Padco Floor Coaters – Background and usage


Padco introduced the t-bar style floor coater to the hardwood flooring industry in 1988. Padco floor coaters are now the most widely used applicators in the hardwood flooring industry, and they have become a mainstay for applying a fast, flawless finish to vinyl, concrete, stone, tile, terrazzo and other hard, flat floor surfaces. They work like a cushioned squeegee. These t-bar floor coaters apply a smooth, bubble free finish at a rate of about 10,000 square feet per hour.

Here is a brief recap of the features and usage for our floor finish applicators;

Nylfoam Refills are covered with soft urethane foam with an application surface of about 20,000 Nylon fibers per square inch. Nylfoam is an ideal material to spread waterborne and oil modified hardwood finishes. Also floor wax, epoxies, polyaspartics, polyureas, sealers, and most water and mild solvent based finishes for concrete, stone and tile.

Years ago, these refills became popular with the introduction of waterborne hardwood floor finishes in the USA. The Nylfoam fibers eliminated the bubbling associated with other types of applicators when used with waterbornes. For years, contractors used the Nylfoam refills for waterborne finishes only. They then became so used to them that they started trying them with thicker oil modified finishes, with excellent results. Nylfoam refills work perfectly with most solvent based finishes.

One consideration with the use of Nylfoam refills is that in the manufacturing process where the fibers are electrostatically bonded to the foam, a very few fibers are not anchored in the adhesive and should be removed to prevent shedding. This is very minor, but we recommend that these refills be "pre conditioned" before use. Contractors will rinse them in water and dry them with a towel, rubbing the surface vigorously. Some will vacuum the surface thoroughly. This is considered part of the application process, along with thorough tacking and vacuuming the floor before application. It all combines to give a flawless finish.

When used with thicker, stickier oil modified finishes, there is a greater tendency for these few loose fibers to come out. . A few contractors did not follow the pre conditioning and they saw some shedding.  Also, when used with aggressive solvent finishes such as acid cured or moisture cured materials, or high solvent acetone, MEK, or toluene coatings, the foam can swell and degrade over time.  Thus, we introduced the Woven Refills. These have the same soft foam, but with a woven fibered fabric bonded to the foam. The fibers are locked in the fabric backing, and they can not come loose. The fabric backing also helps the refill hold up longer when used with harsh solvent finishes. The surface of the woven refill is a little less flexible and the fibers are a little stiffer, so the applicator has a different "feel" in use. Some contractors prefer them, but the majority still use the flocked Nylfoam refills with oil modified hardwood finishes and mild solvent concrete and stone coatings.

The Lambswool Refills are a very small part of our business. They are used mostly for solvent finishes, and for waterbornes when a thick layer of finish is desired. They are expensive, and contractors who have used traditional wood block applicators with lambswool pads have made the transition to the t-bar style applicator with our lambswool refills. They are sometimes used with strong acid cure "Swedish Finishes".

Harsh solvent finishes such as acid cures or finishes containing toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, or acetone can attack the epoxy adhesive that bonds the foam to the plastic core tube, limiting the working life of the refill. If these types of finishes are being applied, a test should be done to see if the refill will be affected, prior to using it on the actual project.

One more factor is the weight of the t-bar. T-bar applicators work like a squeegee, and the harder you push down on a squeegee, the thinner layer of finish you leave. Thus, the Lightweight Applicators will leave a thicker layer of finish and the Heavyweight Applicators leave a thinner layer. Lightweight bars commonly apply waterborne hardwood finishes, thick base coats of epoxy, and concrete densifiers. Heavyweight bars apply oil modified hardwood finishes, thin topcoats of epoxy, floor wax, and sealers for concrete, stone and tile. Of course, there are some professionals who use the applicators in the opposite manner, but this is a general rule.

Also, the position of the applicator has an influence in the thickness of the coating. When positioned so the metal handle mounting tang welded to the t-bar is in the down position, so the edge of the pad is vertical to the floor, the edge works somewhat more as a squeegee and strips the finish off to the side, leaving a slightly thinner layer. When the welded tang is facing upward, the smooth bottom surface of the pad tends to hydroplane over the finish, leaving a slightly heavier coat.


Trim Pads are accessory applicators used for cutting along baseboards and moldings, creating a clean, precise edge to the finish. They are also used as stand alone applicators for smaller areas and residential room applications. They apply all waterborne and mild solvent finishes.

The Smoother is a handy, inexpensive handheld applicator that does an excellent job on stair treads and risers, closets, under radiators, and other small areas. The handle is foam plastic, and the Smoother can easily be cut to a specific width to fit between spindles, or other tight spots.

The Bigmouth Pour Bucket holds two gallons of finish and is a convenient way to keep a controlled puddle of finish in front of the applicator.

We also offer many additional accessories, such as Foam Brushes, Trim Pad  Trays, Application Rollers, Extension Poles, etc.

Generally speaking, our suggestion is to use the Nylfoam flocked refills for water based and mild solvent finishes , and try both the flocked and woven refills to see which works best in your stronger solvent application. Make sure you remember pre conditioning the flocked and lambswool refills.

Padco T-bar applicators are recommended by almost every hardwood finish manufacturer in North America and by many concrete, vinyl, tile, and stone finish manufacturers. Our products are made in the USA to the highest professional standards.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the project you are planning.