A well-applied Bona coating system is built to last — but how long it actually lasts depends heavily on how the floor is maintained after handover. The right aftercare routine extends the life of the coating, keeps the floor looking good between recoats, and prevents premature wear from avoidable causes.
This guide covers what to use, what to avoid, and how to set the right expectations with clients.
Daily and Weekly Cleaning
Dry sweeping or vacuuming first. Grit, sand and fine debris are the most damaging things to a coated timber floor in day-to-day use. They act as abrasives underfoot, scratching the coating surface over time. A quick sweep or vacuum before mopping removes this risk.
Damp mopping with Bona Cleaner. Bona Cleaner is a pH-neutral concentrate specifically formulated for sealed timber floors. It cleans effectively without leaving residue, and it's safe for all Bona waterborne coating systems including Traffic HD, Wave 2K, Mega and Traffic GO.
Mix rate: dilute as per label instructions — a little goes a long way. Wring the mop thoroughly; you want the floor damp, not wet. Standing water on timber is never good, coated or not.
The Bona Timber Spray Mop Kit makes this easy — prefilled cartridges with the right dilution, microfibre pad, quick clean in one pass.
Periodic Maintenance Coating — Freshen Up
Over time, high-traffic areas of a coated floor develop fine surface scratches and begin to lose their sheen uniformity. Before the coating itself is worn through, a maintenance coat can restore the appearance and extend the life of the system significantly — without a full sand-back.
Bona Freshen Up is a waterborne maintenance coat designed to be applied directly to cleaned, existing Bona-coated floors. It fills in fine surface scratches, restores sheen uniformity, and adds a fresh protective layer.
Important exception: Do not use Freshen Up on Traffic HD RAW floors. It adds sheen and alters the appearance — the exact thing RAW is designed to avoid. For RAW-coated floors, stick to Bona Cleaner only and plan a full recoat when the coating is worn.
What to Avoid
- Steam mops. Heat and steam penetrate the coating and can cause swelling, delamination or whitening. Not suitable for any coated timber floor.
- Excessive water. Any water that sits on the floor surface or gets into joints is a risk — to the coating and the timber underneath.
- Wax-based or oil-based polishes on waterborne-coated floors. These don't bond properly to waterborne coatings, leave residue, and make future maintenance coats or recoats difficult to adhere.
- Vinegar or ammonia-based cleaners. Acidic and alkaline cleaners break down waterborne coatings over time. pH-neutral only.
- Abrasive cleaning pads. Even soft scotch-brite pads can scratch coating surfaces. Microfibre only.
Recoat Intervals
How often a floor needs a full recoat depends on traffic intensity, maintenance quality, and the coating system used. Rough guide:
- Residential (Traffic HD or Wave 2K): 5–10 years before any recoat consideration, with regular Freshen Up applications in high-traffic zones
- Light commercial (Traffic HD): 3–5 years depending on traffic intensity and maintenance regime
- High-footfall commercial: Annual maintenance coat assessment; plan recoat at first signs of coating wear-through
Signs it's time to recoat: visible bare timber in high-traffic areas, water no longer beading on the surface, scratches going through to bare wood rather than just the coating surface.
Protecting Against Everyday Damage
- Felt pads under furniture legs. The single most effective preventative measure. Replace them regularly — they collect grit.
- Entry mats. Catch grit before it gets onto the floor. Both indoor and outdoor mats at entry points.
- Avoid stiletto heels and hard sports cleats. The localised point pressure is enormous and punches through coating surfaces.
- Pet nails. Keep them trimmed. Dog nails are a common cause of fine scratch patterns in residential floors.
Products Available from Sand-Aid
- Bona Cleaner 5L — trade concentrate for regular cleaning
- Bona Freshen Up 5L — periodic maintenance coat for sealed floors
- Bona Timber Spray Mop Kit — easy daily cleaning
- Bona Remover — for stripping old polish or residue before recoating
Questions about the right maintenance approach for a specific floor or coating system? Get in touch — we're happy to advise.