It’s almost that time of year again when schools reopen and are flooded with traffic, trampling over floors during all sorts of weather. The summer provides custodial staff with some of the time they need to get floors back in shape and ready for the next school year. In fact, it’s estimated that 50 per cent of summer hours are spent redoing floors by school maintenance teams, making it a significant investment of time, money, and labour.

Getting your hard floors looking and performing their best is crucial for the coming year, so use your maintenance plan to get your floors in tip-top shape and start the year off on the right foot.

A recent episode of Straight Talk! with Jeff Cross features a few expert tips from Becky Kaufold from Spartan Chemical Company on getting floors ready for the upcoming school year.

Custodial staff can start by assessing the condition of the floors. Unlike years gone by, today’s flooring has evolved to mean that only about 25 per cent of flooring will typically need intensive treatment, leaving the majority of the surfaces to be top scrubbed and recoated. So, getting to know which areas see the most traffic and need the most attention is important as you treat the areas with scratching or discolouration as the first step.

Kaufold notes that one of the most significant challenges for summer floor cleaning is that drying can be really difficult, as many of the buildings are closed and sealed, eliminating the possibility of cross-breeze or outside air to help speed up the process. Applying thin coats of floor finish can help, along with getting as much airflow as possible to help you get there faster.

If you are looking for advice or information, your manufacturer is a valuable resource, often providing training sessions or support to help make the most of your products and application.

As school reopening approaches and traffic will be at its highest, getting the floors in their best shape will give you a head start on the year. Focus on an efficient application where it’s needed most, use the resources at your disposal, and maximize airflow to speed up drying time. Hard floors need attention all year long, but using the last few weeks of summer to address these surfaces will provide a solid start to the school year.

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