Determine if Coating on Floor is Shellac or Old Polyurethane?
 

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

Shellac will completely dissolve in alcohol. I do not know how to identify
polyurethane.
Don Young

"bro" wrote in message news:9MlGd.547$Hg6.88@trnddc09...
I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

I'll try some denatured alcohol.

Mike

"Don Young" wrote in message
...
Shellac will completely dissolve in alcohol. I do not know how to identify
polyurethane.
Don Young

"bro" wrote in message
news:9MlGd.547$Hg6.88@trnddc09...
I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with
shellac or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

You're on the right track with alcohol on a rag in an inconspicuous
location. Probably shellac being the age it is. Shellac and lacquer
are the only finishes I know of that melt the previous coats making a
single coatd of finish on the substrate. Polyurethane, a varnish,
doesn't melt previous and requires scuff sanding between coats to get
good adhesion.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:07:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

90% of the floor looks good and I really don't want to refinish them.
If it's poly coated I can sand (which grit sandpaper?) then recoat with
poly?
Dpes it matter if it's water based poly?

Mike

wrote in message
...
You're on the right track with alcohol on a rag in an inconspicuous
location. Probably shellac being the age it is. Shellac and lacquer
are the only finishes I know of that melt the previous coats making a
single coatd of finish on the substrate. Polyurethane, a varnish,
doesn't melt previous and requires scuff sanding between coats to get
good adhesion.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:07:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

How do I know if I need to fresh coat to be oil base dor water based? Does
it matter?

Mike

"bro" wrote in message
news:o3AGd.4239$HT6.2960@trnddc04...
90% of the floor looks good and I really don't want to refinish them.
If it's poly coated I can sand (which grit sandpaper?) then recoat with
poly?
Dpes it matter if it's water based poly?

Mike

wrote in message
...
You're on the right track with alcohol on a rag in an inconspicuous
location. Probably shellac being the age it is. Shellac and lacquer
are the only finishes I know of that melt the previous coats making a
single coatd of finish on the substrate. Polyurethane, a varnish,
doesn't melt previous and requires scuff sanding between coats to get
good adhesion.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:07:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with
shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

Waterbased can be used as the finish is fully cured. It doesn't smell
like oil based does and doesn't have the ambering effect like oil.
Scuff sand with 150 grit and wipe up the dust with a rag dampened with
water. Don't use paint thinner/mineral spirits around anything that
will be topcoated with waterbased finish!

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:50:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

How do I know if I need to fresh coat to be oil base dor water based? Does
it matter?

Mike

"bro" wrote in message
news:o3AGd.4239$HT6.2960@trnddc04...
90% of the floor looks good and I really don't want to refinish them.
If it's poly coated I can sand (which grit sandpaper?) then recoat with
poly?
Dpes it matter if it's water based poly?

Mike

wrote in message
...
You're on the right track with alcohol on a rag in an inconspicuous
location. Probably shellac being the age it is. Shellac and lacquer
are the only finishes I know of that melt the previous coats making a
single coatd of finish on the substrate. Polyurethane, a varnish,
doesn't melt previous and requires scuff sanding between coats to get
good adhesion.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:07:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with
shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike

Do I need to find out if the original poly is water based or oil based
before applying a top coat?

Mike

wrote in message
...
Waterbased can be used as the finish is fully cured. It doesn't smell
like oil based does and doesn't have the ambering effect like oil.
Scuff sand with 150 grit and wipe up the dust with a rag dampened with
water. Don't use paint thinner/mineral spirits around anything that
will be topcoated with waterbased finish!

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:50:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

How do I know if I need to fresh coat to be oil base dor water based?
Does
it matter?

Mike

"bro" wrote in message
news:o3AGd.4239$HT6.2960@trnddc04...
90% of the floor looks good and I really don't want to refinish them.
If it's poly coated I can sand (which grit sandpaper?) then recoat with
poly?
Dpes it matter if it's water based poly?

Mike

wrote in message
...
You're on the right track with alcohol on a rag in an inconspicuous
location. Probably shellac being the age it is. Shellac and lacquer
are the only finishes I know of that melt the previous coats making a
single coatd of finish on the substrate. Polyurethane, a varnish,
doesn't melt previous and requires scuff sanding between coats to get
good adhesion.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:07:33 GMT, "bro" wrote:

I removed the wall to wall carpet from the 70 year old house I recently
bought. The floors in the bedrooms appears to be pine coated with
shellac
or
possibly polyurethane. I don't want to refinish the floors because of
the
beautiful
patina. In only isolated spots and by the door the coating show heavy
wear.

How can I find out which coating is on the floors? How can I protect
and
preserve the floors? What should I use to clean and preserve them?

Thanks,

Mike