How To Identify Hardwood Floor Finish

If nothing happens move on to the next test.

How to identify hardwood floor finish.

You can however learn techniques to identify a floor finish. Although new scents can be very difficult to express in words many times the scent of an unknown wood may be similar to other known scents. Hardwood floor finishes have varying levels of ease durability even glossiness. If the finish dissolves congratulations you ve got a waxed floor.

Assuming there is no stain finish or preservative on or in the wood quickly sand saw or otherwise machine a section of the wood in question and take a whiff of the aroma. Because this type of finish is applied at the factory it s thicker and harder than a on site polyurethane finish. Need help identifying a tool or material for refinishing hardwood flooring. You often can tell what kind of wood your floor is made from just by looking at it.

How to find out what type of wood floor you have. Improper techniques can damage wood floors resulting in astronomical repair bills. Many species such as oak pine and fir are easily recognizable. Test 2 is it shellac.

Brush up on the basics of 8 popular options before choosing yours. Finishing expert peter gedrys explains how you can test you floors to determine the finish used. Found on prefinished solid hardwood flooring surface finishes such as polyurethane form a protective layer over the floor and are some of the most common finishes in use today. Find products fast with image search in the home depot app.

Identifying the type of finish that is applied to a wood floor is necessary in order to determine the best maintenance procedures. Unfinished solid hardwood flooring has a penetrating finish which does as the name implies. When it s not hardwood it may appear rather sturdy but just because you ve found a gorgeous wood floor in your living space doesn t mean it is hardwood. If the finish dissolves this time then you can be assured you have a shellac finish.

Learning how to refinish hardwood floors involves taking care during the sanding process and the application of finish. In order to clean repair stain or treat the wood flooring you will need to correctly identify the type of hardwood under your feet. Knowing this will allow you to choose the proper cleaning chemicals and procedures to use as well as determining a course of action for periodic maintenance of wood floors. This time apply a small amount of denatured alcohol to the finish and do the same process.

It is absorbed into the floor and then topped off by a coat of floor wax.