Once completed, Tony knew he had a challenge on his hands. Instead of the 2 coats of finish helping to blend in the color, it actually made the color discrepancy more noticeable. After some detective work, it was discovered that the homeowner was wrong on the species of existing flooring, and instead of the floor being white oak, it was actually ash. So, as it turns out, the new white oak was actually weaved into existing ash flooring.

The white oak (near) was weaved into existing ash (far).

The homeowner loved the refurbished floor but agreed something had to be done to fix the difference in color. They did not, however, want to have to sand the flooring again, and they were definitely not interested in tearing out all the ash. Tony told us, “They realized that even if they sanded the floor down to bare wood again, the ash would have to be stained/finished differently than the white oak if they wanted things to match up.”

Tony had seen a number of posts from contractors on social media who were tinting Basic Coatings® finishes with HyperTone™ Stains, and he wanted to find out if this new method of applying color could be a suitable solution for this particular challenge. He contacted Basic Coatings, and after discussing his various options, decided to offer tinting the finish to the homeowners. Ultimately, they liked the idea and agreed to move forward with fixing the floor using HyperTone Stains as tint as follows.

Step 1: The white oak was covered with blue tape at all the seams, and the ash was left uncovered/open.
Step 2: HyperTone Stain was mixed into StreetShoe® NXT (in this case, 3 ounces of Tobacco per gallon of finish).	Steps 3 and 4: The first and second coats of tint/finish were applied to the ash portions of the flooring.
Step 5: A top clear coat of finish was applied.	Step 6: The tape was removed.

The Problem

Most of these polish products contain acrylic and stick to the floor really well when dried. Due to low-quality solids and weak chemical bonds within the formulas, however, the new layer of polish rapidly becomes hazy, scuffed, and sticky. So, what do most homeowners do? They apply more polish to their floor to improve its appearance, beginning a vicious cycle that repeats until it dawns on them—usually many coats later—that their hardwoods now need professional help.

In steps a hardwood floor professional, who likely recommends:

• Sanding and refinishing in the case of solid or engineered wood floors that are sandable ($$).
• Tearing out and replacing textured, handscraped, or engineered wood floors that are too thin to be sanded. ($$$) 

What if we told you that there is another option, and that under the acrylic mess, there could be a perfectly good wood floor in need of simple a recoat or nothing at all?

The Solution

Contrary to misguided advice on the web, the answer is not vinegar, ammonia, or abrasive powders, all of which can cause etching in the wood’s surface, harm finish, and take years off a wood floor’s life. The solution, we humbly submit, is Basic Coatings^® Dissolver^™, a product that is specifically formulated to quickly and easily remove acrylic-based polishes while still being gentle on  hardwood floors. 

How does it work?

A proprietary blend of solvents, such as benzyl alcohol and glycol ethers, work in conjunction with alkaline organic compounds, like Monoethanolamine (or MEA), to act as a lock-and-key mechanism with acrylic floor polish’s cross-linking. This action results in the “unlocking” of polymer chains and allows the plastic film to be emulsified back into the stripping solution, which can then be picked up in a liquid form. 

How is it used?

Before using this product, the presence of acrylic should be confirmed by testing a small spot in an inconspicuous area using an acrylic test kit or a drop of Dissolver (a bluish white dot where the solution was applied indicates a positive result for acyclic).   

Then, removing the polish is just a matter of following the steps below.

1. Careful not to over wet the floor, apply Dissolver diluted with water at the ratio specified in the directions on the label. A pump-up garden sprayer works well for this task, and it is best to work in a small area to start, say 5’ x 5’. 
2. Allow the solution to dwell on the surface for a few minutes, then agitate. A buffer with a white scrubbing pad is ideal.
3. Then, pick up the solution with the emulsified polish. It is important to not let the solution dry before this step is completed. We recommend using a Basic Coatings Dirt Dragon™ Wood Floor Scrubber for this part of the process. On occasion, it might be necessary to repeat the Dissolver application.
4. Finally, clean with Basic Coatings Squeaky™ Cleaner to neutralize the chemicals in Dissolver that make the removal possible. At this point, the floor can be recoated if needed using TyKote® Bonding Agent and any Basic Coatings finish.

Want to see more visuals? Click here to watch a 3-minute video that outlines the floor polish removal process.

Acrylic buildup is seriously unsightly, but with the right tools, it’s a relatively easy and inexpensive problem to fix. If you’re a homeowner, please reference our contractor locator for a list of local professionals who can provide an estimate to rescue your hardwoods using Dissolver. To request a local Basic Coatings certified contractor contact you with more information about their services and pricing, please fill out the form here.

If you’re a contractor or distributor interested in learning more about these products or processes, please contact your Basic Coatings regional manager or fill out the form here.