Testing for oil or wax.
Testing hardwood floor finish.
Listed in order of aggressiveness of paired.
Select an inconspicuous area of the floor surface and apply a small amount of paint remover.
If the finish bubbles up it is most likely a surface finish.
Choose a low traffic area that has been cleaned thoroughly.
Testing hardwood floor finishes in a closet.
If nothing happens move on to the next test.
Testing for grease based residue like wax or oil soap 1.
If the finish dissolves congratulations you ve got a waxed floor.
Wax is the traditional time tested finish for hardwood floors making it a great choice for antique floors in historic homes.
Run your hand over the floor surface.
If you can feel the wood grain the finish is probably a penetrating finish.
To begin put a few drops of mineral oil on your cleaned spot.
Brush up on the basics of 8 popular options before choosing yours.
Hardwood floor finishes have varying levels of ease durability even glossiness.
I knew pretty well.
The easiest way to test a floor finish is to run your hand along the surface of the floor.
So i found myself in the closet.
Put a couple drops of mineral spirits naphtha or turpentine on the surface you want to test.
Behind a door is a good spot because this area is usually.
To test the finish you ll need a little mineral oil baby oil and three solvents.
Testing hardwood floor finishes in an old house part 2 the commonly accepted hardwood floor finish tests and paired solvents.
Paint thinner and let them sit for 2 3 minutes on the.
Part 2 of this article including video of testing floor finishes in a closet testing hardwood floor finishes part 2.
Before polyurethane became a household word floor finishers applied wax varnish.
Next place several drops of mineral spirits a k a.
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.
Denatured alcohol lacquer thinner and xylene.
A few weeks back jeff b i wrote this little spiel on diy home inspections for him contacted me.
Using these solvents requires gloves and good ventilation and it doesn t hurt to have on a pair of safety glasses either.
Let it sit for a few seconds and then rub it into the area.