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