Rugs On Newly Refinished Hardwood Floors: A Complete Guide

If you’ve ever wondered how long you need to wait before putting rugs on newly refinished hardwood floors then you are not alone.

In our experience, you need to wait for the finish to fully cure which varies depending on the type of finish. Oiled floors can take weeks to cure, whereas a urethane finish can cure within a day or two.

There are some tests that you can do to determine whether you should place a rug or not, and we will guide you through these as well as the estimated curing times for several finishes so you can be confident.

Types of Finishes

The type of finish that you are using will make all the difference with how long you need to wait before putting your rug back into place, and also how protected your floor will be from scratches and other marks. Let’s take a look at the most common types and how long they take to dry.

Hard Wax Oil

Hard wax oil is a mixture of tung oil and carnauba wax and can take anywhere from a day to 7 days to fully cure depending on the brand.

Water-Based Polyurethane

Water-based polyurethane cures much faster and is usually done within 2 days, however, this can be sometimes even smaller at 1 day.

Oil-Based Polyurethane

Oil-based polyurethane cures slower and the process can take up to a whole 30 days!

It is much cheaper than water-based polyurethane, though, and requires fewer coats as well while offering greater protection.

Traditional Varnish

Traditional varnish is probably the finish you are most familiar with and this takes up to a week to fully cure, where it becomes suitable for a rug to be placed on it.

Drying vs Curing

There is a key differentiation between a finish being dried and cured.

When the finish has dried it will be dry to the touch, hence the name. At this stage, you can touch the floor without being marked or picking up any of the finish – you can also walk over the floor gently and no marks will be made.

Curing, however, is the time taken for the finish to harden and all the solvents to evaporate, which also gets rid of any fumes present. It is only after curing has taken place that you should place a rug, or any furniture for that matter, back onto the floor.

This is because drying will only make your floor dry to the touch, but the finish can still be transferred under minimal force or friction. But how exactly can you check if your floor has cured properly, and what factors affect it?

Factors That Affect Curing Time

The times above for curing can be taken as general guidelines as there are many factors that can make the times either longer or shorter.

These include temperature, humidity and others that we will explain in more depth below.

Temperature

Temperature is a big factor that alters the rate of curing for finishes.

To put it simply, the hotter a room is the faster a finish will cure. This is because a higher temperature increases the rate of evaporation of solvents from the finish, making it cure faster.

Temperature can be altered using heating or depending on the place you live it may be warm (or cold) enough to impact the rate of curing regardless of external factors.

Humidity

Humidity is another big factor when it comes to curing time.

If your room is very humid then the rate of evaporation will be less as the floorboards will absorb moisture to form an equilibrium with the environment. On the other hand, a dry room will promote evaporation of solvents leading to faster curing.

Humidity can be lowered using a dehumidifier, but we recommend reading our guide about using those before you go ahead and try it.

Air Movement

The theme of evaporation continues as air movements – specifically induced air movements such as those from a fan or open window – can lead to faster curing times by increasing the rate of evaporation.

This is why industrial fans are used on newly built homes to get rid of any dampness or moisture that can lead to problems further down the line once the house is occupied.

Brand of Finish

The actual brand of finish that you use will also directly affect the curing time as different brands use different mixtures and types of chemicals.

The best advice is to always follow what it says on the instructions in terms of curing time, and then use our favorite technique to check if it has cured after that suggested period of time.

A Simple Test To See If Your Finish Has Cured

Once you have waited the recommended amount of time as per the manufacturer’s guidelines for your finish to cure then use this simple test to make sure it has done so.

Simply grab a damp cloth and rub the floor directly, applying constant pressure. If you notice the floor start to discolor, or the towel itself, then it has not cured properly.

This is a super-easy way to double-check that you are safe to put the rug back into place.

Be Extra Careful With Oriental Rugs

As a side note, be very careful with oriental rugs and make 100% certain that the finish has cured.

These types of rugs are much more fragile and are prone to damage if they are placed on top of a floor with a finish that has not properly cured yet.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to placing rugs on newly refinished hardwood floors it can be very stressful, but as long as you take the time to let the finish fully cure – using our suggestions – you will have no issues.