Q: We have wood floors that were installed 5 or 6 years ago. I had them recently re-coated and the hardwood floor finish is peeling off. The flooring company advised that cleaning products such as Murphy’s Oil Soap (which I used on my floors) will penetrate the finished wood in scratches and deep grooves and cause the re-coating product not to adhere.
I was advised that I should never use Murphy’s on my wood floors. I am trying to verify if this is correct, in your experience.
A: I wouldn’t recommend oil soaps or any other product that can leave a residue on the finish surface. Such residue, if not removed, can cause adhesion issues. Flooring and floor finish manufacturers in particular make acceptable cleaners for polyurethane finishes which evaporate almost immediately and do a good job of cleaning the floors.
Related Questions
Perimeter of hardwood floors peelingQ: I refinished my hardwood floors a couple of months ago. In a few areas, mostly close to the walls, there is some peeling and flaking which suggests to me that I failed to sufficiently sand those areas. Even though the areas are small, a noticeable ridge is left where…
Loose floor peelingQ: We recently had our floors screened and recoated throughout the house. They were recoated with high-gloss, oil base polyurethane (2 coats). At many of the board seams in the kitchen, the polyurethane is peeling up and bubbling. Less so in the LR, DR and foyer, but still peeling in…
Finish peels offI am looking at refinishing a oak hardwood floor that has had a product called gymnasium 401 on it. I am wondering how I remove it without damaging the stain under it? What would I use to refinish it after? There are a few spots where the finish has peeled…
Cheap factory floor chipping and peelingQ: We just purchased a house. The previous owners installed a solid plank, factory-finished hardwood floor a little over a year ago. They now believe that the purchased wood was "seconds"/non-standard quality, although they didn't realize it at the time. The finish began to chip and peel during installation and…