how to seal wood floors without moving out.

if they are that worn, it is likely that the only thing that will work is a sanding.  I do sometimes tell people that if they can, screen the floors as they begin so show light wear and then seal with a coat of whatever is on there (oil if oil, water if water; someone has told me that water based poly can be used over absolutely cured oil – meaning cured for years – if it is screened to help with mechanical bonding).  We have often done occupied space with water base and in some tiny apts, have shifted furniture to one side and done one half the room and then the other but the final coat must still be applied to the entire room after a screening or there will be a line down the middle.  Water is the way to go if the house is occupied – fast dry, fast recoat, low or no odor. As for the cat odor.  Sealing the floors will not alleviate this as I am sure the uric acids are down in between the boards.  There are products for this, though I do not know how they work with wood.  I will tell you that we had had a problem with this house when we moved in (an old man had lived here and was blind in one eye, so he aimed off to the side all the time)  and it was bad.  I thought we were going to have to ripped the tile out.  Now, I did know of a product by Neutron Industries that we ordered when i was working in buildings.  I cannot recall the name of the product, but it came in quart containers and could be diluted and had live agents in it which when spray on the offending area (usually tile grout), these enzymes would eat the uric salts and get rid of the odor.  This same product can be put into waste tanks and plumbing lines that are fouled by organic matter and the enzymes will help clean them.  I do not know how this product would work on wood.  at the time I needed the product for my bathroom, I did not want to wait for them to ship it, so I got some pet odor eliminator (blue and yellow lable, I cannot recall the name) and I think it only took one application and a little time and it worked.  Again, I am not sure how this would work on wood. Steve

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stevecym

in Flooring 12 years and 11 months ago

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tsarina | 12 years and 11 months ago

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My friend is a cat lady with 15 cats.  Her oad parquet floors seem worn down without any sign of polyurathane.  Needless to say they seem very “fragrant” from all the animals.  Does anyone have any positive suggestions on how to refinish and seal the wood floors without using the oil based finishes without having to move out. Would waxing the floor be a solution?  water based polyurathane?  Help.  All I know is sanding, screening and oil based polyurathane. but that would be very disruptive to the entire household. Thanking you in advance for any usable suggetions.

callalily | 12 years and 11 months ago

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You can wax or you can sand and seal with water-based polyurethane without moving out, although it will not be easy. However, neither will get rid of cat smells nor will either seal against them in the future. Other people on this forum who have cats have mentioned some helpful products in the past that work well. I know someone who bought a house in California with cat smells and had to rip out and replace all the floors (and part of the walls too I think) to get rid of the odor. Incredible.