Need help re oil based polyurethane on gym floor

7 years ago

I just built an indoor gym at my house, but not attached to my house. I used a big time wood basketball floor company for the maple wood floor. They have done high school and college gyms all over the place. They sealed the floor with oil based polyurethane. They put on 4 coats over 4 consecutive days. They said it would be safe after 5 days. But after 5 days, it still I I I just built an indoor gym at my house, but not attached to my house. I used a big time wood basketball floor company for the maple wood floor. They have done high school and college gyms all over the place. They sealed the floor with oil based polyurethane, although their quote said water based (and I am not to happy they did not use the product they said they would). I think they put on 4 coats over 4 consecutive days. They said it would be safe after 5 days. But after 5 days, it still smelled in there, but I thought it was just like new car smell. It was not unpleasant. It has never smelled as strong as a nail salon to me in there. But I did feel like I could kind of feel it in my eyes a little. My wife said she did not think it was a problem as she did not think the smell was strong and she felt nothing in her eyes. But after the smell persisted and after I had let my kids spend the night in there one night and play basketball in there repeatedly, I started questioning in my mind whether the smell was safe. I looked into the matter and determined that the products used were:

http://www.poloplaz.com/world-class-sealer/

http://www.poloplaz.com/world-class-finish/

Unbeknownst to me, these products say it takes up to 30 days to fully cure. Would have been nice if the company that put in the floors had told me this. I contacted Poloplaz and they said the fumes after 5 days are not dangerous, but everything I read is to the contrary. Now I am freaking out a little that my kids were exposed to this. It has now been 31 days since the last coat of poly and I can still smell it. I have been using fans, opening window, HVAC, etc. I cannot get the smell to go away. And now I am feeling that I am having respiratory symptoms from breathing the smell, and very concerned about my kids. What should I do? I spent a ton of money on a gym that I feel like is a health hazard.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
VOC content will tell you what you have: 497g/L = oil based OR oil MODIFIED polyurethane. Minwax oil based polyurethane = 550g/L (my least favourite finish).

I would say with the 30 day cure time and the VOC content, you have 100% oil based polyurethane.

If your quote says "Water Based Polyurethane" (with a name attached) you have a breach of contract and can ask for a full sand/refinish at their cost. As for danger to you and your kids, it is minimal. Leave the windows open and the fans going. The odour to these finishes have been known to take MONTHS to dissipate. The more coats they add, the longer it takes to reach a full cure. I would say 30 days is correct for 4 coats.

A real water based polyurethane (like Loba 2K Supra AT) would have a full cure after 5 days (odour would be gone by hour 8...yes HOUR 8). If you feel it is worth your while, go ahead and take this up with the SHOP owner. Show him/her your quote (point out the water based finish) and then discuss what they can do for you.

