We get this question asked often by curious homeowners. Why do my wood floors look so terrible and what can I do to fix them? Quite often the reason is someone whether the homeowner or a cleaning service, has been using a product that contains acrylic wax.
Acrylic wax is found in many over the counter wood floor products. Many buy them and put them onto their floors and are at first thrilled with the results . Missing color or dingy spots seem to disappear instantly . The floors look so much better than they did before. But just like that new roomate who seemed amazing at first, they quickly change.
Over time these products cause some serious issues . One they do not cure like urethane finishes . You let your dog walk across the floors with their fingernails and instantly you see what appear to be scratches in the floors. Over time debris such as hair and dirt get logged into the wax. Smudges appear and the floors go from looking shiny to dull and dingy. Many homeowners have tried and failed numerous times to remove this substance off their floors once they are down.
The only way to remove this product (even some sanders won't touch these floors. They sometimes suggest replaicng them entirely) is to chemically strip them off. This may sound very unsafe and at times it can be if there is missing polyurethane on the floors, but if done correctly the dangers can be mitigated . We use a product that is specifically designed for wood floors in this exact situation . We also typically work in small sections and quickly remove the product. This is not a quick process and can sometimes take several hours to complete. Once the acrylic is removed then the homeowner will have their original looking floors back!
We often will suggest for solid wood floors the homeowner proceed with a recoating of the floor (see our previous blog post to learn more) as there is probably several serious issues, since this is typically the reason the homeowner begin using a product like this in the first place.
So, the big question is this service right for me? A few things to consider first: Once the acrylic is removed you will most likely discover the reason you begain using this type of product in the first place. You were undoubtedly unhappy with the condition of the floors and will often forget "what lies beneath." Second, many homeowners just are not satisfied with the sheen of their floors. They "regret not getting the floors in gloss or semi gloss" and a popular sheen nowadays is Matte for wood floors, which is probably what is on the floors now.
All this to say be prepared and plan on having the wood floors recoated as well and pick the sheen you desire. If you have any questions or would like for us to come out and take a look at your floors, reach out to us by phone or text 3364656120 or email us at seth@mkcleaner.com
Seth Skinner
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