Help - White cloud problem with Cabot's CFP Floor

[dmoustak]

Hi, has anyone come across this problem before? i recoated over an old finished surface with Cabot's CFP Floor polyurethane, and all looked good, but in the next 1-2 days this white haze/cloud (as seen in the picture), is pretty much on about 50% of the surface. Im in Sydney, and i applied the coat at night and let it dry overnight. the container says, do not apply when temperature is under 10 degrees. it may have been under 10 degrees overnight, and i left the windows open overnight....could this be the cause of it?

[Lyle]

I am no expert but I had same problem a long time ago. It was moisture. If it was cold and you left the windows open sounds like perfect conditions for moisture to affect the paint.
I had to sand back to wood and do it again.
Painful lesson....
Lyle.

[dr4g0nfly]

I agree I'm afraid, the white bloom you've got is normally associated with moisture.

[acmegridley]

Wait for a good hot day where the finsh will "flash off.

[dmoustak]

thanks for the replies guys, its appreciated. acmegridley, you say "Wait for a good hot day where the finsh will "flash off"....do you mean that if i just leave it, and there is a hot day....the moisture (white cloud) will go away on its own?

[acmegridley]

No I mean when you redo it ,leave the house for at least eight hours,the smell will knock you out

[dmoustak]

i coated one section that had the white bloom last night with cabots water based stain & varnish and it looks like the new coat covered it up, no signs of the white bloom that was there.....whats the go there?

[jimbur]

Looks as if you may have been fortunate and the moisture only messed up the surface and then dried off.
As everyone says, white bloom indicates moisture problems so lets hope you really have been lucky.
Cheers,
Jim

[soundman]

lesson to be learned....almost every finish has limitations on temerature and humidity...to avoid disapointment you must pay attention to these.

I've learned my lesson...before I even open tins, I consult the thermometer and hydrometer and the weather report.

As has been said what you have is blooming, where moisture gets trapped in the finish during the drying process, it can happen in almsot any clear finish and even happens in some glue.

If you are very lucky, when you overcoat on a more suitable day the solvents in the following coat release the trapped moisture and the bloom will go away.

Some water borne finishes suffer from this...why you may ask...the water is not the solvent..the actual solvent will be ammonia or glycol or some such..water is simply a carrier to bulk out the wet product.

cheers

[jimbur]

Also check your hygrometer.

[soundman]

Yeh I need to be sure may batteries are doing well too

cheers

[jimbur]

Sorry couldn't resist it.
Cheers,
Jim

[Kickstart Saloo]

I just had a similar problem. Applied another coat last night, this was the 3rd coat and this morning it had gone cloudy white. Very bad, at least a third of the bar top. Due to rain last night.
I put on another coat this afternoon regardless and half of the cloudy discolouration disappeared. I'm getting happier.....
Then I was going to sand off but thought I would try an electric heat gun. It's actually a paint stripper. A very quick wave over the cloudy bits and they all disappeared!
Very happy now.