[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TQqiXZ-0dc[/youtube]Basic Coatings has the finish and machines .

Thx so much, Paul. We're going to try to look into this. I've had a few customers lately where windows have really caused floors to be discolored...moreso than usual.

Debbie Gartner aka The Flooring Girl
http://TheFlooringGirl.com

For what it is worth, I have seen pre finished floors sun stain/ fade . That aside , I am curious to know exactly how much time this new system can save versus the expense.

We are currently phasing in Pro Coats UV system into our business model. I worked with it years ago during the early stages. As far as the finish goes, it's pretty easy to apply...no different than any water based finish you've likely worked with before.

However, the nuances...oh the nuances! After the floor has had a chance to dry enough to be walked on, the biggest hurdle is going to be getting the UV machine onto the floor without causing problems. KEEP THE WHEELS CLEAN. If any wheel marks are made and left in the floor, the curing process will MAKE THEM PERMANENT. So, you need to make sure to come up with a viable solution on each job to keep that machine from marking the floor with dirty wheels.

If you want to minimize any problems, you need to make sure that you do moisture tests through out the process. This is more important than anything else. UV curing isn't designed to dry the floor, it's designed to set the finish. If you cure the floor surface, but underneath is too wet...I'm sure you can imagine scenarios that don't work out in your favor.

We don't know yet how it's going to affect things like side bonding, or if gaps fill with finish, if they'll stay clear or whiten with the UV lamp.

The unit we have is a 115v unit. It's free wheeling. You are supposed to run it at approx. 40 lin. ft per minute. We figured about 400 sq. ft per hour for curing time booked. The 220v units apparently are self pacing. Oh, and it's heavy, so it's going to require 2 people for curing. And those people are going to have to have patience in order to not under cure the floor anywhere. If UV light does not hit the floor everywhere, it WILL NOT CURE. It will remain sticky.

During our first large curing job ( 1200 sq. ft, fairly wide open ) it took us approximately 3 hours to cure with set up. Make sure you are all wearing protective gear. My partner wore just his socks, which helped us pace the machine, as the lamp will heat up the wood enough to feel it under your feet ( don't worry, the machine has thermal protection and will shut down the lamp if it sits in one spot for too long ( less than 10 seconds ). Too fast and the floor got colder. However, he complained that the tops of his toes felt like they had gotten sunburned. Hard to say whether it was caused by the machine, or from careful walking behind it for 3 hours.

You'll be able to tell the difference right away though, it goes from being ever so slightly tacky to smooth and slick.

As far as how much time does it save? It doesn't. At least for the company. You are going to invest more time due to the curing, but the beauty is that if you have a business that needs a quick turn over and can't avoid damaging the floor during the curing phase, then this is the bees knees. It should be priced accordingly to take into account the convenience to the customer as well as the costs of the product and the curing machine. It's going to require proper training on use AND care and maintenance of the machine. Extra bulbs and how to properly change them, signage to keep peering eyes out or blanketing of windows and doorways to avoid collateral damage from onlookers in public areas. It's a great system in regards to the potential, but it's still an early adopter product and is still unproven long term.

Also, it CANNOT be used over dye stains, since they fade from UV quickly.