Polyurethane | Artistic Floors by Design

Your New Wood Floors: What’s Next?

You are considering or have requested that Artistic Floors by Design apply Commercial-Grade Water-based Polyurethane, a two-component, commercial-grade waterborne polyurethane system. The three-coat system forms an approximately 3 mm film over your wood floors to protect and seal the wood below for a commercial and residential setting. The water-based polyurethane we offer is a low-VOC finish with a matte sheen. Matte sheens are the most forgiving on the market, due to less reflection showing indentations over time.

How does your new finish work?

When we apply polyurethane, we apply three coats of finish: a seal coat, a build coat, and a top coat that is catalyzed (we add a hardening component that cures the finish faster and makes it more durable than comparable products on the marketplace). If we are applying stain below this finish, this process will take three days (day one, stain; day two, two coats; day three, final coat).

What now?

From your date of completion, Artistic Floors by Design and our finish manufacturer) recommend that you stay off the floors for at least a few hours following the application of the final coat to allow it to dry. Keep dogs off the newly finished floor as much as possible the first few days (wear socks only for the first few days as well). Furniture and appliances can be moved back in after the first few days. For example, if we apply your final coat of finish on a Friday, you can move back in Monday. We also recommend professional appliance and furniture movers, as water lines can be difficult to reinstall and dragging furniture across the floor (even on blankets) won’t usually damage the floor, but it can buff the sheen so you clearly see the dragged marks of heavy items. Please call or text Joni if you need recommendations on moving back in or recommendations for moving companies: 720-988-3663.

Regardless of your finish type, we do not recommend any rubber-backed rugs because the oils in the rubbers can cause the finish curing process to slow or stop, even reversing the curing process. Slip stoppers can be used and please call or text Joni for more info: 720-988-3663.

Cleaning your new floors:

In exchange for your positive/negative review online, we provide you with a Cleaning Kit. The kit includes cleaner in concentrate (when mixed with water, yields about one liter of cleaner), a mop with a trigger handle, and a terrycloth pad.

You can vacuum the floor as much as every day if you’d like but be sure you’re using a vacuum without a beater brush (or the beater brush must be disabled). We recommend vacuuming prior to mopping so that debris doesn’t get dragged across the mop head.

You should only clean once a month, and only after allowing the finish to fully cure for ten days. In the between times, AFTER the finish has fully cured, you can spot spray cleaner or plain water (in a squirt bottle you can buy at Home Depot) with the mop provided to you in the cleaning kit.

Maintenance:

If you start to notice over time any dog claw marks or damage from a felt pad (sometimes felt pads can collect rocks and debris; we recommend vacuuming all felt pads regularly), you can call Artistic Floors by Design to provide you with a maintenance coat. There is no specified timeframe as to when this should occur. The frequency of maintenance coats depends on the human and pet traffic throughout your home. You’ll have less maintenance if you don’t have kids and dogs.

Normally over the years, you’ll see a difference in sheen at traffic areas and that’s when it’s time to give us a call. At that point, you would hire us to complete a maintenance coat. All furniture and rugs must be moved out of the way and should not return until 1-2 days following the application of the coat of finish. We will abrade the top coat of polyurethane and apply a new, two-component, commercial-grade water-based polyurethane as a top coat. This will help fill in most minor indentations and make the sheen of finish more consistent throughout. A maintenance coat extends the life of the current floor, but does not change the color or repair any large indentations or scratches to raw wood or water damage.

Just like any other finish, water and other liquids will bead up over the finish because it’s sealed, but it’s important to wipe up spills like wine, milk, or mustard quickly on any type of finished wood floor because of the acids in those items.

We live in a mountain desert climate, so it is extremely important to both install and then maintain a whole house humidifier attached to your furnace. It will only run when the furnace operates, which is the fall/winter/spring during cold weather. That’s our season of dehumidification. Wood is just like people: we take on and release moisture into the air and humans can apply lotion and chapstick; however, wood can’t. So please keep your wood floor conditioned with a well-maintained humidifier! If you need a referral for an HVAC company to install a humidifier onto your furnace, call or text Joni: 720-988-3663.

Questions:

There are no silly questions, so if you have any questions at all, please engage with Artistic Floors by Design and use us as a resource.

Joni: 720-988-3663; joni@artisticfloorsbydesign.com