A water based polyurethane will DEFINITELY sit BELOW VOC 275g/L. The Loba product I've listed is 130g/L. Which is why the smell is gone in 8 hours vs 8 weeks.
PRO
ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD
7 years ago
Loba easy finish/supra(at) all outperform omu's. I do not like poly at all and rarely use it. I'd just crack all the windows/doors wide open for several days. Maybe add a huge air mover type fan. Running the HVAC while the area is all closed up isn't disappating the odors. Good luck.
Related Discussions
anyone using oiled wood floors (not polyurethane)?
Q
Comments (37)
Shilpsb - Overall I like them (Garrison French Connection Provence), I like the natural color and the low sheen...but there are some areas where it does seem like there's a haze although it blends into the different planks. I probably am the only one that can tell! I haven't had problems yet with staining, I just wipe up water as soon as I see it and then clean with the Woca spray whenever I spill anything. I have done the refresher a couple times but have not done the re-oiling... is that a product you can buy? For the rugs, I have put a couple World Market small 2'x3" with the rug mat underneath... they were inexpensive and I just wanted to get something until I can do more decorating - they are too small but they do the trick. What do they say could happen to the floors with rubber backing? I know they say no blue tape, etc... I've been very conscientious with these floors, but they do have a lot of variance in color and look rustic so I'm just going with it. I would rather be eco-friendly anyway. I heard about some at Plastica which are pvc and can wiped clean...http://plasticastore.com/shop/home/moroccan-pattern-mat/
...See More
Polyurethane over Old English Scratch Cover Oil on parquet floor?
Q
Comments (10)
An oil based penetrating stain/finish...like master oil may be your best bet. I used duraseal penetrating danish oil finish...or something like that...on a teakwood floor once. Oil repells other finishes like polyurthane. Wax is even worse because it doesnt soak into the wood and nothing sticks to wax. Oil eventually wears off or becomes part of the wood cellulose or dries or something. Master oil may work for you but I have never used it so am not sure. My recommendation would be to buy the 59 cent a foot birch-look laminate at Home Depotand lay it right over the parquet. But think about it, parquet is little blocks of wood...not veneered wood but solid wood so it isnt going to wear out like sanding veneer to the strand board layer underneath. Glued down right? It is just a pita because it has all those cracks, there is no grain direction for sanding, and now you’ve oiled it and poly wont stick to oil. Kick the can down the road and cover it with laminate. Or give the master oil a shot. But call a nice old guy at a hardwood supply place for better advice though. There are a couple of hardwood restore product on the home depot website that people have given good reviews for....or maybe that is what you used? Good luck.
...See More
Please Help!! Oil-based Polyurethane Floors
Q
Comments (6)
First off, how long ago was the LAST coat of finish applied? What was the name of the product used? Was it Minwax, DuraSeal...? Many of the "better" finishes have websites that will make recommendations (ahem...that's the nice way of saying "you must") for their product. Once you find the name of the product you used, you can then go on line and look up the company's cleaning/maintenance recommendations. But a "wet" clean has to wait at least 2 weeks after the final coat has been put down. Some finishes require a full 30 days (that's rare...but it is out there). Before you reach for a mop, you will need to find out the schedule for the first "damp cleaning". Until then, sweep, dust mop (dry mop) or vacuum (no beater bar...just suction).
...See More
Help! Unhappy with my water-based-polyurethane refinished wood floors
Q
Comments (10)
I think most of the "warmer" tone you get with oil-based poly comes from the absorption of the poly directly into the wood on the first coat; i.e., it has a slight "staining" effect (this is based on my own observations when we do site-finished floors on our projects). Since your wood has already been sealed with water-base poly, putting oil-based poly on top of it (even assuming it would adhere properly) probably wouldn't have much of a "warming" effect. My recommendation would be to add some water-based stain to the water-based poly you're already using and try applying a coat or two of that to get the "warmer" tone you're looking for.
...See More
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
7 years ago
This is one of the reasons that oil based paint has been remover from most counytries they are loaded with VOC and are no more durable than all the new choices we have.
HU-261765
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the comments. The VOC on the product used is 580. So definitely oil based. Fumes not going away any time soon. You can smell them when you get within 10 feet of the front door. I addressed with the flooring company and they said they are going to sand and redo with water based. They are going to use Bona SuperSport HD.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
Good. They messed up (by using the wrong poly on the floor). In essence, they were trying to save some money. Bona is KNOWN to be quite expensive (can be more than $200/gallon retail). I would bet the other product would be about HALF the cost of the Bona. Which is why they tried it in the first place.

And I would wonder if the person who you spoke to even knows the difference between water based and oil based (if they did, they would NOT have said 36 hours).

I've had some "professionals" think that ALL of their products are "water based" because it "looks like water". Yes. That was their reasoning...they had NO IDEA that the products they were using for 30 years were OIL BASED. They thought "oil based" would look like CRUDE OIL....yah. Needless to say they've mucked up a few floors.

Need help re oil based polyurethane on gym floor

Comments (5)

Cancork Floor Inc.

ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD

Related Discussions

Patricia Colwell Consulting

HU-261765
Original Author

Cancork Floor Inc.

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Need help re oil based polyurethane on gym floor

Comments (5)

Cancork Floor Inc.

ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD

Related Discussions

Patricia Colwell Consulting

HU-261765Original Author

Cancork Floor Inc.

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

HU-261765
Original Author