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how long to wait before continuing remodeling after poly?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I refinished hardwood floors with water based poly. I need to continue remodeling the room. Its been 24 hours since the final coat. The can says a week to cure, 2 hours to dry. It is definitely dry. How long before I can continue remodeling. I still need to sand drywall, paint, and install doors. Can I do that 24 hours after the final coat.

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Comments (3)

PRO
Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.
3 years ago
Remodeling can be tough on floors. Suggest that you wait until the floor is fully cured so that your floors are more resilient. You should protect your floors as well. You can use either Ram Board for light-protection or paper with Thermoply on top for heavier-duty protection. Suggest that you do the final coat after all of your remodeling is complete. There's probably a phone number to call on the product you're using and you might want to consult with their support line on how to best protect your floors during and after construction.
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Oh dear. The 'wet work' needs to be done BEFORE the floors are refinished...but that hasn't happened. So now we have to do it bass akwards.

The REAL way to do this (ahem...if a professional contractor with HIGH standards were in charge of this) is:

1. Wait the FULL cure time (7 - 10 days) before ANYTHING ELSE gets done

2. Cover the wood floor (after the cure time has elapsed) with Ram Board

3. Continue with the sanding/painting and door hanging

4. Do NOT use tape on the wood floors. The Ram Board should be taped to itself AND THEN up the walls with 'Green' low-tack painters' tape (aka 'Delicate Surfaces' tape).

5. Remove the tape (not the Ram Board) at the end of each day of work

6. Reapply tape at the beginning of each day of work should you need to (keeps the Ram Board from slipping and causing serious injury to the worker)

Once the 'wet' work has been completed, you clean up the room and THEN you remove the ram board. Sweep and vacuum.

Do NOT damp mop your floors for at least 2 weeks after the final coat has been applied.

I'm sorry you to go through the 'wrong way around' process but it is faster/cheaper than having to sand/refinish your floors because of the damage of working on a SOFT finish.

The 'dry' time is not the HARDENING time. Dry just means 'no longer liquid'. A floor finish often has 3 coats. Each coat has a 'hardening' time. When three coats are applied the first and second coats stay SOFT (as in you can leave foot prints and debris can be embedded in it) for those 10 days.

A fresh finish is a floor that has reached 95% cure rate (7-10 days) but still has 5% left to go. That's why you CANNOT mop your floors for 2 WEEKS after the final coat has been applied. The floor is still CURING.

Whew! Good luck. Leave the room/floor alone for the next 7-10 days AND THEN cover them with Ram Board. Do NOT cover them 'too early' or you will have embedded the ram boar INTO the soft finish....kinda like painting a window shut. It isn't a fun thing to learn about. So do not rush this. The floor MUST HARDEN enough to allow Ram Board to go over top. There is NO WAY around this.
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Ashli Myers
Original Author
3 years ago
Awesome. I appreciate your time

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