Two finishes can sit side by side at very different prices per gallon, and the cheaper one can cost you more on the floor. The number that explains it is percent solids. It tells you how much of what is in the bottle actually stays on the floor, and it is the right way to compare finishes.
Floor finish is mostly liquid carrier that evaporates, plus the solid polymer that stays behind as the protective film. Percent solids is that second part: the proportion, by content, that remains on the floor once a coat dries. A 25 percent solids finish leaves about a quarter of its volume on the floor as film; the rest evaporates. The solids are what you are actually buying.
| Solids level | Roughly | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-solids | about 15 to 18% | Thinner build per coat, more coats needed |
| Standard | about 18 to 22% | Common commercial range |
| High-solids | about 25%+ | More film per coat, builds faster |
These are general ranges; always read the actual product label.
It connects directly to how many coats a floor needs, a high-solids finish can hit the same build in fewer coats than a thin one.
Percent solids is usually listed on the product label or technical data sheet, sometimes as nonvolatile content. Use it together with the coverage rate (square feet per gallon per coat) to understand what a product actually delivers. A higher price per gallon often reflects higher solids, which is not the same as being more expensive to use.
This is the number that matters. Price per gallon is misleading, because a cheap, low-solids finish needs more coats and more gallons to reach the same build. To compare fairly: take the price per gallon, divide by coverage per gallon to get cost per coat per square foot, then multiply by the coats needed to reach a durable build. A high-solids finish that costs more per gallon frequently costs less per finished square foot once you count the coats. That is the comparison to make before switching products.
Related: how many coats of wax, floor finish types, sealing vs. waxing, and cost calculator.
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It is the share of the finish that stays on the floor as dry film after the liquid evaporates. Higher solids means more protective material per coat.
Often, because it builds faster and can be more durable per coat, but the right choice depends on your maintenance method and budget. Compare on cost per finished square foot.
Common commercial finishes run roughly 18 to 22 percent, with high-solids products at about 25 percent and up. Read the label for the exact figure.
Usually yes. More film per coat means you can reach a durable build in fewer coats than with a thin, low-solids product.
On cost per finished square foot: price per gallon divided by coverage, times the number of coats needed for a durable build, not on price per gallon alone.
No. Solids is about how much film stays on the floor; gloss is about how shiny that film is. They are related but distinct properties.
Often higher solids and better polymer chemistry. A higher price per gallon can still be cheaper per finished square foot if it needs fewer coats.
A thicker film per coat can wear longer between services, which is part of why high-solids products are popular for high-traffic floors. Application still matters.
This guide should support both education and conversion: define the issue clearly, explain when the topic affects strip-and-wax, scrub-and-recoat, VCT care, burnishing, polishing, sealing, or maintenance programs, and point the reader to quote, cost, facility, and provider pages where the next step belongs.
Facility type, floor material, square footage, current condition, service needed, timing, access window, photos, traffic areas, safety concerns, and decision-maker contact details.
Photos are optional but helpful. A remote video walkthrough is a convenience option when condition or access is hard to explain. Larger schools, hospitals, universities, municipalities, portfolios, and complex projects may still need an in-person walkthrough.
Strip&Wax.com builds coverage carefully by collecting real facility requirements, provider service areas, capability details, and quote outcomes. The site focuses on accurate scope, clear expectations, and useful commercial floor-care guidance before an opportunity is routed.
Use these related pages to compare services, understand cost, plan facility-specific work, and route the right commercial floor-care opportunity.
Commercial floor-care buyers are usually trying to protect a facility, prepare for traffic, improve presentation, control safety risk, or restore floors before a deadline. The best quote requests connect the floor problem to the service, floor type, facility type, schedule, and access requirements.
High-value requests often include thousands of square feet, multiple rooms, heavy traffic lanes, old finish buildup, school or healthcare scheduling windows, retail entrances, warehouse walkways, municipal procurement steps, or a multi-location maintenance need. The buyer should understand that price changes with condition and access, not just square footage.
Useful quote notes include the facility type, floor material, current condition, deadline, preferred service window, whether furniture or shelving must move, whether the building needs low-odor products, and whether photos or a remote walkthrough can show the problem better than a written description.
Use the links below to compare scrub vs strip, review VCT floor care, check industry examples, estimate pricing with the cost calculator, or request a quote.
Use these resources to narrow the request into the right service, surface, and facility type: commercial floor waxing, floor stripping and waxing, VCT maintenance, scrub-and-recoat, burnishing, school floor care, healthcare floor care, retail floor care, and industrial floor maintenance. The buyer does not need every technical term before submitting the request.
Use this page to move from a general floor-care question into the right quote path. Commercial floor work gets easier to price when the buyer identifies the facility type, floor material, condition, timing, and project goal.
What Does Percent Solids Mean in Floor Finish? supports the buyer before they request pricing. A useful floor-care guide should help a facility manager understand what to look for, what to photograph, what questions to ask, and which service page to use next. It should also connect the reader to quote-ready pages instead of leaving them at a dead end after reading the article.
The commercial value is in converting research intent into a quote request. When the reader knows whether they need stripping and waxing, scrub-and-recoat, burnishing, floor maintenance, VCT care, tile-and-grout work, or another service, the next click should be obvious and close by.
Do not wait until every detail is perfect. Start the quote request with the basics, then add photos, measurements, floor type, or walkthrough notes when available. Larger schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, retail stores, warehouses, and multi-location properties can add scope details during follow-up.
Request a floor-care quoteTell us your facility, floor types, and square footage. We'll scope the work and send a written quote. Not sure what you have? Send a photo and we'll tell you.