I made a small mistake - Polyurethane Help

[handyman2020]

I bought miniwax stain and shine smallest container and painted around the kitchen window as it was never done and wood was raw.
I totally forgot I had osmo wax in basement and I put that miniwax.

now after 6 or 7 days it has dried completely but its still gassing and I am allergic to that polyurethane gassing smell. I smell that gassing polyurethane all the time around kitchen.
its incoming spring here so I try to open windows but still cold for me to open windows all the time during the day.

I keep house temperature at 75.2F ( 24C ) all the time.

I called miniwax call center and they said around 7 days the gassing should go but its still there.

For how long i have to wait, anybody with polyurethane experience.

if it never stops gassing, what are my options? i dont want to sand again, any chemical to remove that polyurethane from wood? like kerosene?



This is open concept kitchen living room main floor.

Thankyou!

 

[Firstram]

Gently warm it with a heat gun a few times a day to speed the process?

 

[CraigStu]

Crack the window slightly open and put a small fan to blow out the window? Hopefully taking odor w/ it.

 

[rlitman]

Gently warm it with a heat gun a few times a day to speed the process?

The warmer it is, the faster it cures. A heat gun can easily bubble the finish and even break the glass, but if you have a portable plug in heater, that might help.

 

[Firstram]

The warmer it is, the faster it cures. A heat gun can easily bubble the finish and even break the glass, but if you have a portable plug in heater, that might help.

Gently warming it is the way to not bubble the finish, use a hairdryer!

 

[Zeke]

If you really want to remove it try acetone. That will take off any uncured poly that hasn't migrated into the wood fibers. How are you with shellac? Shellac will stick to practically anything and seal it up. For prep you could drag some 0000 steel wool over the trim folding it a few times as you go. Wipe any dust with a damp rag and let dry. Shellac can be bought in a rattle can. Dries in minutes. It shouldn't smell that much after flashing.

 

[cgrutt]

To add a bit to @Zeke comment you could topcoat the shellac with your poly. Would recommend using dewaxed shellac (commonly sold as Seal Coat or similar). Apply several coats sanded lightly between coats. Any poly should adhere once cured but suggest using a water based product if you have any sensitivity to fumes.

Also suggest wearing respirator if you decide to prep with acetone and open window while you're at it.

 

[Zeke]

Acetone is not particularly dangerous with good ventilation. Acetone exists naturally in our bodies and is used to flush dialysis machines. A respirator would have to be fume rated as most respirators commonly used are rated for particulates.

@cgrutt has some good thoughts on using a waterborne poly since shellac is not the best finish, not saying it's a bad finish, for use in the kitchen and on a window exposed to sunlight.

 

[belvedere]

If you have to do another similar project, try Varathane. To me, it has less odor than Minwax.

 

[FlaGman]

A fan blowing on it for a day should do the trick.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

That one step poly stuff is ****, made that mistake one time. 4 days in the desert cured it, so you are probably getting close to the end.

 

[CraigStu]

Could be it's better now but 12 yrs ago I used the Minwax water based poly. My wife isn't allergic but she doesn't care for the standard poly odor. I built a small cabinet in the powder room w/ door w/ glass instead of a raised panel. I want a super gloss finish, so my plan was just same as I usually did w/ real poly. By that time I had replaced all the baseboards and window trim w/ stain grade wood w/ 3 coats of Minwax Spar Varnish. Spray, dry, sand etc for 3 coats. Sanding after second coat the water based stuff liked to peel off rather than sand down. Almost couldn't fix it. Did fix it w/ maybe double the time it should have taken. I threw that rattle can in the trash so I wouldn't be tempted to use it later.

 

[Copymutt]

Gently remove the trim. Place it outside and protected. Reinstall after a week.

 

[PWC Repair]

We had to recoat the whole living room floor last year (had to patch some thanks to the damn termites). Did it with the new water based Minwax and it had almost no stink at all after the first day.

 

[handyman2020]

We had to recoat the whole living room floor last year (had to patch some thanks to the damn termites). Did it with the new water based Minwax and it had almost no stink at all after the first day.

Please suggest the brand you used, i have to redo my hard wood floor

 

[PWC Repair]

Please suggest the brand you used, i have to redo my hard wood floor

I used Minwax years ago that was oil based and it held up great so we went with MINWAX again. This go around we went with a water based version with hardly any odor. It has also held up great so far.

 

[Bulldog13]

Definitely water based for low odor..I’ve done marine spar but it’s oil based and stinks up the house.