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Polyurethane Flooring
Polyurethane flooring is a protective coating that adds longevity to many floors. Consider lightweight polyurethane flooring for your next hard-surface floor to reduce damage from moisture, dirt and grime, and daily wear and tear.
Wood floors are the main type of flooring that needs polyurethane as a top coat, but polyurethane can be used in other situations too. For flooring that needs to be protected, polyurethane is an excellent choice.
You need to educate yourself about polyurethane before you make your purchase. You don't want to purchase the wrong kind of polyurethane because it could ruin your flooring. There are several pros and cons when it comes to polyurethane flooring, the pros including:
* Polyurethane protects almost any type of floor
* Inexpensive
* Durability
The problems associated with polyurethane flooring include:
* Dangerous to use
* Hard determine the best match for your floor
* Off gassing
Polyurethane is created by a very scientific process. It begins by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate with of course the suitable additives to go along with it. Polyurethane is not only a chemical resistant coating but also it can be turned into specialty adhesives, foams of all kinds, and more. Our interest is in polyurethane, the floor coating.
Polyurethane is the toughest floor coating that you can find for any type of floor. It was created to resist chemicals, which means that it is strong enough to resist most liquids that hit your floor. This designed resistance makes cleaning polyurethane a breeze. Another advantage of polyurethane is the way it strengthens floor surfaces for a longer life. This coating will protect various floor surfaces and keep them looking good longer than many other coatings will.
Otto Bayer and his co-workers discovered polyurethane in 1937. Ever since its creation, polyurethane has been developed further. Otto Bayer discovered that it was more than just a floor coating, it could be much more because it can take many forms.
Polyurethane is a great coating for any type floor because of the strength that it contains. If it can resist chemicals and moisture of all kinds, it is a good choice in your laundry room, kitchen or bathroom. The best part about polyurethane is that is quite affordable. Wood of course, is the most common flooring that polyurethane is used for.
Polyurethane can be dangerous. You need to be careful to not inhale too much of it because the toxins can make you ill. It's also flammable, so be careful when using it near flames. Once it is applied, it's safe. It does off gas for awhile, so chemically sensitive people need to be aware of that as they make decisions about flooring sealants.
Polyurethane is a great choice to coat your floor with because it protects and strengthens the flooring surface. The added resistance will help your flooring survive almost anything that comes its way!
Comments
Sometimes, all that's necessary is to lightly sand the whole floor and reapply your poly, sometimes you need to totally strip your floor (either chemically or thru sanding) and reapply your poly.Thanks for the tips!
Best regard!
Polyurethane coating at August 22, 2008 12:21 AM
You're most welcome. I wish you luck and hope that all you need to do is lightly sand it and reapply......
The Flooring Lady at August 22, 2008 12:56 PM
help i just sanded my hardwood floor and put on some water based semi gloss poly. now my floor is turning white and has no sine at all. what can i do?
jeff at August 27, 2008 02:27 PM
There could be a few reasons why this has happened. Did you make sure to totally remove all the residue - not just on the floor, but on window sills, walls, light fixtures, etc.? What grit of sandpaper did you finish sanding with? Did you make sure to mix the poly once in a while (but don't get a bunch of air bubbles in it)? You didn't use a damp rag on it after sanding, right? (Raises the grain in the wood = dull spots)
Chances are that lightly sanding then leaving the finish to dry will make the white may come out. Sanding tends to break the surface and allow the interior of the finish to dry more thoroughly, it may be all you need. If that doesn't work, you could spray the surface with blush eliminator, which you can find in aerosol cans. A lacquer retarder will also work.
Be careful too about placing bare hands or knees on the floor as you go - your body oils can keep the poly from adhering correctly.
The Flooring Lady at August 27, 2008 07:50 PM
Dear Ms. Flooring Lady-
We have a poly-u treated floor. No problems, just does not shine quite enough for me. What do you think about using Orange Glo Clean and Shine?
I've used Murphy's Oil Soap in the past and it is clean, but no shine.
Karen at August 30, 2008 10:19 AM
How long has it been since it was urethaned? Was it shiny after it was first applied? Have you tried buffing it?
The Flooring Lady at August 30, 2008 11:07 AM
Great resource on polyurethane. I'm wondering if you know of any polyurethane substitutes, maybe something that's somewhat durable but doesn't have the outgassing and so forth. Not necessarily an "all natural" protectant, but something less chemical-ish?
Jim at September 1, 2008 11:24 AM
Hi Jim, Actually, the number of products that are becoming more 'green' are growing in numbers all the time. It's what customers want and the manufacturers have listened! There are now many products that are low-VOC, keeping off-gassing to a minimum. Much better healthwise than they used to be! Diamond Coat Varathane Polyurethane products have listened to their customers as well as other manufacturers.
The Flooring Lady at September 1, 2008 09:19 PM
I have poly wood floors and the shine is gone. We bought the house about 3 years ago and they were beautiful. What do I need to do to make it shine again. The house was built in 1940 and has the original wood floor, but has been refinished and coated with poly by the previous owners,like I said, it was beautiful. Do I need to sand it and apply another coat or just please help!
Thank you
Tiffany at September 4, 2008 09:14 PM
You could probably get by with sanding and reapplying the poly, but do you know if the previous poly is water-based or solvent-based. You need to use the same type -- if you don't know then I would recommend stripping the old poly off first. Granted, you have a 50/50 chance, but if you guess at the wrong one you're going to have a mess and will have to strip and start over anyway.
You might be able to get away with using a product like Varathane Renewal No Sanding Floor Refinishing Kit. I hope so, because it's easy to use and provides excellent results under the right circumstances. I presume that this is Low VOC like the other products they manufacture.
If you wind up needing to strip the floor, there are products out now that are environmentally friendly, so you don't have to worry about health concernes from breathing in fumes, exposure to chemicals, etc. One such product is SoyGreen PolyStripper Polyurethane Coating Stripper, Soy Gel, SoyGreen, etc. There's lots of them out there now.
The Flooring Lady at September 4, 2008 11:03 PM
