Flooring Care and Maintenance
Floor Care & Maintenance Instructions
Regular upkeep and maintenance of your maple floor are important to extending the lifespan of your floor. Here are some key steps in ensuring your floor stays in great condition!
Daily Care
- SWEEP – The floor needs to be swept daily with a treated dust mop (if the floor is heavily used throughout the day, sweeping up to 3 times a day is recommended).
- WIPE AND DRY – Wipe up any spills and moisture on the floor to keep it in good condition.
- HEATING AND VENTILATING – Maintain humidity between 35%-50% year-round inside the space, too low or too high humidity can adversely affect the maple flooring.
- SHOE MARKS – Ensure to remove heel and shoe marks using floor cleaner with a soft cloth or dust mop.
- CLEANING SUPPLIES – Only use approved cleaning products! Contact your floor finish manufacturer for information.
- INSPECT FLOOR – Check your floors daily for tightening or shrinkage, wet weather and leaks around doors and windows can cause the floor to shrink and/or tighten.
- PROTECT FLOOR – Always ensure the floor is protected from equipment (heavy portable and/or lifts). Crowned wheels and wheels with center ridges from the molding process on portable equipment can damage the floor significantly and should not be used on the floor.
CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
- The ventilation system should never be shut down for a prolonged period of time
- MFMA flooring should never be scrubbed manually or with machinery
- Water should never be used on the floors and will likely cause damage
- Always consult your MFMA contractor for modifications, repairs, and maintenance
Ensure the maintenance of regular moisture, wood absorbs and releases moisture and a deviation can cause expansion and shrinkage. The installation allows for natural expansion and shrinkage using expansion voids around the parameter and expansion joints built into the floor. This is done to allow for normal ranges of expansion and contraction without damaging the floor, however, any abnormal expansion can lead to significant damage to the flooring and would present as cupping and buckling of the floors. Likewise, if the environment is too dry, the contraction of the wood can cause the separation of the floor strips, damaging the floors.
Existing Maple Floor
RESURFACING YOUR EXISTING MAPLE FLOOR
- Do I Need to Resurface? All floors need to be resurfaced on occasion, regardless of maintenance and care
- Why? Resurfacing allows for the restoration of luster in older gym surfaces, ensuring a longer life, and optimal performance.
- Frequency? Although there are factors that would influence the frequency of resurfacing needed, resurfacing is typically performed approximately every 8-10 years.
RESURFACING BASIC STEPS
- Stripping: All layers of finish and game lines are removed down to the raw wood to ensure a complete resurfacing.
- Repair & Replace: All split boards or areas with serious damage of surface or subfloor need to be repaired
- Sanding: The floors are to be lightly sanded, this is done to ensure the removal or any minor dents or scratches.
- Resurface: Once all stripping, repairs, and sanding is completed, follow the original steps for sealing, court lining, and finishing of the floor which were used during the original flooring system installation.
- CAUTION! Prior to the initiation of a complete resurfacing, it is strongly recommended to contact MFMA for a consultation with an MFMA Sport Floor Contractor member to ensure the best possible results (as all sub floor designs significantly differ from one floor to another).
ANNUAL MAINTENANCE/REFINISHING
- Why? The periodic refinishing recommended by MFMA allows for the preservation of the beauty and life of the maple floors.
- Frequency: The use, abuse, and maintenance of the floors will determine the refinishing schedule, however, it is recommended that the floors be recoated annually.
- Clean: the floors thoroughly, using a properly treated dust mop
- Inspect: Walkthrough and inspect the entire area to ensure that any and all foreign matter has been removed prior to abrading
- Abrade: Using a fine-grit screen back or steel wool disks, abrade the top layer of the old finish.
- DO NOT use steel wool if applying water-based urethane products!
- Game Lines & Markings: Touch up the game line paint or marking as needed, lightly abrading them once dry.
- Tack Rag: Using a tack rag, thoroughly clean the entire floor surface, paying extra attention to edges and corners
- Finishing Coat: In accordance with the finish manufacturer’s instructions, apply an even coat of finish.
- Allow to thoroughly dry!
- CAUTION! Additional coats of finish may be required if floors are recoated on a biannual basis.