Frank VandePutte - Wood Floors & Stairs 

Call us for Rubio Monocoat Products

248-627-5643 

Rubio Monocoat oil finish applied on a residential wood floor can last in excess of a quarter century if maintained properly and your floor will not need to be sanded during this time.

Monocoat, just as any natural oil finish, should be rejuvenated periodically (usually between 6 months and 6 years). Compared to a polyurethane finish, a natural oil finish needs more maintenance, which extends the life of the oil finish beyond that of a poly finish. The durable life of a poly finish is longer than a natural oil finish, but the useable life of a natural oil finish is superior. A poly finish usually lasts between 8 and 12 years, and then it has to be sanded away and completely replaced. All furniture must be removed from the floor to do the sanding and recoating, which can take up to a week. To rejuvenate a Monocoat oil finish the floor does not have to be sanded and heavy furniture can stay in place.

Pets and wood floors simply are not compatible. Pet urine or feces, if left unattended for any length of time, will eventually “spot” any floor finish and nails from most dogs will scratch the finish. Fortunately, with Monocoat, spot repairs are possible, but all urine spots are not 100% repairable. Sometimes, if done soon enough, after urine is cleaned from the floor, dampen a cloth or paper towel with white vinegar and spread it over the area and leave it for 30 minutes.

This can draw some or most of the urine from the floor. If you are an animal lover as most of us are, you must be willing to expect and accept damage.

Keep Your Floor Clean

Once your floor is finished with Rubio Monocoat oil you should allow a three-week cure period before cleaning with liquids. Keeping dirt and grit off a wood floor will greatly extend the life of any finish. You should place mats inside and outside all exterior doors and in front of sinks.

Clean the floor often by sweeping or vacuuming with a soft brush attachment. Scuffmarks can quickly be removed by rubbing the spot with a tennis ball.

When sweeping or vacuuming does not clean sufficiently, damp mopping with clean water is all right for a Monocoat oiled floor. Remember that wood and water do not mix, so damp mopping means your mop should not be “dripping wet” when cleaning a wood floor. Clean water will not always get your floor clean. At least 3 or 4 times a year you should damp mop with a soap solution.

Rubio Monocoat makes the following soap products to insure that your oiled floor is properly cleaned:

Rubio Monocoat Natural Cleaner Soap is specially made to clean oiled floors. Natural soap mixes with water to a 40:1 cleaning solution, is a cleaner only and leaves no film. A liter of Natural Soap will make over 16 gallons of cleaning solution.

Rubio Monocoat Surface Care Spray is premixed Natural Soap and water in a spray bottle. This is made for spot cleaning, but some like to use it for mopping their floors.

To re-fill pour two teaspoons of Natural Soap into the bottle and fill it with water or make your own by mixing the suggested amounts of Natural Soap and water into a 32 oz. spray bottle.

Refresh A natural oil finish can sometimes develop “dry” spots caused by traffic. Like a urethane surface finish, some areas of a floor will naturally show wear sooner than other areas. Entrance areas, hallways, around kitchen cabinets or any high traffic area will wear quicker than the rest of the floor. As long as the color of the surface is not affected by wear, these areas can be refreshed individually whenever necessary with Rubio Monocoat Refresh.

Refresh is an oil product that absorbs into and restores the oil finish. It is very easy to apply. You simply wipe Refresh onto the dry/worn spot/area, leave it to react for a few minutes, and then wipe it dry. Using this product when necessary will extend the time span between complete rejuvenations and will increase the life of the finish.

Rejuvenate Monocoat oil is composed of natural ingredients, which are sustainable, renewable, and completely environmentally friendly. Since no artificial toxic hardeners are used to increase the durable life of the finish, periodic rejuvenation is necessary. When the application of Monocoat Refresh has no noticeable affect or the color of the finish has worn, rejuvenation should be carried out.

Sanding or removing heavy furniture is not necessary. Clean your floor and polish more oil onto the surface using the same environmentally friendly Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus that was originally used to finish the floor. The new oil will rejuvenate the old oil and any worn areas will be restored. The floor will be dry in 24 -48 hours and ready for several more years of use.

Rubio Monocoat Maintenance Oil is also available for rejuvenation. The maintenance oil will dry faster, about 7 hours. This is not a “green” product and has a voc content of 260 grams/liter. We stock Pure Maintenance Oil for quick delivery. Color Maintenance oils are available by special order. Should you prefer to rejuvenate with maintenance oil, please order these well in advance of the rejuvenation date.

Detailed instructions for all Rubio Monocoat products are available by contacting us or visiting the website: www.monocoat.us