How To Tell What Finish Is On Wood Floors

To begin put a few drops of mineral oil on your cleaned spot.

How to tell what finish is on wood floors.

Run your hand over the floor surface. If you can feel the wood grain the finish is probably a penetrating finish. The trick is knowing what finish was put on in the first place. If you can feel the graininess and texture of the wood the floor probably has a coating of penetrating oil and perhaps wax.

If the finish dissolves congratulations you ve got a waxed floor. Simply apply more oil finish after removing wax or furniture polish with mineral spirits or soap and water. If nothing happens move on to the next test. If the finish bubbles up it is most.

Put a couple drops of mineral spirits naphtha or turpentine on the surface you want to test. Let it sit for a few seconds and then rub it into the area. If the oil readily beads up and wipes away easily then you have a film finish such as shellac or a varnish. Furniture on which there are oil finishes repairs easily.

The easiest way to test a floor finish is to run your hand along the surface of the floor. To determine if your floor has a wax finish take a white rag with a small amount of mineral spirits and wipe an inconspicuous spot. If the rag is yellow or brownish it is likely a wax. Know your hardwood floors by starting at the finish.

If the oil tends to soak in it means your floors are finished with a very thin wiping varnish. Select an inconspicuous area of the floor surface and apply a small amount of paint remover. The type of film finish will be determined in the next steps using the solvents. See the chart below to find out just do the following.