Is It Safe to Burnish a Retail Sales Floor

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A retail sales floor that has lost its shine should be burnished to help return its amazing shine. Burnishing a floor will help any business owner return a floor to its original shine with only minor preparation. With the use of a propane or electrical floor polisher, a burnisher is able to smooth out a rough concrete floor and bring it to a lustrous polish through a simple process.

Prior to polishing, it will be necessary to remove large objects including rocks, debris, and dirt to ensure a smooth finish. Scrubbing the floor to remove large stains and irregularities will allow the burnishing machine to work well with minimal interruptions. This project will also require that the floor be swept and mopped to remove dust that might clog up the floor pads.

For a successful burnishing job, the machine that is used should be able to spin the pads at a minimum 800 RPMs. There are various burnishing pad options that are used to bring the exact amount of gloss out of the floor. If the floor is unfinished, it is recommended to use a coarser pad that is along the lines of 200-grit. Once done, a more pristine polish can be accomplished using a 3,000-grit pad. Typically, a higher grit number will produce a shinier floor. In addition, excessive dust on the burnisher may indicate the grit is too coarse and may need to be changed out for a more fine finishing pad.

For removing scratches and deep cuts, a coarser burnishing pad will do the job and should be finished up with an 800 to 1500-grit pad for an even finish. After working on the entire floor, it will be necessary to clean the floor with a damp mop and allow it to dry before setting foot on it.

One of the better burnishers on the market is the Eagle Signature Series Floor Burnisher. This model is able to cover up to 33,000 square feet per hour and is also propane-powered. In addition, this machine is able to operate for up to six hours using a single propane tank. For anyone who wants to polish a floor, this machine is excellent in terms of effectiveness and design while providing great ergonomics.

Is It Safe To Burnish A Warehouse Floor?

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The issue of safety may arise when discussing whether to burnish a warehouse floor. The glossy surface often gives the impression that the shiny, reflective polished surface may be prone to becoming slippery when wet. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Slip resistance, for both feet and wheels, is a serious concern for owners and for contractors, since the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) points out that fifty-five percent of all floor-related slips, trips, and falls are the result of the floor’s condition. Yet in spite of the high shine of its appearance, the grinding and polishing process increases, rather than decreases, the floor’s measurable traction.

The leveling of the high points, coupled with the retention of low points, ensures that a maximum surface area of the floor comes into contact with the foot or wheel. The Static Coefficient of Friction (SCOF) is the measure used for determining the amount of traction one finds in a floor surface. While OSHA recommends a SCOF greater than .5 on a scale of 0 to 1, polished concrete typically has a higher SCOF than sealed concrete and many other flooring solutions.

What about safety in the process? In the dry process method of polishing concrete, a high-performance vacuum system is utilized that captures nearly all the dust from the polishing. This dust is safely deposited in bags in local landfills, as it only contains some ground concrete. Old concrete floors would previously have been replaced, at enormous cost in materials, labor and downtime for the owner. In fact, many of these old floors can be given new life, not only repaired but strengthened and made more durable from the polishing process.

The polishing process also eliminates the problem of efflorescence, where dust particles are forced upward through the concrete by an upward force that destroys epoxied floors.

In the warehouse environment, lighting is typically a safety issue. Such large areas require enormous amounts of light from great heights to filter down through racks or machinery. It should be pointed out that the shine of a polished concrete floor can nearly double the ambient light.

Not only does the polishing of concrete floors increase slip resistance, but the higher visibility contributed by this extra reflected light can greatly improve safety. Is it safe to burnish a warehouse floor? It is safe, it is inexpensive in comparison to other options, and a better-looking choice every day.

Do I Need to Buff my Concrete Floor?

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When it comes to the care and maintenance of a concrete floor, it is important that this be buffed to maintain an attractive finish and durable surface. There are a number of reasons why this is a wise decision.

The first would be that a polished or buffed concrete floor is actually safer to walk on then one that is not. Even though a well polished concrete floor mate look slippery, it actually provides better traction for an individual when the surface is wet. On a floor that is not polished, there are actually small peaks and valleys. When the floor is wet, an individual is more likely to slip and hydroplane over the top of these imperfections in the floor. With a buffed floor, this does not happen as the surface is completely smooth.

Maintenance and upkeep on a buffed concrete floor is quite low. There are no chemicals that need to be applied on a frequent basis, so the occasional use of a floor burnisher is all that is needed.

Depending on the size of the floor, a model such as the propane powered Eagle Signature Series buffer is a great choice. These models provide varying buffing widths and the runtime averages six hours on one propane cylinder. The three way catalytic muffler eliminates emissions and all machines feature automatic emissions shut down and a kill switch for safety.

Finally, a buffed concrete floor will look more attractive. It is amazing how much better the floor will look after being buffed. Employees will have a better respect and pride for the business and customers will be impressed by the well kept and attractive floor.

There are many great reasons why a concrete floor should be buffed. With all of these, it is a wonder why people still have unattractive and unfinished looking floors.

How Long Does it Take to Buff a Concrete Floor?

