Hi,
I just got done doing about 4 weeks of nights and weekends work on my office (re-wire electrical, patch holes, crown, paint). I put down plastic to protect the hardwood floor. I was concerned about adhesive from something like duct tape sticking to the floor, and being a PITA to clean off, so I used blue masking tape, which worked surprisingly well. Until I went and pulled up the plastic last night. The tape “peeled” off some of the floor finish. I am not a floor guy, but I think the finish is some sort of wax (water drips dry into white spots).
Any ideas on how to fix this or what kind of finish is actually on the floor?
Thanks.
David
Replies
Try a damp rag of denatured alcohol..I have a suspicion some one shellaced over a scuff sanded poly or factory type finish.
You may be able to re hydrate the surrounding shellac to blend away the stripe.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Frenchy will be by shortly to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about shellac.
Does the "finish" scrape with a finger nail? If so probably a wax of some sort over the original finish.
If this is a commercial space I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there were several layers of liquid wax put on over the years. Janitors usually know of two kinds of floors---- hard & carpet.
"Feed & Wax" should be able to blend it back together if it's wax. If it's not then Sphere had a good answer.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” —Albert Einstein
Thanks for the reply.I should have been more specific -- this is a home (1955), it is a bedroom we are using as an office. The area where the finish came up reveals bare (stained) wood, I can't detect any other type of clear or top coat. It is not easy, but I can get some of the finish to scrape away with my fingernail... it does seem tougher than I would think wax is... although again, I am not a floor guy :-)David
You've got a dried out finish. I had that once when I duct taped a snake ( sound board for a band) on my floor..yeah..stoopid, I know.
Old Poly is notorious for that. Hate to say it, but I think you are in for a hard time. Does this area get a lot of sun?
Another floor that did that I sanded and finished with Boiled linseed oil and turpentine mixed 50/50..I didn't STRIP sand it, I scuffed off the flaking dried out finish.
This really doesn't bode well..esp now that you said it's not a commercially waxed floor.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
4 weeks is a little past the clean release statute of limitations.I've had the green tape, which is even supposed to have even longer/and more gentle releasability, pull two layers of poly up after sticking for 1/2 an hour.Still, shellac might work to fix it. Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
Ok, so it sounds like the consesus is that I have poly on my floor, and that I should repair the spots with shellac?Most places the tape came up no problem.
You said "water drips into white spots".
That's how shellac acts. So yes, you can fix it back with shellac.
I mentioned this because I was told this would indicate it was a wax finish. It sounds like both finishes exhibit this. It seems more likely that the finish is shellac.Any special tips for these spot repairs? Will it blend easily?Thanks again.
You should really test if it is shellac with a rag soaked in alcohol. Alcohol will readily remove shellac but it won't touch polyurethane. If it is shellac then an application of shellac will readily soften the old shellac and easily blend in to make a decent repair. You might even be satisfied with blending it in with the alcohol rag.