How To Keep Fumes Down When Staining Floor

Reduce the impact of vocs while refinishing your hardwood floors by taking steps to maximize ventilation and direct vocs outdoors.

How to keep fumes down when staining floor.

If you have portable fans use them. Keep in mind that a flooring job can take three to five days but the specific length depends on several factors. Floors finished with hardwax oils are useable for light traffic in 36 hours. Odors from stain and polyurethane can remain in the air for several days.

Carefully vacuum up dust and grit from the sanding process and then wipe down the floor with a tack cloth to pick up any remaining dust. The smell of onions can easily permeate the house. Place a fan into an opened window turned so that it blows out. It is advisable with hardwax natural oil finishes to use cardboard in the high traffic areas if moving in furniture prior to full cure.

Put in fans in windows doors blowing in the house on one or two sides. Place the source of the strong stain odor outside during the day if possible. If your floor is being finished by a professional and it s possible for you to leave the home it s best to stay away long enough for the finish to cure and the odor to disperse which usually takes about 48 hours. It would be better to open all windows partially than two windows fully.

Staining floors especially for first. Turn up the heat while opening windows across the house. Open all windows to cross ventilate fresh air in and smelly air out. Light a few candles simmer some homemade potpourri.

And when it does go wrong the only solution is to re sand the floor and start all over from the beginning. Even flooring professionals lose sleep over this process because there are dozens of variables that can make staining go wrong. And even though most floors can be used within 24 hours of sealing it takes weeks for the treatment to cure fully. Floor staining is difficult finicky work with unpredictable results.

Just don t put fans blowing in all windows so air has an easier chance of escaping. To minimize the dangers of polyurethane vapors always apply the finishes in a well ventilated space wear a face mask and eye protection and don t smoke. Activated charcoal works well too. How much flooring is involved.

Make sure to take up cardboard at the end of every work day until the floors are fully cured if putting down for ongoing construction. Keep windows and doors open as much as possible for ventilation. Turn on exhaust fans if the smell is originating from a kitchen or bathroom. Clean the surface of the floor.