Snow, water and salt residue from ice melt products are all tracked across a floor during the winter months. In a nutshell, the floor finish will take a beating and become increasingly dull. However, this is not the recommended time to strip and refinish floors because cold weather will affect how well the finish dries and adheres. Also, the floor is still susceptible to the outside elements and will only lead to more work. So, its best to continue to clean and maintain floors and strip and recoat them in the spring.

If floors are getting bad, increase how often they are mopped. If removing the water and moisture isn’t enough, floors can be burnished on occasion. If burnishing is required, be sure to clean the floor before the process. During the winter, more dirt and soil is being tracked in, so there’s a greater chance of it being ground into the finish, causing the finish to yellow.

To prevent problems, floors could receive a deep scrub and a few additional coats of finish prior to the winter months, especially in high-traffic areas.