Polyurethane Curing - will blue tape or dropcloths damage it?

Question

I just sanded, stained, and polyurethaned the floors in a house I am refinishing. I put on 2 coats of Ultra-Fast Drying Polyurethane for Hardwood Floors on Monday, surface sanded and added a 3rd coat Wednesday morning. The can says 72 hours to return furniture but the surface doesn't feel fully cured yet (Friday). I am supposed to get a truck load of cabinet components delivered Saturday, with heavy boxes, hand trucks, and movers going across the floor.

Will taping down kraft paper with blue painters tape help save the surface or affect curing? What about plastic or cloth drop cloths?

The boxes will probably need to be stacked in a finished room, will this lead to damage or affect the finish?

I can live with adding a week to the final cure time as long as the floor will still cure after the drop cloths or boxes are moved, but I don't want tape patterns or box imprints in the finish.

Answer 1

I actually know the answer to this. We have Bona Traffic on our heart pine floors. They were finished years ago and the blue painters tape lifted the finish. I would not use tape on any flooring unless it was a waxed or oiled finish. Luckily the floor person that put the finish on was able to fix the finish we messed up by pulling up the tape.

Answer 2

Well you've been busy! Congrats on refinishing your floors the proper way to be done. ⏰ First, if you truly have the time to wait just another couple days, or even a week as you suggested, then that's your answer. --You've taken the time to do the job right thus far, why endanger your asset at the final stage of completion.

Three coats of polyurethane will handle quite a bit of wear and tear. Blue tape is the least of your worries. Putting paper down will help with dirt and dust, but it's certainly not going to prevent scrapes and bruising caused by any heavy furniture. --Don't just trust the movers to not do damage. I made that mistake once and there's no going back once your wooden furniture and/or floor is gouged. SO be one of them to manage the moving process and protect your investment.

Good luck!