About Polyurethane-Coated Floors

Polyurethane is a liquid resin made from plastic, developed in the 1950s. Coating your hardwood floors with polyurethane will provide a durable finish that is easy to clean, and gives your floors a beautiful shine. You can purchase inexpensive laminate floors that already have a polyurethane finish, or you can apply the coating yourself to your hardwoods or other appropriate flooring.

Warning

There are specific guidelines to follow as you apply polyurethane to your floors, so make sure you follow all of the necessary safety precautions and other manufacturer's directions for the application process.

Types

Polyurethane coatings can be solvent based or water based. Application and drying times vary depending on the type of polyurethane coating you choose. Solvent based polyurethanes are more durable than water based, but they are flammable and require a longer wait time before you can recoat your floors, up to 18 hours. Water based polyurethane coatings are non combustible and you may recoat in as little as 1 hour, but you may have to wait for up to 4 hours.

Application

The steps for coating your floors with polyurethane will vary depending on whether your coating is solvent based or water based. For solvent based polyurethane, make sure to work in a well ventilated area with half mask respirators to avoid breathing the solvents. Curing is temperature sensitive, so read the manufacturer's instructions regarding temperature before applying the polyurethane. Water based polyurethane coating also requires good ventilation and the appropriate safety equipment, but it is humidity sensitive, meaning that if the humidity levels in the air are high, the polyurethane will likely take longer to dry. You may wish to plan your application according to the weather report for a less humid day, or be prepared to wait longer between coats. Both types of polyurethane have specific drying times between coats, so read the directions. The application process for both types is to apply thin layers, sanding and vacuuming in between applications. Vacuuming may not be sufficient; you may want to go over the surface with a slightly damp cloth to pick up all of the sanding debris. Anything left on the floor in between applications will be coated into the surface of your floor.

Curing

After you have completed the polyurethane coating application to your floors, you need to wait a certain amount of time for the floor to be cured before walking or adding furniture and rugs. If you used solvent based polyurethane, you need to wait for all of the solvents to evaporate, which may take up to a week. Water based polyurethanes will cure faster, but you should follow the manufacturer's guidelines for both types of floor coating.

Cleaning

Cleaning your water based polyurethane floors requires nothing more than a small amount of dish soap, oil soap, or vinegar and water. If you prefer soap, mix about 1 tablespoon with a bucket of hot water. You can mix the vinegar and water half and half. Apply the cleaner to your floors with a mop that is not dripping wet. After mopping once with the cleaner, go back over the floors with water only to remove any soap residue. Dry your floors with a clean, soft cloth.