UV is the Best Finish for Commercial Hardwood
Overview
Commercial spaces are an interesting thing. They have tons of traffic yet need to be up and running each and every day. The time constraints on commercial projects are almost impossible. Hardwood is a substrate that needs to be well taken care of to make sure the investment lasts for a long time. U.V. hardwood finish (read more about them here) is something that fills this time constraint gap and offers a better more durable finish. Ultra-Violet finish is perfect for the commercial space due to its instant cure times. There is no longer a time period of waiting 3, 5 or 7 days for a finish to cure. UV is literally cured instantly once a UV light machine hits it.
Time to Refinish Hardwood in a Commercial Space
Easy answer: Overnight
Typical job can be sanded in 5-6 hours with enough people and equipment. Then the seal coat and finish coats need to go down on the floor as well. This is the part that is tricky. Typical sealer coats take around 4 hours to full dry and be buffed. Then the finish coats need 2 hours before being able to apply a 2nd and then need 3-5 days to fully cure.
- 4 hours for seal coat
- 2 hours for finish coat
- 2 hours for finish coat
- Total: 8 hours
The issue with using the business the next day with typical water-based finish is that the finish is not cured. When the finish is not cured it is more acceptable to damage, scratching and pre-mature wearing. The typical wear period for a traditional water-based product in a commercial space for hardwood is 2 years.
With UV finishes are a totally different animal. They are instantly cured. So, you have your normal sanding time of 5-6 hours. Then we have the dry times that are vastly different then traditional water-based coatings. The UV dry times are:
- 1 hour for seal coat
- 1 hour for 1st finish coat
- 1 hour for the 2nd finish coat
- Total 3 hours
After the final coat is down we are able to cure the finish to 100% cured. This will make sure your finish is as durable as it will ever be the moment you walk back into the office, restaurant or retail space.
Conclusion About Different Finishes
UV hardwood finishes really have a huge advantage in saving of time, no dry times and much, much more durable coatings. The process for a typical restaurant can be done done 100% in 1 night and back to service the next day as normal but with brand new hardwood floors your customers will love. UV really is a cut above every other finish on the market.
