Question:
I recently installed an unfinished natural oak floor. After the floor was finished with 3 coats we put the expandable foam around my new windows. Sure enough, some of the foam got on my new floor. This stuff comes off vinyl fairly slick after it dries, but not the hardwood. Any ideas as to what I can use to remove this eyesore?
Joe
Answer:
Dear Joe
It may be a little risky to be scrubbing the finish (you didn’t say what it was) until it has cured. Oil modified poly takes a month to cure, and most water based finishes take two weeks. But if you must do it right away, test these methods in a corner somewhere.
First try a white non abrasive nylon scrub pad and a pH neutral cleaner for these spots. Read about these cleaners in the How To�s section of this web site. If that fails try odorless mineral spirits, with a white cloth, and then the pad, then naphtha, then lacquer thinner, and lastly xylene in a product called Goof-Off at http://www.goof-off.com. Again with each try the cloth first and then the pad.
If all these solvents have no effect you will be forced to sand it off and then touch up the finish. That may be the least toxic way to go anyway, instead of handling all those solvents.