Testing for oil or wax.
Testing hardwood floor finish.
Choose a low traffic area that has been cleaned thoroughly.
Wax is the traditional time tested finish for hardwood floors making it a great choice for antique floors in historic homes.
Denatured alcohol lacquer thinner and xylene.
So i found myself in the closet.
If you can feel the wood grain the finish is probably a penetrating finish.
Part 2 of this article including video of testing floor finishes in a closet testing hardwood floor finishes part 2.
Next place several drops of mineral spirits a k a.
He was asking for advice on his wood floors and more specifically testing hardwood floor finishes.
I knew pretty well.
How to know the finish of my hardwood floors a variety of finishing materials.
Behind a door is a good spot because this area is usually.
If the finish dissolves congratulations you ve got a waxed floor.
Run your hand over the floor surface.
Testing hardwood floor finishes in a closet.
It comes in both paste and liquid forms.
The easiest way to test a floor finish is to run your hand along the surface of the floor.
Select an inconspicuous area of the floor surface and apply a small amount of paint remover.
Listed in order of aggressiveness of paired.
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.
Paint thinner and let them sit for 2 3 minutes on the.
To begin put a few drops of mineral oil on your cleaned spot.
Using these solvents requires gloves and good ventilation and it doesn t hurt to have on a pair of safety glasses either.
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 nothing happens move on to the next test.
Testing for grease based residue like wax or oil soap 1.
If the finish bubbles up it is most likely a surface finish.
Hardwood floor finishes have varying levels of ease durability even glossiness.
Before polyurethane became a household word floor finishers applied wax varnish.
Brush up on the basics of 8 popular options before choosing yours.