Hardwood Floors December 2018/January 2019

• Poor adhesion between coats of finish as a result of contamination, poor abrasion, improper preparation, incompatible finishes, finish applied over undried or insufficiently wiped stain, or even using different types of finishes on subsequent coats. • When finish peels from a previously finished floor that has been recoated. The causes may include improper preparation, inadequately cleaning the floor surface prior to recoat, poor abrasion in bevels, insufficient or incompatible finish and adhesion system selection, or incompatible finishes. NOTE: Factory-finished floors marketed to be stain resistant cannot be recoated. Stain resistant finishes such as Perfluorooctane sulfonate (Teflon/Scotchgard) infused finishes will not accept a new coat of finish. • Using tape on a finished floor that was not recommended to be used on wood floors; leaving the tape adhered to the wood floor for a longer time than the tape manufacturer’s recommendation; applying the tape to a newly coated wood floor finish; and plasticizers in the tape that have created a stronger bond to the finish than the finish has to the previous coatings or the floor.

• Paint, flooring adhesive, soldering flux from the plumber, or other contaminants that have been spilled and subsequently cleaned from the surface can remain in the exposed voids or characteristics of the flooring. • Improper maintenance practices such as using products and cleaning systems not recommended by the flooring or finish manufacturer, or using an old or soiled cleaning mop head to clean the floor. A SLIPPERY FLOOR: Defined as the perception that the floor feels slippery. All wood floor finishes could be considered slippery with normal use. Most wood floor finishes are not usually considered to be slip-resistant, and some wood floor finishes feel more slippery than others. • A few things that can cause a floor to be perceived as being slippery include the type of footwear, a person’s weight, stride length, gait, and speed that all can affect the degree to which one slides across any flooring surface. • Improper maintenance practices can also cause a slippery floor. Improper maintenance may include overspray from using cleaning products on fixtures on or near the wood floor, tracking of contaminants from one floor surface onto the wood floor, using cleaning products on the floor not recommended by the finish or flooring manufacturer, using old or soiled cleaning mop heads, or simply dust or debris on the floor surface. • Finish-related causes for slippery floors may include over- application of wax on a waxed floor (using too much wax) or adding non-manufacturer-recommended substances to the finish. X For more detail on some of the suggested cures to many of these issues, or for more information on any other related industry issues, refer to the latest revision of Problems, Causes, and Cures (Technical Publication C200) . %UHWW 0LOOHU LV 93 RI (GXFDWLRQ &HUWLÀFDWLRQ DW WKH 1DWLRQDO :RRG )ORRULQJ $VVRFLDWLRQ LQ 6W /RXLV +H FDQ EH UHDFKHG DW EUHWW miller@nwfa.org.

OPEN-GRAIN CONTAMINATION: An accumulation of contaminants in open voids or characters of the wood. This can occur in textured wood, and in the soft grain/springwood,

open knots, splits/checks, etc., on the surface of the installed floor. Some of the causes of open-grain contamination may include the following: • When drywall work has been scheduled after wood floor installation, the wood floor is susceptible to becoming exposed to drywall dust. Subsequent wetting/damp mopping of the surface will turn the drywall dust into a paste, which can be extremely difficult to remove from the exposed voids or characteristics of the flooring. • Silt, salt residue, or other fine dust particles can become embedded in the exposed voids or characteristics of the unprotected flooring.

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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