Testing hardwood floor finishes in a closet.
Testing hardwood floor finish.
Wax is the traditional time tested finish for hardwood floors making it a great choice for antique floors in historic homes.
To test the finish you ll need a little mineral oil baby oil and three solvents.
Listed in order of aggressiveness of paired.
Brush up on the basics of 8 popular options before choosing yours.
How to know the finish of my hardwood floors a variety of finishing materials.
So i found myself in the closet.
Choose a low traffic area that has been cleaned thoroughly.
Before polyurethane became a household word floor finishers applied wax varnish.
Hardwood floor finishes have varying levels of ease durability even glossiness.
If you can feel the wood grain the finish is probably a penetrating finish.
It offers a low sheen non toxic finish and is a great choice for those who are environmentally conscious or those who are simply worried about chemicals in their home.
Testing for grease based residue like wax or oil soap 1.
Testing hardwood floor finishes in an old house part 2 the commonly accepted hardwood floor finish tests and paired solvents.
Put a couple drops of mineral spirits naphtha or turpentine on the surface you want to test.
It comes in both paste and liquid forms.
He was asking for advice on his wood floors and more specifically testing hardwood floor finishes.
Denatured alcohol lacquer thinner and xylene.
If the finish dissolves congratulations you ve got a waxed floor.
Run your hand over the floor surface.
Using these solvents requires gloves and good ventilation and it doesn t hurt to have on a pair of safety glasses either.
Testing for oil or wax.
Next place several drops of mineral spirits a k a.
Behind a door is a good spot because this area is usually.
Let it sit for a few seconds and then rub it into the area.
A few weeks back jeff b i wrote this little spiel on diy home inspections for him contacted me.
If nothing happens move on to the next test.
If the finish bubbles up it is most likely a surface finish.
To begin put a few drops of mineral oil on your cleaned spot.
Select an inconspicuous area of the floor surface and apply a small amount of paint remover.
Paint thinner and let them sit for 2 3 minutes on the.