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Discussion Forum

Odor from refinished hardwood floors

mdayanim | Posted in General Discussion on December 9, 2007 02:38am

Hi,

About three weeks ago I sanded the hardwood floors in one of our bedrooms and then applied two coats of Minwax polyurethane glossy finish. I used a lamb wool to apply the finish. As I said, about three weeks have passed and we still have a very strong odor in the room. I used a window vent the entire time, I also used a heater to pump up the temperature in the room.
I called the company but they weren’t really helpful. I would love to get any suggestion as to what I should do to get rid of the smell and finally let my 18 months baby girl get back to her bedroom.

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  1. FastEddie | Dec 09, 2007 03:46am | #1

    Did it cure properly, or is it still a bit tacky?  How long did you wait between coats?

    "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

    1. mdayanim | Dec 09, 2007 08:18am | #4

      I think it did cure properly. I am not sure about being tacky or not, I guess I would say that I can't really "glide" across it like I would at other areas in the house?! What ever that means. I waited for over 24 hours between the two coats.

      1. mesic | Dec 09, 2007 08:57am | #5

        The only thing that I can think of is that it was 2nd coated before the first coat was dry. Even then it should have dried in a couple days. I would have recommended thinning the first coat about a half pint per gallon. I suppose it could be faulty from the factory but I've never heard of that happening. Maybe somebody sabotaged you. Do you live in MN? ha ha----Mesic

  2. frenchy | Dec 09, 2007 04:03am | #2

    mdaynim,

      If it still is bad and you want to remove it and start over, read about shellac.. shellac is safe (you've been eating it all of your life on pills and candy)  dries in 15 minutes for the first coat and the whole process takes 2 hours. odor free! Hard tough and durable. 

     Really easy to do..

    1. rez | Dec 09, 2007 07:43am | #3

      heh heh

      I knew Frenchy would be here. 

      1. Sancho | Dec 09, 2007 08:13pm | #13

        yea that shellac deal is getting old

        1. rez | Dec 09, 2007 08:24pm | #14

          Actually I don't mind it and meant the comment tongue in cheek.

          Displaying the merits of an old technique like that  repetively gets the word out to a larger number of folk then just a few that might have stumbled across an isolated post. 

          1. User avater
            MarkH | Dec 09, 2007 08:45pm | #16

            He's about talked me into trying it on my ratty floor.  I kind of like a used patina, instead of bright wood.  Floor needs a sealer though, and all that is left is little varnish patches here and there.

          2. User avater
            Luka | Dec 09, 2007 08:56pm | #17

            I'll have a few small cabinets to refinish, as well as a small floor, soon.He's convinced me to use shellac...

            I think I used to have a good memory

          3. rez | Dec 09, 2007 08:59pm | #18

            He caused me to check the floor on a reno I'm involved with and sure enough it was old shellac under those rugs all these years. Going to simplify things greatly. 

          4. User avater
            Luka | Dec 09, 2007 09:10pm | #20

            The floor I'm thinking about doing is a very small floor.Bathroom floor in a 5th wheel RV. Talk about historical moisture problems...I am thinking about sealing the wood on all 6 sides before fastening it down. Shellac, with it's short cure time will make that more of a possibility.Maybe even do two coats...

            I think I used to have a good memory

          5. IdahoDon | Dec 09, 2007 09:08pm | #19

            I use shellac as a sealer between dye and stain, not to mention as a floor sanding sealer, so I'm not opposed to the stuff by any means, but do be careful of any substance that might sit in contact with the shellac finish since it might stain not only the finish but the wood underneith.

            Spent half an hour yesterday sanding out wood stains from small drops of drywall mud that missed the dropcloths and sat overnight on the floor surface.  Spackle seems to stain worse, as does thinset.  I tend to think of any dot of such things left overnight as a guaranteed grey dot on the floor if nothing is done.

            It's pretty hard to convince a client that it's a good finish when the wood is that vulnerable to moisture staining.

            Happy holidays 

            Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

          6. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2007 09:17pm | #21

            I concurr. I've used shellac for years on just about everything, but I still think the new products were developed for a reason. And the frailty or suspect wear resistance of shellac, was more than likely taken into account. Not too many average HO's wnat to get down and slop alcohol all aver the floor for a rejuvination periodically.

            Maybe on some floors, for some people, under some circumstances it is perfect.  I wouldn't hesitate to use it in my log home, on the nice old worn in floor..but a customer's?  I doubt I'd push it strenuously.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

          7. IdahoDon | Dec 09, 2007 10:12pm | #22

            I also enjoy the warm look of a shellac floor. 

            Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

          8. rez | Dec 09, 2007 10:41pm | #23

            So the new spackle stain on the new shellac floor went thru the shellac on into and stained the raw wood beneath? 

          9. frenchy | Dec 10, 2007 01:48am | #24

            rez, 

                With a single wash coat of shellac there is very little protection and moisture will go thru on stuff not wiped up in a reasonable time.. Each coat adds protection which is why in my instructions I always use three coats.   Of course a single wash coat of any finish would be equally as successful at preventing damage..

          10. IdahoDon | Dec 10, 2007 09:36am | #25

            So the new spackle stain on the new shellac floor went thru the shellac on into and stained the raw wood beneath?

            Yep, and that's two healthy coats of shellac.  Don't trust me, try it for yourself.   

            Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

  3. IdahoDon | Dec 09, 2007 10:03am | #6

    Poly will continue to off gas and cure for quite some time.  Keep the heat up and fan on till it's better.  That's about all you can do.

     

    Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

  4. Jason99 | Dec 09, 2007 10:09am | #7

    I've had some wierd issues with polyurathane not curing a few times.  I think I got old batches.  In any case minwax is made by Sherwin-Williams give your local store a call and ask them what they think.

    Jason

  5. Piffin | Dec 09, 2007 06:20pm | #8

    Ah, nothing quite like that new floor smell...!

    ;)

    This product cures by a reactive process with oxygen in the air.

    Sometimes, what happens is that the first coat or two get covered by the next before it can cure completely, so the availability of oxygen to the reaction is very limited, slowing it down. Some smell of course, comes from the evaporation of VOC carriers in the mix, but that is long gone by now.

    Usually with good temperatures, free flow of air and humidity levels below 40%, the product will cure well enough in 24 hours, but various things can cause it to take longer. There are times when hurrying things up actually causes it to take longer. It is not always an exact science - more like a relationship between man and woman....an art.

    Sometimes, a problem developes when too much heat exists. The first coat then skins over while it is still curing in the center of the molecular layer. The skin prevents the oxygen from reaching the materials and slows it down.

    From what little I hear here, I am placing my bet that you added too much heat, closed the room up tight to keep the smell in there without openning the window to vent things to the outside.

    The materials skinned over and are still curing, and other material in the room absorbed some smell and/or the floor is still slowly curing from underneathe.

    run a fan to keep fresh oxygen moving across the surface of the floor and let it vent out.

     

     

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  6. GRCourter | Dec 09, 2007 06:42pm | #9

    The only thing that Piffin did not cover was, What was the temperature of the floor surface when you applied the finish?  It is not just the room temp but also the product temp.  If the floor surface was too cool and then you raised the room temp too high then you could really have a problem.  Floor temp=poly temp=air temp and then add air circulation.

  7. calvin | Dec 09, 2007 06:51pm | #10

    And we can assume you stirred the product before and during application?  Not mixing well might have kept the driers ........out of the mix.  To be 3 weeks and a slight drag on a sock sounds a little suspect for just slow drying.

    I've only seen this happen once on a "I can do that, you guys go do something else" job.

    A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    http://www.quittintime.com/

     

    1. mdayanim | Dec 09, 2007 07:22pm | #11

      I really appreciate your help.  To answer some of your questions:

      The room has been vented for the entire time (I used a window vent to blow out the air) and for most of the time the door to the hallway was open.

      I started with the heater later on the second week, so before that, the room was under 71 degrees, which is also what the temp was when applying the poly.

      As to calvin's assumption, yes sir, I did mix the can very well before and while using it.

      Having all the details, does anybody have a suggestion of how to get rid of the smell?  On the Minwax website they have a video showing how to go over the last finish with a 600 grit sandpaper dipped in mineral spirit to really smooth the surface, would that help with the smell as well? (it was shown on a piece of furniture)

      Thanks again for your inputs

      1. FastEddie | Dec 09, 2007 07:45pm | #12

        You can wet sand it with water.  Get some 400 or 600 wet-dry paper (may have to go to a auto parts store where they sell autiomotive paints) and use a large pad sander.  I have a Porter Cable 505 1/2 sheet sander that does a wonderful job.  Keep a squirt bottle of water handy and use it to keep the floor wet where you are working."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

        "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      2. calvin | Dec 09, 2007 08:30pm | #15

        If there's an air return in the room, place a pan of white vinegar in front of it. 

        And now that I think of it.  Change out your filter (if disposable) for your furnace.  I don't think, but what the heck, that there would be any of the airborne solvent attached to the filter.  The vinegar trick works when trying to clear the air of oil based paint.  It neutralizes the odor, don't know about any neutralizing of the solvent itself.

        Best of luck.

         

         

         

         

         

         A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

        Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

        http://www.quittintime.com/

         

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