Sprung Floor Maintenance

Protect Your Investment

In any environment, walking on a dirty floor is the fastest way to damage the finish. Be sure to clean your floor regularly. Cleaning kits are available for purchase from O’Mara Sprung Floors.

TAP DANCERS: Always check tap shoes for loose screws prior to stepping on this wood surface.

Daily

• Vacuum, sweep, or dry dust mop. This includes any throw rugs, mats or small carpets.
• Keep floor surface dry.
• Clean up spills immediately, before they cause damage.
• After every tap class, damp mop floors with a solution of 1:4 Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner to water. This will remove residue created by tap shoes.

Weekly

• Mop surface with a microfiber mop head. Do not use soaps or detergents.
• Use AquaSport Wood Floor Cleaner (other chemicals may leave slippery residue). Mix according to manufacturer’s directions. Using 16 oz. spray bottle, spray 1 to 2 floor panels at a time and mop with micro-fiber cleaning pad attached to a flat head mop.
• Do not use wax or silicone based polishes, paste waxes, or solvent or pine based cleaners on wood floors. They will make the floor more difficult to clean. If the floors are subject to grease, oils, or other contaminates, periodic use of IFT Cleaner by Basic Coatings may be necessary.

Monthly – TAP AND PERCUSSIVE Floors

• Rent a 17″ floor buffer (also called a floor maintainer) from a local hardware store or janitorial supply company. Purchase a green and/or a red, 17″ cleaning pad. Red is the more aggressive of the two pads. These can be returned if not used.
• Use AquaSport Wood Floor Cleaner (other chemicals may leave slippery residue). Mix according to manufacturer’s directions.

Removing Scuff Marks

• Rent or purchase an Oreck Orbiter floor care machine.
• Purchase 1 or 2 Oreck terry cloth bonnets.
• Purchase AquaSport Wood Floor Cleaner (other chemicals may leave slippery residue). Mix AquaSport according to manufacturer’s directions. Using a 16 oz. spray bottle, spray 1 to 2 floor panels at a time and clean with Oreck Orbiter terry cloth bonnet. If this is not strong enough to remove your scuff marks then mix 2 parts water to 1 part AquaSport.

CAUTION: Do not allow cleaning solution or water to seep between the seams of the floor.

Protect Your Investment

Walking on a dirty dance floor is the fastest way to damage the surface. Be sure to clean your vinyl dance floor surface regularly to keep it in top form. Please follow these recommendations when cleaning your dance vinyl.

Daily

• Vacuum, sweep, or dry dust mop. This includes any throw rugs, mats or small carpets.
• Keep floor surface dry.
• Clean up spills immediately, before they cause damage.
• Clean floors with a cloth broom after each tap class.

Weekly

• Use a PH neutral cleaner.We recommend Squeaky Clean by Basic Coatings.
• Do not use cleansers with ammonia or abrasives; they can damage vinyl dance surfaces.
• Use of automatic floor scrubber is not recommended.
• For very large vinyl floors you may use an automatic scrubber/dryer with a red or blue pad at a very low RPM, no higher than 175 revolutions per minute.

CAUTION: Do not allow cleaning solution or water to seep between the seams of the floor.

Protect Your Investment

In any environment, walking on a dirty floor is the fastest way to damage the finish. Be sure to clean your floor regularly. Cleaning kits are available for purchase from O’Mara Sprung Floors.

Tap Floor Maintenance

After every tap class clean only the floor sections where dancers’ shoes have left a residue.

TAP DANCERS: Always check tap shoes for loose screws prior to stepping on this wood surface.

DAILY

• Mop surface with a 3’ micro-fiber mop head attached to flat-head mop.
  1. Loading pad with cleaner: In a 2 gallon bucket, mix 15 parts water to 1 part Simple GreenNon-Toxic Industrial Cleaner and Degreaser. Roll up 3’ microfiber pad and soak in the bucket of solution. Squeeze out excess solution.
  2. Clean floor: Lay the pad on the floor, and then attach mop head to pad. Clean one 4’ x 4’ panel at a time. Push mop head back and forth from one seam to the next seam, moving across surface of panel until clean. Do not let solution seep into cracks between panels. After each panel, check to see if pad is clean or dirty. When pad is dirty, switch to clean pad loaded with solution.
  3. Remove cleaner residue: after cleaning floor with Simple Green solution, wrap a clean towel dampened with water around the mop head. Push this across the newly cleaned area to remove any cleaning residue from the floor. If the towel gets dirty, flip it over and keep going.
• How to clean pads: Rinse pad with water in sink or a separate bucket until clean. One pad can clean up to 300 square feet, depending on prior cleanliness of floor.
• Scuff Marks: Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and water to wipe the floor. Use paper towel or towel to dry the floor.
• Stubborn Scuff Marks: Use a green kitchen scrubby pad and a 1:1 ratio of Extreme Simple Green Aircraft and Precision Cleaner. Scrub clean and remove all cleaner residue with water on a sponge or towel.
• Always check tap shoes for loose screws prior to stepping on this wood surface.
• We strongly recommend a check your shoe policy. A check your shoe policy requires all students to check their shoes for loose screws and sharp toe plates. It requires a small file and screw driver to be located at the entry door to the studio. All students are taught how to check for loose screws and sharp toe plates. If they are too young to do this, the teacher should be responsible. Loose screws and sharp toe plates cause damage to the floor. Generally the damage is just cosmetic, but once it has happened, the floor will never look the same.

