Rescue programme for a new “sheen”
In February 2021, the team from Parkett Forum Rogowski in Essen sets about gently refreshing and renovating the floors of the exclusive hotel rooms. After all, even robust wooden floors lose their shine and appear dull and unattractive after many years of service. Using products from the AKZENT surface treatment range produced by STAUF, the adhesives specialist from the Siegerland region, a total of 85 square metres of the white varnished planks with V-shaped joints are made to shine again in their original splendour. To achieve this, Frank Rogowski’s team also needs to prove its skills in “Furniture Tetris”: in order to be able to work on the wood flooring, all the wardrobes, beds, tables and chairs must first be moved to one side of the hotel room – after successful treatment and drying of the floor, the furniture can then be moved to the other side of the room so that floor layer Piotr Kamzol can continue with the work.
Careful preparation
The first step is to sand the floor. The floor layer carefully processes the floorboards using a Hummel floor sander. The fine residues of sanding dust are then thoroughly vacuumed off. After the wooden floor has been sanded and prepared, the so-called “water popping” process follows. This opens the pores of the wood and raises the fibres. Fine scratches and sanding marks are nicely evened out as the wood expands in volume. As the surface now has a coarser structure, pigments can bond perfectly with the wood, and the oil can penetrate the wood more easily. This ensures an even and more intense colour later on.
Surface protection with AKZENT oils and water-based varnish
After a drying time of about one hour, it is time to apply the oil with a roller and brush. AKZENT OIL IN ONE COLOR is a coloured impregnating oil that is based on natural oils and is free of desiccants containing lead or cobalt. It is available in 34 different colours plus a colourless version and provides reliable protection for parquet, cork and wooden floors as well as other wooden surfaces. The wide range of colours can also be freely mixed with each other. Piotr Kamzol chose the colour Nordic White. The floor layer takes the AKZENT OIL IN ONE COLOR, which has previously been mixed with AKZENT OIL HARDENER, and applies it to one area at a time, with an overlap to avoid any differences in colour.
A special challenge: the wooden floor in the boutique hotel, which needs renovation, has a very hard and resistant surface. Therefore, the AKZENT OIL IN ONE COLOR is given a considerably more intensive waiting time after the waterpopping and the application of the oil with the short-pile roller in order to obtain an even and brilliant color in the wood grain.
Finally, the wooden floor is varnished so that it will last for many years to come. For this, the floor layer uses AKZENT AQUA ARGENTUM MATT. This single-component, water-based varnish with an acrylate-polyurethane base is very low in emissions and is characterised by very good resistance to abrasion and chemicals. The multi-stage oil/water-based varnish system allows the intensive colour effect of the oil to come to the fore and provides optimal protection thanks to the durability of the high-quality, single-component, water-based varnish. The finished surface feels velvety, and is water-repellent and resistant to dirt. Thanks to this “rejuvenating treatment” with the gentle AKZENT products, the floors in the Boutique Hotel Villa am Ruhrufer Golf & Spa are once again ready to lie at the feet of the hotel’s future guests for many years to come.
The AKZENT surface treatment range
The AKZENT surface treatment range developed by STAUF, the adhesives specialist from Siegerland, is “balm for wood” and the natural complement to the company’s subfloor preparation products and wood flooring adhesives. With its high-quality primers, varnishes, oils and joint fillers as well as products for cleaning, maintaining and refreshing, the STAUF system ensures a floor composition that is successful on all fronts.
The components of the AKZENT products are chosen with a focus on naturalness – in keeping with the natural product, wood, for which they were designed. The conscious use of natural raw materials, water-based formulations and carefully selected raw materials makes AKZENT products the right choice wherever naturalness, health and well-being are important to us. AKZENT establishes and maintains the function and value of wooden floors – no matter where or how they are used.