Big floor sanding error....But how big?

[spidermama]

Dh has spent the most part of this weekend sanding and varnishing two floors in our house.
I've just noticed that the varnish he's used isn't floor varnish, but ordinary interior wood varnish. He has put on about four coats.

What do you think? Will we get away with it? Or do I need to re-varnish it with the proper stuff?

I have to tell you that four rooms in our already cramped house are virtually out of action while this work continues so I am verging on hysterical. That said, I need the truth. (Gulp!)

Can you put floor varnish over the top of it?

Don't know if the ordinary stuff would be very hard wearing, how about a top coat of yacht varnish?

Could do. Just one coat over the top do you think?

MrsSpoon I've heard yacht varnish is good. Is it really much tougher than ordinary floor varnish?

Depends if its water based or not according to DP. Was it a quick drying one (water based) or polyurethene (oil based)?

I would put floor varnish on top. We used Ronseal Diamond Hard in our last house and it dried pretty fast.

Think you might end up having to revarnish pretty soon if you only use ordinary varnish and that would no doubt be a bigger PITA.

I varnished ours with ordinary interior polyurethane stuff (satin finish) - put 2 or 3 coats on (can't remember) and it was fine. If you are planning to keep it like that for years and years then a coat of yacht stuff on top now would be good, or you could go over it again when it starts getting worn.

HTH

It's a water based quick drying one hornbag. I've now bought floor varnish but not diamond and not yacht. Will this suffice if I stick an extra coat on top?

As long as its a water based one it should be fine although it would benefit from a light sand first (again, this is according to DP). Apparently if you put oil based one on top of a water based one it could react.

Most of the floors in our house have been varnished with Diamond Glaze and in some areas it has worn. In DS1's room the floor has been varnished with yacht varnish (the previous occupants did his room and told us it was yacht varnish) and it is very hardwearing, in much better shape than the floors that have been done recently. Eventually DH would like to give all our floors a coat of yacht varnish, it just seems so much more hardwearing.

I think I'd rather die than do more sanding, but will relay this to dh.

Thanks hornbag.