I refinished an oak hardwood floor, first washing it well with mineral spirits, sanding, then applied 3 coats of polyurethane, sanding between coats. After about 2 weeks the polyurethane began to peel in spots. Why? The basement beneath the floor was humid, could this cause the peeling? I have done many floors and never had this happen before.
Any help would be appreciated!!
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The first problem I see is the fact you used Mineral Spirits as a solvent cleaner prior to sanding...Mineral Spirits is oil based and leaves an oily finish. By sanding afterwards, you are actually pushing the oily residue into the wood. this is probably not helping with the adhesion of the new coat of paint.
I would sand and remove all traces of existing paint and stay away from most over the counter solvents suchs as paint thinner, laquer thinner, etc.
More aggressive sovents such as MEK, Acetone, etc. would be a better choice; however, they are very dangerous to use...highly flammable, strong odor, etc. I would seek the help of a local contractor to chemically remove all traces of oil once you have sanded down to bare wood.
good luck!
