Store and Showroom Floor Restoration

In short: In stores and showrooms, the floor draws as much attention as the products.

A shiny, clean floor completes the display; a dull, scratched and stained floor overshadows even the best product. In this article, we explain how to renew a floor without stopping your business.

The Challenges of Commercial Flooring

Commercial floors wear out much faster than residential ones, because foot traffic, sand, equipment and intensive cleaning all act together.

• Heavy foot traffic: Entrances, checkout areas and main aisles dull quickly; on the routes customers walk most, the difference in shine is noticeable at first glance.
• Sand and dust: In Alanya, sand carried in from the street and the beach acts like sandpaper under shoes, leaving fine scratches that dull the surface.
• Display equipment: Shelves, mannequins and display stands leave scratches; when they are dragged while being repositioned, they leave clear marks on the floor.
• Pallet jacks and carts: The wheels of pallet jacks and hand trucks used to move products can cause scratches, marks and chipped edges on the floor.
• Cleaning pressure: Daily cleaning done quickly but with the wrong products leaves a film and dirt buildup on the surface, lowering the shine even further over time.

Without Stopping Your Business

Night and After-Hours Work

In stores, work is usually carried out after closing and finished before the morning opening.

Working in Sections

In large stores, the area is divided into sections; one section is completed each night.

Quick Return to Use

The most important point in store floor work is that the floor is usable at opening time in the morning. To achieve this, the slurry is continuously collected during wet grinding, the floor is dried quickly with floor drying machines, and impregnating or protective products that dry fast are chosen. Crystallization and polishing can be completed within the same night. Fast-hardening fillers are used in areas that need repair. When the job is finished, the area is cleaned and the display equipment is put back in place.

Around Shelves and Display Units

The areas around fixed display equipment are the hardest parts of a store floor; corners the machine cannot reach and narrow gaps require specialized craftsmanship.

• Movable equipment is moved: Movable display equipment such as shelves, mannequins and stands is lifted out before work begins, so the entire area can be processed evenly with the machine.
• Fixed surroundings with edge grinding: The areas around fixed shelves and displays are handled with edge grinding using hand machines in the corners where the large machine cannot fit.
• Products are protected: To prevent the dust and water produced during grinding from damaging products, shelves and displays are covered with protective sheets.

By Material

The work to be done on store floors varies depending on the floor material; each material requires a different method.

• Marble: Grinding and polishing are applied, with honing if necessary; once scratches and dullness are removed, the surface is left at the desired gloss or matte finish.
• Granite: Deep cleaning and polishing are often enough; since granite is a hard stone, it does not scratch as easily as marble.
• Polished concrete: Re-polishing or grinding and a hardener are applied; if the wear is deep, the surface is ground down and then strengthened with a hardener.
• Terrazzo: With grinding and polishing, the marble chips and the binder are brought to the same plane, and the floor looks smooth and shiny again.

Priorities by Store Type

Mistakes Made in Daily Cleaning

The most common reason floors in stores lose their shine so quickly is incorrect daily cleaning. Wet mopping done in a hurry before opening drags sand across the floor and scratches it, while polishing detergents used to make the floor look shiny leave a film on the surface that becomes slippery and traps dirt. The right method is to first remove the sand with a dry mop, then clean with a damp mop using a pH-neutral, film-free product. Placing a long, sufficiently wide doormat at the entrance solves half of the problem right at the door.

Planning Checklist

Whether the floor work done at night is finished in time for the morning opening depends largely on the planning done in advance.

• Clarify the working hours: Discussing in advance with the mall or building management the hours during which machines may be operated prevents the work from being interrupted midway.
• Identify the equipment to be moved: Determining in advance which display equipment will be removed allows the team to start work at night without losing time.
• Plan the protection of products: If the plan to cover the products on the shelves with sheeting is made beforehand, dust and water splashes will not damage the merchandise.
• Ensure access to electricity and water: Having a suitable power outlet and water point ready for the polishing machines and wet polishing allows the work to proceed without interruption.
• Communicate the opening time: Informing the team of the morning opening time allows the drying and cleanup time to be adjusted accordingly and the floor to be delivered on time.

Store and Showroom Floors in Alanya

In Alanya, we carry out floor restoration work in street-front stores, shops in shopping malls, and showrooms during night hours, without disrupting the operation of the business. Because sand-related dulling occurs very quickly in stores close to the coastline, we also offer recommendations for regular refreshing after restoration and for proper daily cleaning. For jewelers and boutiques, we prioritize high gloss, while for large showrooms we prioritize durability.