Are you searching for the best high shine floor finish? Selecting the right floor finish for your commercial hard floors can be challenging. While there are hundreds of floor finishes on the market, they can generally be segmented into two groups: high maintenance and low maintenance.
Both offer a level of protection for your commercial flooring, however, each is designed to achieve a different outcome.
Low maintenance floor finishes, as stated in the name, are specifically crafted to require little to no burnishing.
These floor finishes do not achieve a brilliance as glossy and reflective as high shine, sometimes referred to as high maintenance floor finishes, but can still offer a bright, protective coating for your floors.
A low-maintenance floor program is ideal for facilities that do not have the time, money, or resources to burnish their hard floors frequently, sometimes as often as once a day.
For more information on low maintenance floor finishes, check out our other article: 2 Best Low Maintenance Floor Finishes of 2022
However, for some facilities, appearance is everything. This means you require robust, high shine floors.
If this sounds like you, then a low maintenance floor finish likely won’t do the trick. To really make your floors stand out to the people in your building, you’ll require a high shine, high maintenance floor finish.
High shine or high gloss floor finishes are optimal for facilities like doctor’s offices, gyms, grocery stores, retail stores, or airports, which must maintain a clean appearance to provide peace of mind to guests.
Similarly, high shine finishes are great for facilities that may require a high gloss floor if you strive to uphold a certain level of prestige. For example, luxury building space (class A offices), upscale retail stores, or recreational areas like ballrooms.
It’s important to understand that these finishes will require frequent burnishing to maintain their exceptional gloss. The rate at which each of these must be maintained will vary based on the floor finish but in some cases, a finish may require daily burnishing to maintain optimal appearance.
We recommend that all of these finishes are vacuumed and damp mopped as frequently (every day if possible) to keep the floor surface clean and free of dust, dirt, and soils.
Below, we’ll go over each of the floor finishes in detail, including their maintenance schedule and why we believe these are the best floor finishes on the market today.
Best High Shine Floor Finishes
CERTO® Ultra Finish Plus
CERTO® Ultra Finish Plus is designed with a unique water-based polymer emulsion that gives this a super “wet-look” gloss and the ability to stand up to heavy foot traffic.
This is a 25% solids floor finish that contains proprietary technology to prevent discoloration and dirt penetration, helping it to stay clean and scratch-free for longer.
Reduced wear and tear will help extend the time between restorative maintenance, like stripping and refinishing.
Frequency of Maintenance
On initial application, this floor finish is extremely shiny without any additional buffing. It offers a long-lasting, extra bright shine that stands up to high-speed burnishing and heavy traffic.
CERTO® Ultra Finish Plus should be applied by a floor care professional with moderate to advanced experience in finish application.
When first applying, you’ll need to apply at least three coats of finish to your floors. To enhance shine, and strengthen durability, you can apply as many as seven coats.
It is not recommended to apply more than four coats in a 24 hour period. While the finish may feel dry to the touch, there can still be moisture below the first coat. Trying to apply too much finish at one time will cause the moisture below the surface to “pull” to the top coat over time, creating a cloudy residue in the finish. If this happens, the floor will need to be re-stripped and finished.
After application, the level of gloss can be enhanced with additional burnishing. However, after the initial application, it is imperative to wait 48 hours before burnishing to allow the finish to fully cure.
This is a harder, more durable finish but if you notice wear, it should be burnished as needed.
It is recommended to burnish this finish at least 3-4x a week, but it can be burnished daily if needed.
Spartan The Fixx
The Fixx Floor Finish, developed by Spartan Chemical, is a premium 25% solids floor finish.
It contains patented, optically enhanced polymer technology designed to create high gloss and remarkable clarity.
The Fixx offers a clear, bright, non-yellowing gloss that is resistant to moderate foot traffic.
Frequency of Maintenance
When first applied, the formula provides a deep initial gloss. If you are applying this to a new floor or full strip, 3-4 coats should be applied.
The Fixx should be applied by professionals with moderate to advanced experience in floor care to achieve the best results.
The shine of this finish will increase over time in response to burnishing.
To achieve the desired high shine, “wet-look” with this finish you will need to burnish your floor at least 3x per week. The more frequently you burnish this finish, the better the gloss will appear.
Keep in mind, the frequency of required maintenance for this floor finish (like others) will depend on the level of traffic in your facility. High traffic will require more frequent maintenance.
Diversey™ High Mileage® Floor Finish
Specifically designed with 25% solids, this formula builds durability and shine with each coat.
To learn more about floor finish solids, visit: High Solids Floor Finish: 3 Common Myths That Could Make You Choose the Wrong Floor Finish
Offering high resistance to scratches, black heel marks and foot traffic, you’ll be able to extend the time between strip and wax cycles, increasing labor savings and overall improved productivity with this floor finish.
Frequency of Maintenance
This finish requires a minimum of three coats when first applied.
Every layer after the third coat is intended to build gloss and durability. Diversey™ High Mileage® Floor Finish requires slightly more attention to detail when applying, and should always be given at least 30-45 minutes of dry time between coats.
Diversey™ High Mileage® Floor Finish will need to burnished at a minimum of 3x per week.
Similar to other finishes, the greater the foot traffic, the more frequently this finish will need to be maintained to reduce wear and scratches.
Diversey™ Signature® Floor Finish
This high shine floor finish contains 20% solids. It is extremely easy to apply and quick drying.
Diversey™ Signature® Floor Finish has an unsurpassed “wet-look” on the first application.
This finish will need to be burnished to uphold the desired “wet” shine look.
Frequency of Maintenance
When first applying, use at least three coats. Additional coats can be added as necessary to achieve the desired gloss level. Similar to Diversey High Mileage® Floor Finish, always allow each coat to dry for 30-45 minutes.
This is a softer finish that will require a lot of burnishing to maintain its brilliant shine. In most cases, this finish should be burnished nightly.
Spartan® iShine® Floor Finish
This is a 25% solids blend, providing durable protection against scuff marks, water spots, and black heel marks.
iShine is a relatively hard finish, making it durable for foot traffic. It will maintain moderate shine with little to no burnishing.
If you read our other article, 2 Best Low Maintenance Floor Finishes of 2022, you may be wondering why iShine is listed as both a low maintenance floor finish and a high maintenance floor finish.
We feel this is a great hybrid product. While this can be used as a low maintenance product, it has an excellent response when burnished.
Frequency of Maintenance
When first applied, iShine needs anywhere from 1-4 coats depending on the current number of coats on your floor and the shine desired.
If this is the first time applying floor finish or you are performing a full strip and finish, you will likely need to apply four coats of floor finish.
This finish is easier to apply, leveling on contact so that your staff can work quicker.
After application, it only needs to be burnished about one time per week to maintain shine, even with high traffic.
Final Thoughts
Glossy, high shine floors are important to maintaining a positive experience for the people in your building.
Depending on the labor and time you are willing to allocate, each of these finishes can help you achieve the desired look.
EBP and other Imperial Dade locations offer a wide variety of high shine floor finishes to best meet your needs and desired outcomes.
If you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Caribbean, contact an EBP Specialist today for help deciding which high shine floor finish is the best option for your facility, or if you might be better suited with a low maintenance floor finish.
Check Out These Related Articles:
- 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Stripping a Commercial Floor [VIDEO]
- How to Strip a Floor Without Chemicals: 5 Major Benefits
- 4 Daily Procedures to Maintain Your Facility’s Resilient Hard Floors
- High Solids Floor Finish: 3 Common Myths That Could Make You Choose the Wrong Floor Finish
- 2 Best Low Maintenance Floor Finishes of 2022