When it comes to getting a smooth final coat, your initial floor prep is key. That’s where buffer pads come in. With so many different pad colors and options available, it’s hard to make a solid choice when there’s a different buffer pad for almost every step of the refinishing process. That’s why we wrote this blog post, which will hopefully answer all your questions on the most common 3M buffer pads used in wood floor finishing and when to use them.
Here’s an overview of some of the more popular buffer pad options offered by 3M:
3M Maroon Surface Prep Pad – 3M Maroon Surface Prep Pads are a great solution for stripping off that old finish and preparing your wood floor for refinishing. 3M Maroon Surface Prep Pads are designed to clean and prepare hardwood floors for refinishing, but you can also use it for prepping sheet vinyl, marble, concrete, and more for finishing. Use this pad when you need heavy-duty scrubbing action to remove a top coat prior to recoating.
3M White Buffer Pad – Ideal for use on hardwood floors, these pads help to polish wood floors and remove mild surface scratches or blemishes. It is important to note that while these pads create less friction than Red Buffing Pads, they will still burnish soft finishes. Use it to buff in order to remove soil and scuff marks with minimal dulling, for polishing a wood floor, or just enhancing the overall appearance of the surface of a floor. Ideal when used on low speed, 175-600 RPM.
3M White Thin Driving Buffer Pad – The thin driving buffer pad is ideal for use on a buffer when driving an abrasive sanding screen or 3M Floor Surfacing Discs. Designed with synthetic fibers, it improves transfer force for a faster, more even cut and less slippage. The design allows you to work quicker, with less downtime to re-position your pad and screen.
3M Red Buffer Pad – This pad cleans easily when damp and buffs when dry. It’s designed specifically for spray buffing and is ideal for use when you need light buffing action to remove light soil and scuff marks from a floor prior to recoating. Use this pad on low speed, 175-600 RPM.
3M Black Buffer Pad – This is a heavy-duty pad that removes old finish, dirt and buildup. More efficient stripping action cuts down the work time, so use a black pad when there’s a heavy finish buildup to remove from the floor to prep it for finishing.
3M Blue Buffer Pad – This pad is designed to provide heavy-duty scrubbing action, and can be used for heavy duty spray cleaning. This is your best bet when you need to remove one to two coats of finish prior to recoating or finishing a floor.
We recommend having a few different types of 3M pads in your arsenal so that they’re available for any situation that crops up on a job. As you can see, different pads will give you different results and will serve different needs, whether you need light buffing or heavy duty scrubbing. View all of our 3M buffer pads.
