy, NJ, pick up the phone and call Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center. Our floor cleaning and waxing specialists are waiting to help you!
Several factors determine how often you need to wax the floors in your South Amboy, NJ home or business. Your floor waxing schedule should revolve around the amount of traffic and wear and tear that it goes through on a daily basis. Another factor is the environment of the area where you live. For example, maybe wind blows in a lot of dust, or frequent rainstorms create muddy situations. Dust, mud and more can get tracked inside and onto your hardwood floors, then ground in over time.
Keep your hardwood, stone, tile, laminate or other type of flooring material looking great for years to come with regular cleanings and maintenance, including periodic waxing. Here’s what you need to know about waxing hard floor surfaces.
How often to wax a floor
As mentioned above, there are some factors that will influence your floor waxing schedule, including the amount of foot traffic it is subjected to and the general environment. Your waxing frequency also depends on the type of floor you have. While each type of flooring material has specific waxing needs, the average hard floor should be waxed no more than once every six months, and no less than once every 36 months. Most floor pros recommend waxing every 12 to 18 months as a form of preventative maintenance.
Why you should wax hardwood floors
All types of hard floor materials can benefit from regular wax treatments. Without a good wax layer from time to time, floors will begin taking on a grungy appearance, looking dirty all the time. This may be all you need to hear to consider including it in your cleaning schedule.
The most obvious benefit of waxing your floors is aesthetics. The cleaner your floors look, the more beautiful they appear to guests, visitors, customers or clients. This in turn shows that you care about the cleanliness of your home or business. Waxing is also a simple way to reduce the appearance of minor imperfections in the floor’s surface. The wax makes scratches and dings harder to see, while at the same time adding the kind of shine that can brighten up any room. Another benefit of wax is that it provides a protective top layer—which is especially important for hardwood flooring—and can prolong the life of your floors.
Prepare floors for wax
Before waxing your floors, move all furniture and other objects from the room, then make sure the floor is clean and dry. If dirt on the floor is waxed over, it will remain there forever. Also, this is a process that requires time for cleaning, possible stripping, waxing and setting. Be prepared to not walk on or put anything on the floor for a couple days afterwards.
Thorough hardwood floor cleanings and occasional floor waxing in South Amboy, NJ better ensure you can maintain the aesthetics and quality of your floor. Wax also protects floors from excessive wear and tear that can lead to early floor replacement. Schedule professional waxing service with the team at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center by calling us today!
Fabric Protection Warranty Plan