Old Hardwood Floor Finishes
Old Hardwood Floor Finish TIPS
- Finish could be varnish - varnish can water stain
- Urethanes not widespread until after 1960
- Test for lead - lead was used in varnish. Get test kit below
- Don't sand floor until you know there's no lead
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DEAR TIM: What type of finish was used on hardwood floors circa 1964? Does it need to removed or screened to apply a new finish such as oil or water-based urethane? Jim Heavey
DEAR JIM: Although highly unlikely, it's possible your finish is urethane. Urethanes were developed in the early 1960's. The widespread adoption of urethanes for floor finishes didn't start to happen until the late 1960s and the early 1970s.
CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter
Varnish Is Great, But ...
In all likelihood, the finish on your floor is traditional varnish. It is hard to discern the difference between the two with the naked eye, but you can test in a small out-of-the-way location. A large drop or spot of water will often turn varnish cloudy within 30 minutes or less. Urethane, on the other hand, is usually unaffected by water.
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Check For Lead
The bigger problem might be the presence of lead in the varnish. Yes, lead was sometimes added to clear finishes years ago. I'd absolutely perform a lead test on the finish before I would create clouds of sanding or screening dust.
This is a handy and reliable test kit. Use it on paint or clear varnish to check for the presence of lead. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER THIS KIT.
Remove Wax First
Furthermore, it is also possible a past owner of the home applied wax to the finish. If wax is present, you must remove it before you do any application of a new urethane. The screening process will not remove all of the wax, if it is present.
Screening is the same as a light sanding and is meant to lightly scuff an existing surface to ensure a good bond between an older glossy surface and the fresh coat of floor finish.
DIY Floor Refinish Product
Here's a fantastic liquid refinishing product. NO SANDING required! No lead dust!!
This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.
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