# How to Recoat (Sandless Refinish) Hardwood Floors



## stevenkimbell

In your original post you said "Other Notes: This process is not ideal for floors finished with shellac or Aluminum Oxide finishes." How do i determine if my existing floor is one of these?


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## RhodesHardwood

Chances are if the floor was not a prefinished floor it will not have an aluminum oxide finish. Here is an article I found that discusses how to determine what type of finish you have http://voices.yahoo.com/refinishing-wood-finding-out-sealant-was-used-6882134.html. 

If the floor was previously done in the past 10 years it probably does not have shellac. If you can not make a definite determination on the previous finish used, I would suggest to first coat the floor with a sanding sealer such a DuraSeal universal sealer, then coating with floor finish of your choice. This will seal up the floor so that a new coating will bond. Hope this helps


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## Drhoda

So it is ok to "pour" poly on the floors? 

I've always wanted to do it that way but was afraid it would cause bubbles?


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## mrgoalie

Drhoda said:


> So it is ok to "pour" poly on the floors?
> 
> I've always wanted to do it that way but was afraid it would cause bubbles?


You only want to pour as much as you can work with. Don't empty the can! Pour a line of finish along your starting wall, 6-10 inches away and use the t-bar mentioned in the original post to snowplough the finish as close to the edge as you are comfortable with. Use a brush along the edges first though, and overlap with the applicator.
Your t-bar should eliminate any bubbles.


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## Marianna Fl.

Thank you for your posts on this topic. I bought a 110 year old (1902) home and know nothing about the 5000 sf of heartpine floors i have. How can i tell if they have a shellac or other coating on them?? Thanks, Ed


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## Seattle2k

Marianna Fl. said:


> Thank you for your posts on this topic. I bought a 110 year old (1902) home and know nothing about the 5000 sf of heartpine floors i have. How can i tell if they have a shellac or other coating on them?? Thanks, Ed


:icon_rolleyes:The answer was already given to you.... http://voices.yahoo.com/refinishing-wood-finding-out-sealant-was-used-6882134.html?cat=6


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## eliciasam1

Thanks for the thread, it'll be very helpful.


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## woodlandpatio

I recently refinished my old hardwood floors and applied the second and final coal of polyurethane on it two days ago. I screened and wiped down the first coat of poly with mineral spirits and thought it looked pretty good at that point. Is it OK to screen and wipe down the final coat with mineral spirits or will it show scratch marks?


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## 4reel

Minwax has a product out that is supposed to help floors last longer. Have you heard of it and what do you think about it?


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## taylorjm

My experience is to stay away from the minwax products. I've used their stains and polys for furniture and swore I'd never use it again. Go to a real paint store and get something good.


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## fortunerestore

*Sanding and re-staining hardwood floors*

I really appreciate the initiation of this thread. It is going to be very useful for my next project. Refinishing the hardwood floor is a tough job and needs precision too. Someone suggested me that using the 20s to 36-grade sandpaper at the beginning and gradually move toward 100 to 120 grit for the last round of sanding will be helpful and really it is. I need to know what measures can be adopted to change the color of the floors, I really need to change its color. Is it possible? How should I start re-staining my floor?


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