time for wood floor to cure?

[Lisa]

We had the floors refinished--sanded, stained and 2 coats of poly. The last coat was put on yesterday morning, tomorrow our stuff arrives. The movers want us to sign a waiver saying they aren't responsible for any damage to the floor. I guess we have to sign it, but what precautions can we take (besides not moving the furniture in) to protect the floor? We're considering putting most things in a back bedroom for another week or the garage, or putting cardboard under all the furniture legs. What about boxes? Are they OK to put on the floor? Thanks

[WillR]

cloth booties among other things -- put on at entrance way..

We always laid some temporary rugs at the entrance ways

Station a "police officer" at the entrance to make sure shoes are removed or booties are worn.

Good luck - glad it ain't my problem.

[Rick Frazier]

Lisa:

Less than 48 hours from second coat to furniture? Unless they used some catalyzed polyurethane I'm not aware of, I'd expect to have the furniture leave marks no matter what you do, and even the scuff marks from the movers dragging their feet as they are walking on the floor are likely to show. Movers aren't typically known for treating things gently, particularly floors, and even if they put down cardboard or fiberboard runways, the smallest speck of dirt or grit underneath is going to chew a hole in the new finish.

Unless there is just no way to avoid it, personally, I'd wait at least a week before moving furniture in, especially if the guys don't have some incentive for not damaging the floor.

At our last move, there was damage to a redwood deck when one mover decided he couldn't wait for help and dragged a table across it, and several places in the living room where another mover dragged something else across a hard maple floor. Insurance paid a pretty penny to refinish the entire floor, but the inconvenience of the refinishing was almost more than the value of the damage...

Be careful out there....

--Rick

Lisa wrote: