How to Make your Hardwood Floor Shine
Is there anything more satisfying than clean, shiny hardwood? In high-traffic homes or commercial environments, hardwood floors can lose their luster fast. Let 1877FloorGuy guide you through some quick tips and suggestions for increasing the shine on your hardwood floors or maintaining your high-gloss finish.
Although high-shine floors are gorgeous, many people don't realize that the shinier a floor is, the quicker it will show dirt. If you want to maintain a clean, high-gloss floor, you want to make sure you're able to apply floor finishes and have the appropriate floor cleaners and polishes in your arsenal. You will also need to prepare for regular floor cleanings.Learn About Your Floors - Before you choose a floor shine product, find out whether your floor is a no-wax or wax-only floor. No-wax floors allow you to treat them with finishes - now typically urethane-based finishes - so you can restore their luster or alter their glossiness yourself throughout the life of the flooring. Older floors are usually waxing-only floors, so you really can't use finishes on them to achieve a shinier finish. You will need to know which kind of floor you have in order to determine which type of finish you can use.
Think About the Gloss Level - Before choosing your floor finish, determine whether you prefer a high-gloss, gloss or matte finish. Naturally, the higher gloss styles will bring more shine and luster to your floors, while the matte styles will be less silky. When applying floor finish or polish, you can often apply extra coats to achieve a shinier result. Reference the information below to find a floor finish that matches your specific gloss preferences.
Recommended Floor Finishes for High Gloss
As with any flooring products, you want to thoroughly read the manufacturer's label on these products and test in a small, inconspicuous area before applying them to the entirety of the floor. Make sure that the product manufacturer calls out your flooring type on the label as an approved floor.
- Bruce Fresh Finish - This floor finish is part of the Armstrong family and offers a high gloss level with added floor protection against nicks and scratches.
- Bona - Bona makes high-gloss floor polish as well as a low-gloss floor finish which is mainly designed for restaurants and other commercial spaces that need to conceal dirt better.
- Basic Coatings - Basic coatings also offers a high-gloss hardwood floor finish, but it may show footprints more than some other products we offer.
Maintaining Shine - To keep your floors looking shiny and new, make sure to place walk-off mats at doorways to collect dirt and debris from shoes. These mats are especially important in high-traffic areas and warehouses where incessant foot traffic will compromise the floor's shine. If you have pets in the home, you may consider going with a lower gloss floor that won't show claw or nail scratches as clearly as a high-gloss floor would. Pet-friendly floor finishes will keep your floors looking fresh and new for longer.
You can always contact 1877FloorGuy by phone or e-mail if you have specific questions about finding the right floor finish or shine product for your specific goals and flooring.
