Stripping and waxing is not the only choice you have for protecting your surfaces. In fact, stripping and waxing can be a terribly inefficient use of your labor, time, and money. Instead, you may want to consider using a sealer, which has four distinct advantages over the traditional stripping and waxing process.1. Waxing is too labor intensive
Anyone who ever had to strip and wax their floor knows it can take a lot of time and effort especially if you’ve got multiple floors or large areas to cover. The general process involves using a floor machine to strip away the existing wax. This may take several attempts depending how thick the initial wax was. If the existing wax is not completely removed prior to applying a new coat, the wax will tend to build up. Making sure all of the wax is removed can be very difficult, especially if there’s build up. Most facilities will strip and wax their surface floors twice a year.
Why sealing is less labor intensive:
Sealers such as MicroGuard or Apex Floor Coating are semi-permanent, meaning so long as floors are maintained properly; they’ll last a long time (usually three to five years, or possibly more). Instead of having to perform stripping and waxing twice a year, you can seal your surfaces maybe once every few years, depending on traffic volume and maintenance.
2. Waxing can cause safety issues
Your surface is not truly smooth. While not visible to the naked eye, surfaces are uneven, with tiny grooves. Wax molecules are large, so when you wax your surface, these large molecules fill the surface grooves; altering the existing profile—ie. creating a flat level surface. While you might think a flat surface is good, this is the reason why its slippery, because there’s no traction on a smooth surface. This causes slip hazards.
Why sealing is safer than wax:
Our surface sealer, MicroGuard, is composed of small molecules (what we call nanotechnology) that adheres to the surface profile. Because the molecules are smaller, they adhere closer to the grooves of the surface, keeping traction for footing. When the molecules fit the profile of the surface better, the surface is less slippery, creating a safer floor for people to walk on.
3. Waxing is costly
As mentioned earlier, stripping and waxing is laborious and is usually performed twice a year. You’ve also got product and equipment costs to consider. Over a few years, the cost of waxing adds up.
Why sealing is cost-efficient
The upfront cost of sealing your surface is greater than the upfront cost of stripping and waxing. However, with proper upkeep, you would only need to seal your surfaces once every three to five years, or longer. Instead of incurring a cost twice a year every year, you would only incur a cost once every three to five years. With sealers, cost savings are seen over time in terms of reduced cleaning products used and labor.
4. Waxed surfaces are not pleasing to the eyes
I mentioned wax build up in the first point. Sometimes it may be too time consuming to entirely strip off the old wax. What you may do instead is put a new layer of wax over the old one. The old layer of wax has dirt and grime stuck in it, and when you put a new layer of wax over the old one, you’re encasing the dirt and grime, causing discoloration to show on the surface. Additionally, the larger molecules of wax simply stick to the surface (instead of chemically bonding). Degradation creates air pockets and allows corrosives to build up between the wax and floor, causing more discoloration.
Sealers leave surfaces aesthetically pleasing:
Most sealers will leave a glossy, shiny look after application. Before applying a sealer, it’s required to completely strip off any old wax so you don’t need to worry about build up. You start off with a clean slate and then protect the floor with a thin, clear coating. The smaller molecules bond to the surface, preventing corrosive build up.
If you’re looking for an alternative to stripping and waxing your surfaces, consider using a sealer. While sealers may have a higher upfront cost, the real value comes with reduced maintenance and upkeep costs (not to mention the other benefits mentioned in this post).