Old Hardwood Floor Finishes

I have been asked to refinish the floors in a house that was built for solders returning from the Korean war. There are approximately 800 square feet of floors to be sanded.
I just read your comments about lead in finishes circa 1960's.
What about the early 50's?
What should I look for?
Thanks,
Jack

Jack,
Look for a lead test kit at a local hardware store.

We recently built a new home and requested BonaKemi Satin Traffic as the finish for our unfinished Brazilian Cherry Floor after researching this product on the internet. We have now discovered that BonaKemi Satin Mega was used twice (without a base coat), and the final coat unfortunately was switched to Synteko Best without our knowledge. We did ask for Semigloss on our final two coats, but we never asked for the manufacturer switch. Apparently we never got the more expensive Traffic Product that we paid for. The finish result is terrible mainly because the floor was not prepped properly prior to applying either one of these products. Regardless of swapping products, the result would have been bad even with the Traffic Product because of poor prep work. It is now obvious why we were locked out of the house during this entire process. He didn't want us to see the "bait and switch" being pulled. In order to find a different contractor to fix the mess, we are being asked to get the finish tested in order to determine if the product on our floor is water-base or oil-base. Nobody wants to be responsible for the outcome of the "unknown product" initially installed. Where do we go for this type of testing, and how outrageous is the expense? Our Zip code is 48098 in Michigan. Thank you for your time. We look forward to some resolution and being able to live in our new home.

Pam,
This seems complicated. I assume you are holding all of the money. So start over. Sand off the old finish and do it right. Either you be there to supervise or pay a trusted inspector that will verify the work is being done correctly.

would a floor that had a varnish or shellac finish have a strong odor if washed with water and vinegar? The floor was covered with very old linoleum. The mop bucket left a white ring that did not go away. I tested for lead with a leaching method and a surface method and both tested negative. Ever since I pulled up the linoleum and washed the floor there has been this pungent odor that has not dissipated after weeks of airing out the room. What is this toxic phantom I'm dealing with?

Quinn,
Could it be the adhesive?

Our house was built in 1972, and instead of enjoying the beautiful urethane hardwood floors, I could not
wait until we could afford carpeting!
Duh! After 30 years, we pulled up some of the carpeting, but there is a sticky, dark, yucky substance that is
defying my cleaning attempts. Help!
Thanks!

Today I was given two estimates for refinishing five rooms of hardwood floors. One said they would use 2 coats of Mega finish- satin sheen and the other said he would use and oil based product. He also said he prefered oil over water based. What would you suggest as a finishing coat?

I simply want to be able to access the comments.

i am sanding 1960's hardwood floors...i get about a square foot section done w/ a 36 grit floor sander and the paper is so gummed up that i have to get a new one...at $7.00 a piece it would cost me a fortune. I know im doing something wrong ...please help!

Our hardwood floors have been covered by area rugs from the previous owners and they have oxidized under the rugs,we were told to let the air get to them and they would blend with the rest of the floors after 3 months.We did this and their is no change. Do we have to sand the entire first floor to get htis problem resloved.. Thank you Andrea

If you are trying to remove old finishes or new finishes, you should try a product call Soy Gel by Franmar.com it was developed for remove the Life time floor coatings that are ceramic. It will also work on Epoxy paints. I've used it quite a bit and am very happy with the result. I used it to take of five layers of Epoxy paint that got all scratched up before applying Formula One Ceramic. Soy Gel is soybean based and ECO Friendly. Flush with plain water after.

I just had carpeting removed from my floors- house built in 1960.Had the floors buffed rather than sanded. Floors are very slippery.Contractor says they originally. used shellac and wax finish and they need to be sanded and refinished at considerable cost.
We are putting down area rugs and are wondering if we can finish the edges and the steps ourselves.
Rita

What type of coating or varnish would have been used on a hardwood floor finished in 1941? I pulled put the carpet in our home which my grandparents built in 1941. you can see where the carpet pad rested on the floor for at least 35 yrs.

Our house was built in 1957 and we discovered the original hardwood floor under the carpet from prevous owners. The hardwood floor is in reasonably good condition. In the past six years, we have refinished the floor once with oil-based polyurethane and once with old-fashioned wax. We have several large dogs. I have allergies and asthma. What would you recommend as our next refinishing product? I don't care so much if it scratches but I would like to keep a "finished" look and a seal against puppy accidents for at least a few years.