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