The
Effect of Temperature & Humidity on the Performance
of Floor Finish
The effects of humidity on the drying
and performance of a floor finish is very important.
High humidity retards the evaporation of water from
the polish film, leaving the film soft, incompletely
dry, and very Scuffable. Floor finish films, like
latex paints, dry (harden) from the surface inward
towards the flooring. Thus a floor finish which
appears to be dry and feels dry to touch can in
fact be wet and soft down close to the floor. Adequate
ventilation during and after applying a floor finish
is very important. If the air in the area being
finished is high in humidity, close the windows
and run the air conditioner to lower the humidity.
In the winter, turn up the heat to dry the air and
also warm-up the substrate (flooring).
Problems caused by high humidity are:
1. Excessive scuffing and black marking from traffic
until finish dries hard.
2. Poor detergent and water resistance due to the
delay in finish cross-linking.
3. The threat and reality of “gluing” furniture
to the floor.
4. Streaking and mop drag created by the coat being
applied “biting” into preceding coats. (this phenomenon
is caused by the applied coat re-emulsifying the
previous coating that has not yet cure.)
Another important aspect in the drying of floor
finish is the correlation between drying time and
solids of the finish. Higher solids results in a
thicker film developing on the floor and thus, a
greater period of dry time being required between
coats (sometimes in excess of one hour).
The
Janitech Companies
106 High Street
Cumberland, RI 02864
(Tel) 401-724-4300, (Fax) 401-724-4900
