drying times for shellac
#1
drying times for shellac
I just finished re-finishing my hard wood floors for the first time.
I rented a sander and sanded the old finish off and down to the
wood. I then put on a coat of Zinsser Amber Shellac following
the directions on the can. I waited 2 hrs. as it says to and
applied another coat. The floor was dry enough to walk on
in a couple of hours.
The next day, I decided to put on two more coats of Shellac,
as I loved the color and shine and wanted a deeper color.
I did not sand between coats, but did wait several hours between coats.
Now, my problem. The floors , after 2 days, dried enough to
walk on but if you stand in one place to long putting weight on
the floor it leaves a foot print behind. Even where the cat lay
on the floor it left a mark.
I would like to know if the floor will ever dry through, or if I should
sand the floors again, with maybe a 220 grit sandpaper and put
a THIN coat of Shellac on again.
What is with the Wax over Shellac.
I will be grateful for any information you can give me
I rented a sander and sanded the old finish off and down to the
wood. I then put on a coat of Zinsser Amber Shellac following
the directions on the can. I waited 2 hrs. as it says to and
applied another coat. The floor was dry enough to walk on
in a couple of hours.
The next day, I decided to put on two more coats of Shellac,
as I loved the color and shine and wanted a deeper color.
I did not sand between coats, but did wait several hours between coats.
Now, my problem. The floors , after 2 days, dried enough to
walk on but if you stand in one place to long putting weight on
the floor it leaves a foot print behind. Even where the cat lay
on the floor it left a mark.
I would like to know if the floor will ever dry through, or if I should
sand the floors again, with maybe a 220 grit sandpaper and put
a THIN coat of Shellac on again.
What is with the Wax over Shellac.
I will be grateful for any information you can give me
#2
Go to this link and ask on the forum.
This guy is a furniture refinisher but he also sells floor finishing products.
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/
This guy is a furniture refinisher but he also sells floor finishing products.
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/
#3
Keni,
Actually, I'm surprised you used shellac on a wood floor. Today's polyurethanes are much harder and wear longer. I'm sure you could have found a stain which would look like the shellac finish.
fred
Actually, I'm surprised you used shellac on a wood floor. Today's polyurethanes are much harder and wear longer. I'm sure you could have found a stain which would look like the shellac finish.
fred
#4
Keni,
The shellac will dry in time (5-7 days approx). Depending on the amount of moisture in the air depends on how long you have to wait.
Here is what probably happened. The first coat never got a chance to dry thorughly. It is probably trying to breath to dry - if that makes since. When using shellac in the future use many thin coats with a full 24hrs between. Also beware of bubbles. This can be a problem with shellac that becomes starved for air during the drying process.
If you redo your floors use poly. IT is a much longer lasting finish. Today they can be purchased with shine or without.
Hope this helps. If you have any other questions or the shellac becomes a problem e-mail me direct and i wil try to help with better advice.
Good luck.
Marc
The shellac will dry in time (5-7 days approx). Depending on the amount of moisture in the air depends on how long you have to wait.
Here is what probably happened. The first coat never got a chance to dry thorughly. It is probably trying to breath to dry - if that makes since. When using shellac in the future use many thin coats with a full 24hrs between. Also beware of bubbles. This can be a problem with shellac that becomes starved for air during the drying process.
If you redo your floors use poly. IT is a much longer lasting finish. Today they can be purchased with shine or without.
Hope this helps. If you have any other questions or the shellac becomes a problem e-mail me direct and i wil try to help with better advice.
Good luck.
Marc
#5
Actually shellac dries so fast that it's almost impossible to apply with a brush without using a retarder.
The problem with shellac is it's shelf life in liquid form. If the shelf life is exceeded it won't cure. Shellac is actually a natural product excreted by bugs.
If it doesn't completely harden within 2 or 3 days it probably never will.
It may be a blessing in disguise because shellac won't resist water or weak solvents and doesn't wear well. It's generally used for antique furniture that sees little or no use.
The problem with shellac is it's shelf life in liquid form. If the shelf life is exceeded it won't cure. Shellac is actually a natural product excreted by bugs.
If it doesn't completely harden within 2 or 3 days it probably never will.
It may be a blessing in disguise because shellac won't resist water or weak solvents and doesn't wear well. It's generally used for antique furniture that sees little or no use.