When I purchase my new house 4 years ago it had 3/8" engineered hardwood floors in the foyer and kitchen/breakfast room, this winter we decided to put down the same product in the family room which tied the two rooms together. The problem is that once I got the floor down and cleaned up i discovered that the color is the same but the gloss/ shine level is not the same. I called Bruce and they informed me that the urethane level in the prefinished product might have changed over the passed 5 years. Is there any product I can put down on an engineered hardwood floor to raise the gloss/shine level? Thanks for the help.
No easy answer and I dought you will be happy, The Gloss level on the old section probably just got duller with use, just like you cant take paint out of a can and retouch a 4 yr old room. If bruce says its urethane ask them if you can add a coat and how, get a pro to recoat it all, im sure you dont want to do that as factory finishes are near perfect. Let Bruce guide you. If you start waxing or treating it you will have to continue and may never be able to recoat it from contaminents that wont allow future poly to bond.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote on 22 Jan 2008 in group alt.home.repair:
Bruce can give you the best advice, but here's a WAG.
You can probably use any product that's rated for floors. Since the existing coating is polyurethane, I'd stay with that. Polyurethanes come in a variety of sheens, and in both water- and oil-based formulas. Ask Bruce what's compatible with the existing coating. Apply a test patch in a closet to see if you like it.
Miscellaneous advice: Use an appropriate solvent to remove any existing grease, wax, or polish (ask Bruce which one). Cover all interior surfaces with plastic film, and tape the edges down. Rig plastic barriers over the doors. Sand the floor lightly before application so the new coating sticks better. Get *all* the dust off with tack rags before applying the new coating. Do an entire room at one time -- if you stop half-way, you'll see the line. Turn off the ventilation to that area to keep dust from blowing in. Since it's winter, wait longer than the can says for it to dry. Since you're going to all this trouble, put on two coats.
Or wait a few months. My experience is that most people get used to the difference after awhile, and then they don't notice it any more. Likely, guests will never notice the difference unless you point it out. Or not
Have you used any kind of coating or wax on the older floor? Bruce's website has all kinds of cleaners and coatings. That would be the safest bet, it seems. They come with different gloss levels.
Only Bruce can tell you because only Bruce knows the compositions of the varnish in 2004 and 2008 and whether it is possible to refinish new 2008 to get the look of 2004.
If he's resisting removing the tile because of the work involved, he might consider this:
There exists a scraper blade for a reciprocating saw that turns a Sawzall into a powered scraper! Removes stick-on tile, and here I speak from experience, like a duck through butter.
This blade - in three or so different widths - is available at the box stores. It can even be resharpened.
Agree - He is correct with wanting a moisture barrier, but by experience with adhesive tiles is they will eventually loosen. Then put down a proper moisture barrier of roofing felt and install the flooring. The felt also dampens any noise if flooring eventually loosens a bit.
...and make sure the subfloor is tightly fastened to the joists. When we replaced the carpeting in our last house I used just short of 2000 screws securing the subfloor.
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