How to keep a coated floor looking new

A coated floor is one of the lowest-maintenance surfaces in the house. Here is the whole routine, plus the few things that can actually hurt it.

The first week

• Stay off the floor for 8 hours. After that, socks or clean shoes are fine.
• Wait 24 hours before moving anything heavy back in.
• Keep cars off for 48 hours. The floor feels dry well before it is ready for tires.
• No dragging heavy items across it during the first week. Lift or use furniture sliders.

Regular cleaning

• Sweep, dust-mop, or blow it off. That handles 90% of it.
• Hose it or mop it with water and a mild cleaner when it needs more. Dish soap in a bucket is fine.
• Spills: wipe them up. Oil, coolant, salt and most household chemicals will not stain a sealed floor, but there is no reason to let them sit.

What not to do

• No wax. It builds up, goes cloudy, and makes the floor slippery.
• No harsh solvents or abrasive pads. They can dull the topcoat.
• No vinegar or citrus cleaners as a regular routine. Mild and occasional is fine.
• Jack stands and sharp metal: put a square of plywood under them. The coating is tough, but a point load on a steel edge can chip anything.

Hot tires

Hot-tire pickup is when a tire comes in hot from the road, sits, and lifts the coating as it cools. It happens on thin or badly prepped floors. A properly prepped, fully cured floor is built to handle it, so park normally once the floor is ready.

Outdoor floors

Rinse pool decks and patios now and then to clear pollen and chlorine. UV-stable topcoats like polyaspartic hold up in the sun without the regular re-sealing that bare or stained concrete needs.

If something chips

Call us and we will take a look. Do not let water sit in a chip over a winter.

By the crew at By His Grace Epoxy Flooring, Evans, GA. Questions? (706) 373-1530.