This one has me stumped. I am planning on refinishing a 150 year old heartpine floor. It had been a storage room/shop for a number of years. After my wife cleaned and mopped the floor I noticed that there were 3 spots that didn’t seem to dry out. After 2 months it was obvious something else was going on. In three areas along a wall but not connected to the wall except in one instance the top of the floor is damp (25% on a moisture meter as opposed to 18% on the rest of the floor) the under side of the floor is exposed to a basement but there is no evidence of moisture under the floor. The roof is brand new and there are no other damp spots throughout the house. I went ahead and sanded the floor and the spots disapeared but then came back the next morning which leads me to believe it is somehow comming from above. There is no plumbing anywhere near this room.
What’s up? I want to finish the floor with poly (or something else if somebody can recomend an alternative) but I am afraid. Something needs to be done. Please help.
thanks
Replies
Grasping at straws here... is it possible that salt (or some other form of desiccant) was spilled there and the moisture is coming from the air?
Thats what happened to me.A puddle of water would form under the bag of rock salt in my garage The rock salt was used to thaw ice on sidewalk in winter time^^^^^^
a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces
Yeah, sodium hydroxide in particular will form a puddle.The OP should try drying the area, then covering with a sheet of "Press-N-Seal" food wrap. This will keep out most moisture from the air. If water still collects under the wrap (at about the same rate) then likely it's coming in through the wall.If it seems to be some sort of chemical, pour a little vinegar on it. If it bubbles up it's alkali, and several more servings of vinegar, with rinsing in-between, should neutralize it. If no bubbling it's likely a salt and just needs to be well-rinsed -- a dozen times or so of soaking for several minutes with pure water, then blotting.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I have watched puddles ... not just damp spots, but actual puddles ... form on clean floors when conditions were right. These conditions are a) high humidity and b) a floor that is cooler than the 'dew point' of the air at the time.
What you are seeing might be nothing more than morning dew.
Thanks for the help. I dont think its an oil stain. I had a few of those and they sanded out differently. I'm going with the condensation theory; in which case if I poly over it before it comes back I shoul probably be ok. I hope I'm right.
Damp with water or damp with ???
If this room was storage and shop for years there's no telling what might have been spilled there. Might be an oily substance. All three spots may have been contaminated with different substances.
I'd suggest that you try flooding those areas with some lacquer thinner. Let it sit for ten minutes or so and then wipe it up. Repeat. See what you've got when it first dries out, the following morning and a day or two later. If it helped, apply the LT again. Repeat until you have no more contamination.
You'll need good ventilation and an appropriate respirator would be in order also. LT is very flammable. Handle it accordingly...... and the saturated rags. Set them out to dry in the open before you toss them in the garbage.
If you have reason to believe that there is water or some other substance coming from the ceiling/roof, lay down some plastic sheeting and see if catches anything.
Had a similar situation on a job once.
The spot which seemed to stay damp was dried dog urine - seems the fellow's dog had a "favorite spot" in his old age. ( HO supplied this info)
The area I had to deal with was to be under carpet - we soaked it with water and blotted it dry a dozen times or so - didn't smell too good when wet -- finally let the area dry overnight, hit the area with a heat gun to further dry it, coated it with spray Kilz several coats. Seemed to stay dry after coating.
Just a thought - probably better ways to remove urine, but I don't know them.
Good luck.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.