letters and views Editor’s note: A recent discussion on the Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online Bulletin Board pertained to the differences between floor finishes with high solids percent-ages and low solids percentages. The conversation about the pros, cons and varying uses follows below. JAiello9 2/25/2012 I think a great article for your magazine or for this Bulletin Board would be somebody explaining the differences, different uses and pros and cons for using 18 percent solids fin-ish compared to a 25 percent to 30 percent solids finish. Is anyone interested in providing this infor-mation? Image courtesy of Tornado Industries Inc. Posted by: You first need to know how the floor will be maintained, and then one can apply the proper product. By the way, I have seen companies that private label just add more water to a finish to change the percentage of solids then have a different label for this batch. JAiello9 2/29/2012 A floor finish with a higher percentage of solids will better hold up to daily cleaning and periodic maintenance such as buffing. Responses: Richard Wacker 2/28/2012 It is not simply the percentage of the poly-mers in the wax, but what types of polymers are used. Yes, a higher percentage of solids is bet-ter and can last longer between recoats by using a floor care program to match the wax. With the higher solids, you can scrub and recoat rather than strip it down to the base layer. It will cut down on how many coats you will need to put down and the shine will be there. I hope this helps. David Hebert 2/28/2012 Fewer solids equal more water and usually more dry time. I have used high solids finish that was junk and lower that was great; it is all in the poly-mers, not the percentage of them. A higher percentage of solids usually means fewer coats down to make the floor last and give a good shine. It is all in the maintenance program. If you put a finish down that needs to be burnished on a regular schedule and do nothing, the finish will not last. So, basically, what I’m getting from this is that the only way you should use low percent solids is if you are cheap and want to save a buck or two? Richard Wacker 2/29/2012 Basically, it is how much time you want to spend stripping and recoating. If you have the funds to do it more often, then you can use lower solid finishes. However, they may yellow and not hold up. I guarantee you will be waxing the floor every six months to a year. CM Get involved To access the CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online ™ bulletin board, go to www.cmmonline.com and click on the green bulletin board button near the top of the page. CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online ™ viewers as well as CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® magazine readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor on topics of interest to the professional cleaning and maintenance industry. Send letters to the editor to [email protected]. 6 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2012
CMM – Archives Apr 2012: 6
