Are You An Excellent Stripper?

How much do you know about floor stripping? Check out this test presented by a professional company and see how you do.

Floor-care equipment manufacturer Powr-Flite has released a short quiz regarding common floor stripping and refinishing issues in this month’s Powr-Flite.comTroubleshooter.

Answer the questions to the best of your ability, realizing that in some cases there may be more than one correct answer. (Answers are found at this link at the bottom of the page.)

1. What is the main reason for putting a finish on a floor?
*     To put a shine on the floor
*     To help prevent slips and falls
*     To protect the floor

2. When stripping a floor, the goal is to:
*     Remove the old finish
*     Remove the old finish and soil buildup on the floor
*     Remove heel marks and soils on the surface of the floor

3. After applying a stripper to the floor, how long should you wait before machine scrubbing/stripping?
*     A minimum of five minutes
*     Seven to 10 minutes
*     As long as possible before it dries
*     Follow the instructions on the product's label

4. Which of the following reasons most often cause a "haze" to be noticed on a floor after finishing?
*     The rinse water or mop heads were too soiled
*     The cleaning solution was too strong
*     Both

5. True or false, for tough jobs, increase the amount of stripping solution when diluting with water.
*     True
*     False

6. In most cases, on which of the following floors should a sealer be applied?
*     A very porous floor
*     A marble floor
*     A cement floor
*     All of the above

7. The main reason not to walk on a just stripped floor is:
*     If wet, the floor is very slippery
*     If wet, the floor is easily soiled
*     If wet, it leaves foot marks on the floor
*     All of the above

8. After the floor is finished, why drag a tissue under your shoe over the floor?
*     To remove "birthmarks" or slight imperfections in the finish
*     To manually buff edges and corners
*     To determine if the floor is thoroughly dry
*     All of the above

9. Which of the following coefficient of friction (COF) ratings are safest?
*     5.0
*     0.5

10. True or false, if a UHS finish "powders" after burnishing, it means the finish needs to be reapplied.
*     True
*     False

11.  True or false, orbital floor machines will remove the top layers of finish from floors (without using chemicals), which is often all that is necessary.
*     True
*     False