Vinyl and other sealed hard floors are protected by a layer of sealer. Daily mopping cleans that layer, not the floor itself. Over time, foot traffic wears the sealer down, dirt gets trapped in it and no amount of mopping brings the shine back. That is when a floor needs stripping and resealing.
Signs your floor needs it
- The floor looks dull or patchy, even straight after it is cleaned.
- Traffic lanes, doorways and corners are visibly darker than the rest.
- Dirt sits in scuffs and scratches and will not mop out.
- Old sealer has built up yellow or uneven at the edges.
What the process involves
- Preparation. The area is cleared and closed off.
- Stripping. A stripping solution and a floor machine remove the old sealer and the dirt trapped in it.
- Rinsing. The floor is rinsed and left clean and neutral so the new sealer bonds properly.
- Sealing. Several thin coats of sealer are applied, each left to dry before the next.
- Curing. The floor stays closed until the sealer is ready for foot traffic.
Scheduling it around your business
Because the area has to stay closed while the sealer dries and cures, stripping and sealing is usually done after hours, over a weekend or during a quiet period. Larger sites can be done in sections so that part of the building stays open.
How often
It depends on the floor and the traffic. High-traffic corridors, foyers and wet areas need it more often than offices. Regular cleaning with the right products, and the occasional light refresh coat, stretch the time between full strips.
Floor stripping and sealing can be booked as a one-off job or added to a recurring cleaning contract.