Testing a Wood Floor

[Jamesh921]

How do you test a wood floor to determine what type of finish is on it?

I have a custy who wants a clean & re-coat but she has no idea what kind of finish is on it.

It's a Parkay wood floor, probably from the 70s or 80s.

 

[Mikey P]

James, I contacted Basic Coatings about your question and hope they reply.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

http://www.woodfloordoctor.com/_how_tos ... npt2.shtml

 

[Mikey P]

yikes!

After reading all that I'm glad I went with the Basic Coatings system

Cleans with the shortest exposure to water as possible so very little risk


and the coating just does the minimal and being so low in solids is super easy to apply.


I have too many Wood Guys to refer sanding and screening to.

 

[FredC]

http://www.basiccoatings.com/Training/P ... brary.aspx

 

[Jamesh921]

Thanks Mikey.

So, the Tykote system will work on any floor except a floor that has had VCT wax applied to it? Is that correct?

 

[Mikey P]

dont rely on my rookie knowledge but I'll say tis, the Basic stuff I applied to my prefinished wood and Saltillo floors bonded real well, I can not get it to budge

 

[Mikey P]

I got this from a Basic Coating employee..

The question that was asked - testing for the type of finish that is on the wood that you are looking to clean or clean and recoat. I am going to assume he meant what type of maintenance product that might be on the floor ... paste wax or acrylic? Let me answer this way:

The Basic Coatings Maintenance System of Cleaning and Refinisher should work on most all wood floors regardless of what the "original" finish is .... water base, oil, pre finished aluminum oxide etc.... the original finish should not be a problem. As far as maintenance products that might have been used on the floor, that is where testing for acrylic and paste wax comes into play.

Testing for paste wax - using mineral spirits on a white rag. Clean the area to be tested first with squeaky cleaner then test by rubbing a white cloth with mineral spirits on it on the area. If the rag shows discoloration ( yellow, brown etc..) paste wax is probably present and the floor will need to be sanded or re - waxed.

Testing for acrylic - We have a new test kit coming out very shortly. The original way to test for acrylic is to use a mixture of 1/4 tsp IFT, 1/4 tsp of ammonia and 8 oz water. Apply few drops of mixture to corner of room and if the spot turns white or slightly cloudy, acrylic wax is probably present. We have had good success removing small amounts of acrylic maintenance products by adding 1 cup of ammonia to the IFT mix using the Dirt Dragon. If the customer has been using an acrylic maintenance product for a long time, that will have to be removed before coating.

 

[Mikey P]

Water & Wood
The Basic Coatings Intensive Cleaning Process uses cleaning solutions that contain water. These solutions contain
evaporators, like alcohol, that help the solution fl ash off the floor. We should take some time to understand how
excess water affects wood flooring. Hardwood flooring is hygroscopic, which means it has the ability to take in or
give off moisture. Wood is made of vessels and if flooded it can cause these vessels to fi ll up and expand. Shrinkage
occurs as moisture content decreases, while swelling takes place when the moisture content increases. Wood
flooring is expected to shrink in dry environments and expand in wet environments. An excessively swollen wood
floor can cause cupping. Cupping occurs when the edges of the boards are higher and the board’s center is lower.
It is important not to flood any floor with excess water or solution. Wood floor finishes do not prevent wood from
gaining or losing moisture; finish merely slows the process.
• Wipe up spills and puddles immediately.
• Use an air mover to assist the drying process.
• Empty the Dirt Dragon’s reservoir tank before it becomes too full.
• When stopping the machine be aware that the solution in the brush can leak on to floor. Place a towel under
the machine or remove the machine off the floor.
The good news is you do not need to be alarmed; the Intensive Cleaning systems have been used successfully for
many years. A properly cleaned floor will not cause any cupping or adverse moisture related issues. Appropriate
wood fl oor maintenance will give your customer beautiful results and bring new life to their floor.
Different Types of Wood Flooring
Extra caution should be taken when working with floors that have excess cracks and floors that have a thin wear
layer. Different flooring types have varying abilities to withstand changes in humidity. Awareness of the type of
fl ooring is important for determining if it can handle changes in moisture content.
SOLID WOOD FLOORING can come in an array of sizes, species, and thicknesses. It is one solid piece of wood
from top to bottom. It can be site finished or pre-finished. Solid wood flooring is a great candidate for any of the
professional hardwood maintenance systems.
ENGINEERED FLOORING is an assembly of multiple sandwiched layers of plywood with a hardwood top sheet.
The top layer is usually a 1/16” to 1/6” thickness of hardwood. Due to its multi-ply structure, engineered wood
can be very stable and is less susceptible to shrinking and expanding with changes in temperatures and humidity.
They can be site finished or pre-finished. These floors are great candidates for any of the professional hardwood
maintenance systems.
LAMINATE FLOORING is a melamine-infused paper on top and a wood chip composite on bottom. Laminate is not
actually wood flooring but is more of a picture of a wood floor. Care must be taken when cleaning laminate floors.
It is not advisable to coat these floors because the coating cannot be sanded off the floor.

 

[J Scott W]

If you don't have the BC products to do the test described above, you can test for wax by scraping your fingernail across the finish. Paste wax will roll up in a little sticky ball. Most any other finish will flake off or not come off at all.

A little rubbing alcohol on a rag applied to some acrylic and most paste wax finishes will turn them white or cloudy. When they dry, the appearance will return to normal.

 

[leesenter]

Basic Coatings is the way to go but you still have to be sure there is no shingling of the existing finish prior to starting.
I have done so many jobs for free when I started the wood side of my business I always do a test area first to ensure the products adhere if I am the least bit leary. Never assume anything!

 

[Jamesh921]

Thanks for the info Mikey.

I spoke with Basic Coating today too and got pretty much the same answers.

I tested the floor with mineral spirits and got no transfer.

I didn't have any of BCs squeaky cleaner, so I tried some VCT stripper. Sure enough, it turned milky white. So I clear-water rinsed the floor and put on a coat of wax.

Had to leave to get to my next job before it could dry so I just called the custy a few minutes ago. She said it looked great.