Wrong finish used on unfinished wood floor.


  #1  
Old 03-20-19, 06:20 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Unhappy Wrong finish used on unfinished wood floor.

I used polyshades minwax product on my unfinished wood floor at the suggestion of the paint department at Walmart. The floor looks awful, about 400 sq ft. Now I am reading that it is not recommended for floors. But also read where some people have used it on floors. I am going to look at it in the morning but I am not happy with the way it turned out and I am sick over this. Any suggestions?
 
  #2  
Old 03-20-19, 06:44 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

Yes.... I see it says not to use on floors. That may be because it doesn't hold up like a floor finish would. You said it looks bad..... how so ?

The pros will be by to add information.

Minwax polyshades
 
  #3  
Old 03-20-19, 06:57 PM
XSleeper's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 27,061
Received 1,910 Upvotes on 1,716 Posts
Yeah that's not a good product to use on a floor. Not sure what else to add. It's not a very hard poly... that can be solved by adding a better floor poly over it. Not suggesting you do that though. But I'm guessing the problem is that it just looks bad. (Probably smeary looking?)

You will need to chemically strip and scrape it off. Not a job I envy doing.

The worst part is that you kept going after the first square foot... should have stopped after the first Sq ft if it didn't look right. Pretty common mistake, others have done similar things so you aren't alone.
 
  #4  
Old 03-20-19, 08:05 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
It's not dried yet. I will look at it in the morning and hopefully figure out what to do. We live in a rural area and it is next to impossible to get any professional anything out here to do work so I am left to figure it out on my own, me and YouTube and Google I sent an email to Minwax, hopefully someone there can answer. What should I use to chemically get it off?
 
  #5  
Old 03-21-19, 04:09 AM
Marq1's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: USA MI
Posts: 9,745
Received 1,210 Upvotes on 1,098 Posts
at the suggestion of the paint department at Walmart
This is a new one, usually it's the big box stores that get people in trouble.

That finish has to go, you think you have a mess now, if you put something on top it will be even worse.

I know in hindsight it's obvious but everybody really needs to do some research on products they are thinking about using!
 
  #6  
Old 03-21-19, 04:25 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
The main reason PolyShades is not recommended for floors is because the color is in the poly, as the poly wears so does the color.

The best fix would be to sand the floor back to raw wood and then restain using the correct type of stain, followed by 3 coats of clear poly sanding lightly between coats of poly. That sanding both promotes good adhesion, smooths out rough grain and removes any minor defects in the finish.
 
  #7  
Old 03-21-19, 06:26 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Well it doesn't look any better. I will have to rent the big sander again. Any advice on the best type of sander to use? Thank you for all the input.
 
  #8  
Old 03-21-19, 06:49 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
The big orbital type sanders are a lot more diy friendly than drum sanders. A buffer/sander will also work but won't get as close in the corners.
 
  #9  
Old 03-21-19, 05:04 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thank you once again. Since we sanded it down prior to the polyshades should I start with a medium or fine grit? I am concerned about taking off too much wood.
 
  #10  
Old 03-21-19, 07:34 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
Start with the fine. You're not trying to smooth out the wood. Just a surface clean.
 
  #11  
Old 03-22-19, 02:31 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
Fine might work but I'd be prepared to step it up to a medium grit. The PolyShades needs to be removed, you need bare wood for a penetrating stain to work. How many times has the floor been sanded and refinished?
 
  #12  
Old 03-25-19, 07:54 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
This is the first time to refinish.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: