To fix a pet accident, you will first need to determine if the accident has stained the finish coat(s) or stained the wood beneath the finish. By sanding the Waterlox finish, you can determine which it is. If the accident stained or changed the Waterlox, you will have to sand through the layers of Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes that have been affected and re-coat. Once you’ve determined the final coat of finish on the rest of the floor, you’ll need to use that as your final finish on the spots. Keep in mind that the Tung Oil products fade with time, so the spots that have been fixed will not completely blend in at first, but will do so with time.
If the accident blackens the wood underneath the coating, the accident has reached the wood surface below the finish. The blackened area is either mold or a chemical reaction between the tannic acid in the wood and the pH of the accident. If it is the tannic acid, it may run all the way through the board. To fix this type of chronic pet accident, a mixture of bleach and water can be used to clean the area after sanding down to bare wood in the area of the spot. If the darker mark is not lifted by the bleach and/or sanding, you may need to try a light color stain to mask the darker mark from the tannin reaction.
After this area has been fixed, you’ll want to reapply the proper number of coats of finish to that area. Since the original coats of Waterlox Original Tung Oil Finish was applied, its shine level has been reduced through oxidation; therefore, the spot fix will be a little bit shinier in the beginning but will settle down in 3-6 weeks or so. The spot may also be lighter or darker in color as well.
TipIf the accident was not considered chronic, you will want to examine why it reached the wood surface below the film. This is probably either due to the coating being worn to bare wood or an inadequate film build on the surface. If it is due to the latter example, you should determine if enough finish was used when finishing the floor, and consider applying another coat(s) to achieve the recommended number of coats and spread rate recommended for your species of wood. For more information, review our products, wood hardness and FAQs.
