Epoxy floors are known for their durability, but scratches can eventually appear. If you have a scratched epoxy floor, you may be looking for a way to restore its original look. You might be asking, “Can you buff epoxy floors?” Yes, you can! Following a few simple buffing steps may be all that it takes to get your epoxy floor looking new again.
Can You Buff Epoxy Floors?
Yes, buffing is an option for epoxy floors, but you have to go about the process gently and carefully. Being too vigorous runs the risk of damaging the top surface of your floor and removing its gloss.
Before diving into a buffing project, see if there’s an easier way to deal with a few small scratches. After washing the area with soap and water, dampen a rag with a bit of furniture lemon oil. Rub it over the scratch to see if it fades. If so, there’s no reason to complete a larger buffing project.
For scratches that remain, keep reading to learn how to buff your epoxy floor.
Methods for Buffing Epoxy Floors
You do not need any major equipment for buffing an epoxy floor. You can either do the job by hand or use an orbital sander that’s equipped with a buffing pad. A buffing machine isn’t required. In fact, it’s best to avoid heavy-duty machinery for this maintenance task since it could remove too much of your epoxy floor’s coating.
You’ll need to use some sort of polish to fill in scratches as you buff the floor. For a lighter touch, you can use furniture polish. Automotive polish is a more robust option to try.
Steps for Buffing Epoxy Floors
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Clean the floor.
Before beginning, be sure to thoroughly wash your floor with a mop or a sponge. Use your preferred epoxy floor cleaner followed by a rinse with clear water.
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Rub the polish into the floor.
Once the floor has dried, you can begin applying the polish.
If you decide to do this job by hand, you’ll need a rag for rubbing the polish into the floor. Go over the entire surface with the rag and polish. Use circular motions to work the polish into the flooring.
In a large room, your arm could quickly wear out. For that reason, you may want to let an orbital sander do much of the work for you. To safely do this, make sure that your sander is equipped with a buffing cloth. Also, keep the tool moving in a circular pattern at all times. Letting it linger too long in one spot could damage your floor.
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Wash the floor.
Once you’ve buffed the whole floor, you should give it another cleaning. Use your favorite cleaning solution, and follow it up with a clear-water rinse.
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Observe the results.
After the floor has had time to dry, take a look at the results. Hopefully, the scratches that were previously there are no longer visible. If more work is needed, you may need to consider using a wet-sanding technique to work out the scratches. It may also be time to recoat your epoxy.
Buffing Before a Recoat
When simple buffing will no longer do the trick of restoring your epoxy floor’s finish, you could consider recoating it. That project will involve a more intense buffing process than the one listed above.
Your goal will be to rough up the finish before applying a new layer of epoxy. For that reason, you’ll use a floor buffing machine with a sanding pad. Machine-buffing is too strong for everyday maintenance, but it’s just right when preparing for a new coat of epoxy.
