Lacquer coming off floor!

SJazz
by SJazz
A HIGH gloss, hand scraped floor but we cannot determine if it is sand-able.
We lifted the carpet & saw we have 3/4" & some appear to be "Floating" (?) or coming loose... But it may be cheap wood underneath. Worse case, try to sand & if a no-go, replace? I'd be OK with sanding away the grooves.
Thoughts? Many thanks, I've had 2 professional flooring companies come to my house STUMPED! "I've been flooring for 26 years & have never seen something like this..."
high gloss peeling from surface
  8 answers
  • Lucid Designs Lucid Designs on Jan 26, 2015
    Lacquer is absolutely sandable, and soft enough that it can be done by hand. But the cool thing about lacquer is that if you go over what you're currently looking at with another coat of lacquer, the new product will mesh with the old product, so you can have newer looking floors with a lot less work. Just lightly sand the floors first to knock down the gloss, and make sure they are spotless. This does not work for anything but lacquer though, so make sure that's what the finish really is. But if you do decide to sand them down, I would refinish in something other than lacquer, as it's the most delicate of flooring finishes and doesn't stand up well to standard foot traffic.
  • Linda 4 Real Linda 4 Real on Jan 27, 2015
    I would try a deglosser first to see if it solves your problem. Basically anything is sandable. 400 grit is used to refinish surface with lacquer, so you could start with the 400 and go slowly down grit from there. I think you can save the groves, use flooring glue along seems of boards to save the floor. It looks like a nice floor. It could be engineered wood which is good stuff. Word of caution when using any deglosser or other chemical to refinish or remove finish please neutralize the chemical with denatured alcohol before doing any refinishing or it will peel as well. I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes!!
  • Steffony Steffony on Jan 30, 2015
    Try vinger & warm water. Let sit 5 minutes & wipe with grain. If it doesnt come off , try iron with par. Paper .
  • D & K D & K on Feb 01, 2015
    Your flooring appears to be an engineered mahogany floor meaning it has plywood backing with a thin veneer wear surface, 1mm-2mm. The handscraped surface is a problem. Commercial styled floor sanders would wear through the veneer on the high spots long before you get to the recessed "handscraped" areas so you'd have to hand sand. Too much work! I seriously doubt the finish is lacquer. Lacquer is a soft finish and wouldn't hold up even under mild foot traffic. The existing finish is most likely water based with an added mineral content, i.e. zinc, to make it harder. Personally, I'd use a chemical stripper to remove the finish, restain and use a final finish designed for flooring. There are several water based top finishes available that are made specifically for floors. Check with your local flooring supply. Oh and a final note. I've seen professional floor refinishers run away from projects just like this so when they're stumped...it simply means they don't want to take it on.
  • SJazz SJazz on Feb 01, 2015
    Thank you @dennisfountain. SUPER helpful
  • Kristin Topping Kristin Topping on Oct 30, 2015
    Refinishing your old hardwood floors can enhance the beauty and value without the hassle of totally replacing your floor. A polish finish works not only as a sealant but also as a crystal-clear, hard finish that enhances the beauty of the wood.Despite its beauty as a finish, lacquer is not very forgiving and will not hide rough wood, gouges or imperfections. Make sure the floor is perfectly smooth before applying lacquer. From sanding to staining, our technicians will make your hardwood floors look flawless.
  • Jackie Jackie on Nov 29, 2015
    I really like the floor. I would just clean it up!
  • Danielle Odin Danielle Odin on Sep 29, 2016
    It looks like a veneer of some kind and it appears to have had moisture damage causing it to bubble. If you sand, the veneer will be gone but you need to make it level. Once it is level and smooth, I would suggest installing either new flooring or paint or stain what's left.