Properly maintaining your hardwood gymnasium floor is crucial to making the system last. There are simple things you can do on a daily , monthly, and annually to ensure that your flooring system maintains its quality and performance.
DAILY
Sweeping the floor on a daily basis with an appropriately treated dust mop* will prevent damage to the surface that can occur from dust, grit and abrasive particles.
MONTHLY
Using the approved floor cleaner* to clean the entire floor will prevent the build up of foreign debris and prevents the floor from wearing away or getting damaged
ANNUALLY
It is recommended that you “screen” and re-coat the wood flooring system once a year to ensure the longevity of the system.
Besides maintenance there are a few things to be weary of when enjoying your new hardwood flooring system.
EXCESSIVE TIGHTENING AND CRACKS
excessive tightening can occur due to humidity. By reducing the wood moisture content lowers the relative humidity and provides airflow that will reduce the tightness.
Cracking can be reduced by increasing the humidity.
KEEP WATER OFF THE FLOOR SURFACE AND PREVENT WATER DAMAGE
Use walk off mats at all entrances and close window during rainy weather to prevent the tracking of water onto the floor from outside.Machine scrubbing or power machines that use pressurized water should not be used on these surfaces.
Since warranties on these systems DO NOT cover water damage, it is important that all the precautions are taken to prevent water from getting on the system. Any signs of dampness within the building should be reported to engineers or architects beforehand so that proper steps can be taken to resolve the issue. Insulation on interior drains and down spouts should be done correctly to prevent excessive condensation or moisture. Exterior drains should flow away from the building and they should be kept clear at all times.
EXPANSION JOINTS
Make sure that all the expansion joints around the perimeter of your floor are never blocked or obstructed.
ANCHORING BLEACHERS
Make sure that fixtures, equipment or bleachers are not lagged through wood floors into concrete without cutting away the wood from lag bases and making provisions for expansion in the floor system first.
*When oil based finishes are used, spot cleaning with 100% virgin mineral spirits may be performed for hard to remove dirt and stains. Recycled mineral spirits can contain any number of contaminates, based on where they may have been used; when recycled it is impossible to remove all foreign materials in the liquid. When using 100% virgin mineral spirits you should allow it to flash off a minimum of one hour, no less, depending on conditions (humidity).