One of the most common errors when applying a new floor finish relates to a problem we’ve all shared at one point in time—a lack of patience. Any professional in the industry wants every newly coated floor to look like a dream the first time around. In the best interest of both the contractor and the homeowner, proper application of floor finish means avoiding resanding or refinishing, which saves everyone time and money.
The time between applying two coats of finish can affect the floor in a critical way. Many new homeowners, especially first-timers, are busy folks. They tend to be on the go, trying to unpack boxes, manage their families, and renovate their homes as quickly and efficiently as possible. But what is a person to do when they can’t walk on their floors because they’re being refinished? One day can make a huge difference to a mom and dad who need full access to their kitchen to pack their daughter’s lunch.
A customer’s impatience can put a lot of pressure on contractors to finish projects quickly. When refinishing hardwood floors, this can be a major mistake. There are no shortcuts to longer-lasting hardwood floors. By waiting the proper amount of time in between coats, contractors can assure their customers that they are getting the most hardness, the best durability, and the most abrasion resistance the floor finish can possibly give. Detecting when the floor is ready for recoating is fairly simple. Using a moisture meter to ensure the level of remaining moisture on the surface coat is within 1 point of the initial reading means the next coat can be safely applied.
What could go wrong if a coat is applied too early?: a major sacrifice in the hardness, durability, and abrasion resistance of the floor finish.
Hardness is one of several measurements that determines the wear properties and durability of a floor finish. Measuring hardness of a finish is done after the first day and then each day after that for the duration of a week and can be compared to other finishes.
StreetShoe® NXT waterbased wood floor finish is an excellent choice for homeowners concerned about spending so much time off their floors. This Basic Coatings® finish is the industry benchmark for waterbased finishes. Streetshoe reaches 90% of its full cure in the first day.
The research and development team at Basic Coatings is so sure of the superior hardness of StreetShoe NXT, they conducted a head-to-head hardness test against their main competitor, Bona® Traffic®. Using the Konig Hardness Test, they found that at the end of the first day, Bona Traffic came in at about 36 on the hardness scale, while StreetShoe NXT came in at 65. At the end of seven days, Bona Traffic came in at about 62, while StreetShoe NXT settled in at 75. Even stacked up against the competition, StreetShoe NXT wins the race for faster cure times and overall hardness when compared to Bona Traffic and Traffic HD.
StreetShoe NXT’s quick cure times and better hardness benefits everyone, because contractors can get customers back to the normal use of their floors sooner. Newly coated floors can be lightly walked on after several hours. StreetShoe NXT has UV inhibitors which slow down damage caused by UV light. With a low VOC content of 275, the smell is light and dissipates quickly. Depending on the situation, most customers won’t even have to spend the night out of their homes while the floor is being finished. This waterbased finish is not a combustible product, so contractors and customers can rest assured knowing the vapors are non-flammable.
Basic Coatings offers superior hardness over the competition right out of the gate. For more information on StreetShoe NXT and other superior floor finish products from Basic Coatings, call (800) 441-1934, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.