Maintenance of a Paste Waxed Finish
As you live on your stained concrete floor, the
initial shine will inevitably be dulled by day-to-day wear and cleaning;
however, a dulled shine doesn’t necessarily indicate a need to re-wax right
away. You want to be careful not
to re-wax too soon or too often, as a build-up of excess wax can accelerate the
accumulation of dust, tracked-in grit, or mineral deposits from mopping, and
obscure the beauty of the floor beneath the finish.
Before you re-wax, we strongly encourage you to simply dry-buff your
floor, using a red buffer pad, removing a thin surface layer of wax, and shining
the clean wax beneath it. Buffers can be rented at many rental stores, or you may wish
to buy a smaller home buffer.
The coloration achieved in stained concrete is
permanent and will not fade with age. You
should not, however, ever be walking directly on the concrete, as this can
eventually result in abrasion of the colored cement layer and permanent damage
to the stained floor. In order to
protect the stained concrete and to invigorate the appearance of the colors,
your floor has been sealed with a paste wax that acts as a “sacrificial
barrier” between your concrete and day-to-day traffic.
This wax is the same basic material that has been used to seal hardwood
floors for decades. It is tough,
durable, and semi-water repellent, but it requires specific care in order to
maintain these qualities.
Protect
Start by strategically placing doormats and/or
area rugs. Doormats will
catch much of the grit otherwise tracked into your home.
Over time this grit will abrade the wax finish and begin to attack the
cement. Doormats should be vacuumed
or shaken out often to maintain their effectiveness.
Area rugs, placed under tables and in high traffic walkways, will protect
the wax finish from repetitive abrasion.
In all cases, place anti-skid mats under area
rugs and doormats. Anti-skid mats
can be purchased pre-cut or in bulk at many hardware stores or at a carpet
store. Cut the mats three to four
inches smaller than your mat or carpet so that they don’t show when in place.
Never use double-sided tape or other adhesive materials to fasten carpets
to the floor. The wax, and possibly the stained concrete, will be damaged.
Protect your floor from mechanical abrasions wherever
possible. Remove metal buttons and
casters from all furnishing and substitute clear buttons or felt pads.
Casters should be of a non-marking type only.
Often-
moved furnishings such as dining room or desk chairs, piano
benches, etc., should have felt pads attached to the feet, or area rugs
underneath. Other occasionally
moved heavy furnishings can have padded foot caps or cups placed underneath.
Clean
Dry dust mopping, sweeping, swiffering, or
vacuuming will remedy most cleaning situations. Floors that are kept free of grit and soil will remain more
durable and retain more of their beauty for a longer period of time.
When necessary, the floor may be damp mopped using a sponge-
or string-
type mop. Clean, warm
(not hot) water is recommended.
Additional cleaning may require a mild soap solution
(Ivory Dish Soap, etc.) or a neutral cleaner solution to remove sticky or
greasy residues from the floor. Never
use a detergent, abrasive cleaner, or ammonia containing cleaner.
Neutral cleaners are neutral pH surfactants that lift or emulsify
contaminants without attaching the integrity of the wax finish.
They can be purchased at home centers or janitorial supply houses.
Re-Wax
Periodic buffing and/or re-waxing
of the floor is required to maintain its aesthetic and stain resistant
qualities. The length of time between re-waxing will vary depending on
the amount of use and wear your floor receives.
Re-waxing should occur in traffic areas no more often than every
six months; under most circumstances, re-waxing traffic areas every 18 to 36
months should be sufficient. Maintenance
coats of wax should be applied throughout the house no more often than every
three years.
Floors can be re-waxed with Kemiko Clear Wax - do not use furniture wax,
as it does not have the strength of a floor wax.
See “Re-Waxing Your Stained Concrete Floor” for more detailed
instructions.
Stained concrete contractors, hardwood floor contractors, and some home cleaning companies offer re-waxing and buffing services. The process generally requires several hours and is performed on the hands and knees so many people find it more convenient to contract out for this work.