HOW TO SEAL FLOORS

Purpose
    To prepare the floor to accept floor finish by filling the pores of a new floor or of an old porous floor which has been stripped.

Supplies and Equipment
    Rayon wet mop
    2 buckets on casters or on a dolly
    2 wringers
    Plastic bag liner
    MARC 235 Sealer

Procedure
    1.  Prepare floor area:
        a.  Strip floor according to section on How to Strip Floors.
        b.  Place "Floor Hazard" signs in easy-to-see locations near entrances to the area.
        c.  Put supplies and equipment in area to be sealed.
        d.  Fill one bucket  ¾ full with cool water.
        e.  Put plastic liner bag into the empty bucket that is to be used for the sealer, then pour sealer
             into lined bucket.  Using the plastic bag liner keeps the bucket clean and keeps the sealer from
             becoming contaminated with any residue that might be in the bucket.

    2.  Dip the mophead into the bucket with water.  Wring out as much as possible.

    3.  Dip the mophead into the sealer solution.  Wring out gently so mophead is wet but does not drip.

    4.  Starting on the floor by one of the baseboards in the farthest corner of the room, outline the entire area to be sealed if it can be completed before the sealer starts to dry.  If the entire area cannot be outlined before the sealer dries, apply the sealer to the floor along the baseboards, covering as much of the outline as possible.

    5.  Using a side-to-side figure eight motion, apply the sealer to the floor area inside the outlined area, starting at the farthest corner and moving backward toward the door.  Overlap the strokes.  Avoid having puddles of sealer on the floor.

    6.  Allow the floor to dry completely before applying any more coats of sealer.  High humidity increases drying time.  Never recoat too soon.

    7.  If recoating is needed, follow the same steps as above, starting with step 4, except start outline 6" away from the baseboard.  This area get little or no wear since people cannot walk that close to the baseboard.  (Note:   While waiting for one coat to dry, be sure to rinse out the mophead.)  When finished, take the plastic liner containing the remaining sealer out of the bucket and dispose of properly.

Accomplishment
    After following this floor sealer procedure, the floor should be sealed and ready to accept floor finish.

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