IMPORTANT: After cleaning floor panels, immediately remove residue left by Simple Green cleaning solution. Mop panels with 3’ micro-fiber head mop dampened with water.

SPECIAL NOTE: Experiment with concentration of cleaner to suit your particular environment.

CAUTION: Do not use soaps or detergents on this floor finish. Do not use wax/silicon based polishes, paste waxes, or solvent/pine based cleaners. These will make the floor more difficult to clean and will create problems when it comes time to refinish the floor.

CAUTION: Do not allow cleaning solution or water to seep between floor panels.

Prevent Slippery Floors

• Check your furnace filter every two weeks. Change when dirty. Dust from dirty filters will make your floor slippery.
• Check room humidity frequently. It should be kept between 45% and 55%. A portable humidifier will help keep the room at the specified humidity level.

When should you recoat your floor?

• First time: After eighteen to twenty-four months of use.
• Second time: Twelve to eighteen months after first recoat.
• Following times: Continue to check the floor at regular intervals to determine next application.

Dance Floor Recoating Process

To avoid the need for sanding, recoat the floor when it begins to show signs of wear, before the finish has worn through to bare wood. Basic Coatings Streetshoe Urethane is ideal for this aspect of wood floor maintenance.

• Rent a 17″ floor buffer (also referred to as a floor maintainer) from a local hardware store or janitorial supply company. Purchase a green and/or a red, 17″ cleaning pad. Red is the more aggressive of the two pads. These can be returned if not used.
• In a 16 oz. plastic spray bottle, mix Basic Coatings Intensive Floor Treatment (IFT) according to manufacturer’s directions. Spray IFT on 1 to 2 panels and buff until clean. Begin by using a green pad. Flip the pad over to the unused side when it is not cleaning as well. Depending on how dirty the floor is, you may want to move up to the more aggressive red pad.
• Wipe floor with a water-dampened, white bath towel wrapped around a 3′ to 4′ push broom or dust mop. Be sure to keep towel clean by re-wetting and wringing out.
• Spray 1 to 2 panels with Basic Coatings Squeaky Clean, mixed in a 16 oz. spray bottle as directed by manufacturer, and run floor buffer.
• Have several clean, white bath towels on hand. Wrap one water-dampened towel around a 3′ to 4′ push broom or dust mop and push across floor to wipe up residue. Expose a clean section of the towel when it begins to look dirty and change towels once one has been fully used. If you run out of clean towels, thoroughly rinse and wring out a used towel. Clean floor until residue, dirt, and dust are completely gone.
• Let floor dry.
• Once floor is dry, fill any dents or deep scratches with Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler.
• Let filler dry according to instructions on the tube. Then sand smooth with 80 grit sandpaper.
• Wipe off any sawdust from areas that were filled and sanded. Using an artist’s paint brush apply sealer or urethane over the filled areas. Let sealer or urethane dry for three hours. Screen entire floor with 120 grit screen on floor maintainer. Remove dust created from sanding process.
• Start the urethaning process at the point farthest from the exit door. You will be using Basic Coatings Streetshoe Satin Urethane or Basic Coatings Hydroline Plus Satin Urethane.
• Using approximately 1/2 cup of urethane per 4′x4′ section, pour 1/2 cup on each panel. Using an 18″-24″ heavy handle applicator, pull the puddle of urethane across floor. Overlap each run by 2″. To view an instructional video, go to www.basiccoatings.com. Click the video tab on the left side, and then choose the “Tykote System” video. Note: It helps to have an assistant to keep enough urethane on the floor so that you can focus on the urethane application
• Apply second coat after 3 hours but before 24 hours.
• To recoat after 24 hours, go back to step 7.