To finish a vinyl or tile floor, you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for preparing the floor, as well as the types of finishes that are appropriate for your particular floor. It is always best to use a finish that is of good quality and is properly matched to your flooring. By finishing your floor, you can create a nice shine that will last a good amount of time without having to deal with the issues that come with traditional floor waxing.
To finish a floor, you first have to thoroughly clean the floor as best as possible. If your floor is already finished and has at least 5 coats already applied, or if the floor has yellowed, it would be best to strip the floor. Otherwise, you will end up with a dull finish.
Follow floor prep with vacuuming or mopping the floor to get rid of dust, as well as anything that may be stuck to the floor. If you do not do this, the debris and dust will end up being in your finished floor and you will have to strip your floor anew and start all over.
Keep the floor where you are doing this work free from all traffic for no less than 12 to 24 hours so that it can cure and dry properly. The exact drying time will depend upon the specific finish you are using.
You will need a bucket to put the finish mop in to remain damp and a second bucket for application of the finish itself. Put a clear trash bag in the bucket you are using to apply the finish so that you can just throw away the finish in the trash bag when you are done with this project.
The first bucket should be filled half way with water. The finish bucket should be filled one-quarter full with the floor finish. Dampen your mop in the water and wring out the excess water, put the mop into the floor finish bucket and wring it again until it no longer is dripping with the finish, and then you can start applying the finish, starting with the baseboards on the farther area away from the entrance and working away from there.
The finish should be applied evenly as a thin coat, then let it dry. Apply more coats as needed.
Install laminate floors – Read our articles and tips on laminate floor warping and how to install bathroom laminate flooring.
