Question about putting stuff on floors after poly
 

In the coming weeks, we'll be putting a water based poly down on our 100 yo wood floors. The container says that you can put furniture on the poly after 2 days, but not to put rugs down until after 30 days.

I've got 2 questions that don't exactly fit either of those.

1 What about putting a box spring on the floor? I'm thinking that would be similar to a rug, and therefore needs to wait 30 days.

2 What about cardboard boxes. There are several storage closets. I feel like cardboard boxes sitting on the floor is probably also not a great idea.

The AC will be running constantly.

I suspect the manufacturer doesn't want coverings that will prevent the degassing aspect of the polyurethane curing.

I would stay off it for a week if possible. And when furniture goes on, carefully place it and DON'T let anyone drag the furniture around.

We move furniture back in two days. I let them walk in the floor in socks after one day of cure. I tell people no rugs for two weeks unless it's a soft back carpet. I'd wait a couple of weeks before heavy cardboard boxes. Water based urethane cures much faster than oil. They're giving you oil based numbers to wait a month. 95% of sales people have no real experience and generally don't know what they're talking about. They learn what they know from guys like me

Right, no dragging. I think most of our furniture has the soft fiber pads on the feet, but still, no dragging on fresh poly.
Good to know, thanks. And this stuff will have AC pretty much constantly running which I would think would help with the drying/curing

If you have any doubts about placing objects back on the floor, consider how much weight is on a leg of a dresser. It could dent. You can make some temporary bigger pads to distribute weight. Use packing tape on the bottom.

Similarly, put the box spring on some low blocks with the tape. Even 4 pads of plywood will allow air below. No stick, no dent.

Contrary to popular belief, today's water based eurothane finishes are much harder and more durable than oil based. And the real plus is it doesn't yellow and darken with time. I have customers who want a dark finish to look old school but I tell them those old dark floors you see in victorians were bright and natural when finished a hundred years ago. Oil based gets darker and darker over the years

I know water borne finishes were hard to adopt, but our school district went to WB finishes before the oil based was phased out by the state. They just couldn't do a gym during the school year whatsoever with oil.

Thanks, fellas!