Thursday, June 28, 2012

Re-finishing your cork floor.

Observe your finish for signs of wear. After cleaning is a good time to do this. To prevent damage to the cork tile, the finish must be re-coated at the first signs of wear. Simply clean floor, sand LIGHTLY with a drywall sander and 220 grit sandpaper to remove gloss. Vacuum and tac up any remaining dust with a damp cloth. Be careful not to sand through the exisiting urethane. Apply 1 – 2 coats of your choice of Solida waterbase urethane with a short hair or foam roller. The life of the finish is dependent on the traffic and quality of floor care. Five to six years can be expected under normal conditions. If you have cork in your kitchen, consider putting a mat in front of the sink as this area gets some of the heaviest traffic in most homes. Be careful to choose a mat that will not discolour the finish. Some mats such as those with a rubber back can react with the urethane leading to discoloration.