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Buffing a concrete floor will add a shine that will be beautifully accented by lighting in any indoor application. A concrete floor can have a varying amount of time needed to buff it to a shining luster, depending on the model and size. Additionally, the process of buffing a concrete floor typically includes covering the floor with wax, applying an buffing pad to the buffer, and going over the entire floor to complete the finish.

First, sweep as much debris off off the concrete as possible to prevent any buildup in the buffer. Take a cloth and moisten it with water prior to wiping down the entire floor. Next, the concrete must be prepped with a wax that helps reduce dust and helps polish the floor. Once the entire floor is covered, turn the buffer on and slowly work in one area covering six by six feet at a time. This will ensure an even buffing and allow for spectacular results. When buffing, it is recommended that the buffer be used on small sections, as opposed to trying to cover large areas. Move the machine slowly and keep a firm hand on it to prevent any accidents.

There are many buffers which range from electric to propane-powered. One powerful buffer that is available is the Eagle Dust-Control Propane Buffer. This propane buffer is able up to six hours on one tank of propane and offers an optional electric clutch. In addition, this model features a 360 degree floating swivel pad and a overfill prevention device that is DOT approved. This series is designed to reduce dust particles from flying into the air and improves air quality for those working around this machine. Other features include a neoprene dust skirt, adjustable wheel brackets, and reusable filter bag.

There are multiple sizes that can accomplish different jobs. Typically, these buffers are based on how many square feet they can do per day. For instance, there are noncommercial models that are available that can cover between 200 and 2,000 square feet per day. This average is subject to vary depending on how well the floor is polished, floor layout, and grain of the buffer. Furthermore, buffing a concrete floor is a project that can be done by anyone over the course of a weekend and will leave your floors looking amazing.

How often should you buff a concrete floor?

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Buffing concrete floors is an effective method to make sure that concrete stays healthy and durable. Depending on the amount of use and the quality of the burnisher, a freshly buffed concrete floor can last up to 10 years before needing costly maintenance. Even concrete floors that receive heavy traffic can last 5 years or more. Propane floor buffers, such as the Eagle Signature Series can provide an environmentally friendly and highly productive way to increase the longevity of a concrete floor. Propane floor buffers are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resource Board (CARB). Propane floor buffers have low emission engines that are designed to shut down if emissions reach a high level. Minimal maintenance is needed after a concrete floor has been buffed.

Depending on the size of the machine and the size of the space, concrete floor buffing can be a relatively quick process. The size and productivity of a floor buffer is rated primarily by the size of the pad. Pads can vary in size from 17 inches to 27 inches. A typical propane floor buffer with a pad size of 21 inches can cover about 25,000 sq ft per hour. However, some floor buffers of the same size may be able to perform at a rate of 28,000 sq ft per hour. Productivity can be dependent on the design of the buffer. The Eagle Signature Series floor buffer has an ergonomic design that helps its ease of use and increases its productivity. The larger floor buffers with pad sizes of 24-27 inches can perform at a rate of 33,000 sq ft per hour. A smaller, 17 inch floor buffer can perform at a rate of about 7000-9000 sq ft per hour. The Eagle Signature Series includes some of the best propane floor buffers in the industry.

Floor Buffer Propane

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Floor Buffer PropaneWith a normal propane tank, our floor buffers will run for 5-6 hours. Changing those tanks is a whole heck of a lot less work than toting those hefty electric cords around after making 2-3 passes at a time. It’s also a lot less dangerous – no risk of electrocution from damaged cords or wet environments.

Looking for a propane floor buffer?
Check out our Signature Series!

But, what about the propane itself? What kind of floor buffer propane is best? Do any of them last longer than others?

Generally speaking, no. You can use the same stuff you use for any other propane application, without any extra hassle of having to track down a special supplier just for floor buffer propane.

So, you can have the ease of less hassle in toting cords around, as well as the added convenience of using an extremely common gas to power your machines.

What more could you ask for?

Floor Buffer Machine

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Scuff marks are annoying.

Even worse are skid marks from lift trucks turning corners too fast or carrying much-heavier than necessary loads.

Over time, they build up, and even the best mop and the strongest elbow grease you can find will not erase them. So then what do you do?

Probably not to anyone’s surprise, there are machines made specifically for cleaning those floors you just can’t get clean no matter how else you try. Burnishers (or floor buffers, depending on who you ask or which word you prefer to try and pronounce correctly) are basically an extremely fast-turning scrubbing or buffing pad (with a machine sitting on top of it to keep it moving, of course).

Most of them come in a walk-behind setup, such as this one:

Janitorial Equipment - Floor Buffers

But before you go out and purchase a floor buffer, you should be careful to do your research. Not all burnishers are created equal (as one could rightly imagine). The speed at which the pads rotate, the pressure applied, the weight of the machine, power source, and emissions can all play a role in deciding which floor buffer is the right choice for your environment.

Make sure you do your research thoroughly – and don’t visit only one source for information, as anything you find from one source is likely to be biased toward whatever is the most profitable for them, not what would fit your needs the best.