Two months ago, I sanded my oak floors and applied 4 coats of water -based polyurethane sealer...my wife over-watered the house plants..the water penetrated the sealer....all the wood putty that I put between the floor boards is gone and the floor boards are slightly deformed...why would the water penetrate the sealer?
2006-12-09 02:40:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Polyurethane is not water based. There are water based clear coat products. Pacific Strong is the most popular water based clear coat. Allot of Gymnasium floors are finished with Pacific Strong but to obtain that tough super coat that you see in a gymnasium they use in upwards of 13 coats.
Water would penetrate 3 coats of urethane finish just as easily. Urethane's and clear coats are still porous so naturally water would be able to penetrate them even at 13 coats water could penetrate if the water is left on the floor long enough. Naturally it would take considerably longer for full penetration to occur had there been 13 coats on the floor instead of 4 but most of the time when plant water damage occurs it is because the person that over watered the plants doesn't realize they over watered and the water sits there for hours upon hours.
Now consider this, your floor is made up of many different boards. Each board has it's own density depending on what portion of the tree it was milled from. different boards react to environments in different ways. 4 coats of water born clear coat is not enough to keep these boards from expanding and contracting independently. If by chance independent movement such as this occurs it could separate the clear coat layer exactly where each board meets other boards. Not that any one would ever noticed this I am just suggesting that your 4 coats of clear doesn't act like a solid sheet of permanent protection merely a decent wear layer.
2006-12-09 03:33:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably didnt use enough sealer or in the places where there were cracks the sealer soaked down into the cracks and then left spots with no sealer which allowed the water to soak in. I would also think how you said that you put putty in between the floor boards that maybe the sealer doesnt seal the putty since its made for wood and that would of left all the cracks with the putty as if there was no sealer. I hope you can fix it with out to much problem especially after all the work you put into sealing it.
2006-12-09 02:55:02 · answer #2 · answered by hersheynrey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what you did was a sealer not a water proofing the floor, polyurethane sealer applied to wood floors so you could walk across it and not damage the finish
2006-12-09 05:53:39 · answer #3 · answered by george e 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the only reason i can think of is that there were gaps where the sealer did not penetrate as you were applying it with an instrument such a mop or brush... while water did manage to get into those places.
2006-12-09 02:43:54 · answer #4 · answered by KP 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because you used water-based poly! It is water soluble meaning water will dissolve it if it stays on it too long. The putty--same thing. Next time, ask a salesperson at the store to recommend the proper product.
2006-12-09 02:59:07 · answer #5 · answered by RBRN 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you use a crummy sealer? What brand? What type of wood?
These all play factors in the success of weather proofing your deck.
2006-12-09 02:43:30 · answer #6 · answered by Robert B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is water based? Easy, water acts as a solvent for all polar substances, which, of course, includes water itself. You need to use a non-polar or oil/petroleum based product if you are looking for maximal water proofing/protection.
2006-12-09 02:43:29 · answer #7 · answered by DJL2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there must have been a crack
2006-12-09 02:42:16 · answer #8 · answered by aj 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