timber floor what to use?

[twinkoz]

We have beautiful jarrah floorboards that are 50 years old, but not sure what to coat them with, we dont want to use heavy smell or chemical, any suggestions?
thanks

[Zed]

I suggest clear poly (wattyl make a good one). 3 coats last coat with a hardener and bobs yer uncle. it can be all over in a week of its warm and it dries well. mind you it stinks to high heaven whilst it goes off but after that its inert and looks great.

[twinkoz]

thanks Zed was hoping to use a not so smelly option. Lve heard that bees wax can be used but cant find a how to use example.

[seriph1]

I dont believe beeswax would be suitable - and while there are a couple of odour-free paints out there I dont think there are clear lacquers, as far as I know.

I feel the advice given is very sound, though it doesnt fix the smell issue....and clears do SMELL!

Maybe the best solution is to get a rapid drying clear that will release its solvents quickly....?

BTW: isnt Jarrah just fantastic as a floor!

:)

[twinkoz]

thakyou Steve, guess lm back to the drawing board. Okay how about tung oil?

regards Vicki

[seriph1]

Hi again

Is your concern, little children, the environment, bad smells etc? or some/all of the above I guess....

:)


reason I ask, is because there is always a trade off in my opinion - that being eco-friendly resulting in lower durability, thereby requiring more maintenanice and recoats....


Sorry, but I wouldnt recommend Tung Oil. I think it is a fine product for furniture finishing, but just not durable enough for me in a flooring situation.

[twinkoz]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY> Main concern is the smell and the cost, but it seems all methods are expensive, but still cheaper than carpet.The boards are lovely especially after being covered for 50 years with carpet they are smooth. really appreciate the input.

regards
Vicki:)

[Eastie]

If you can put up with a smell for a a weekend then I'd recommend this stuff:
wattyl estapol tung oil (http://www.wattyl.com.au/cf/wattyl/w_sheetqry.cfm?Data_Sheet_No=5.21)

I tried it after recommendation by a number of builders and have subsequently used it extensively in furniture items as well.

[twinkoz]

thanks for the reply Eastie. How is the finish satin etc? What do you use to clean the floor for weekly cleaning?

regards,
Vicki:)

[Dusty]

To get the best possible results for your floor your going to have to somehow get over the issue with the smell. All the good flooring finishes smell.

As suggested, Tung Oil is an option, however, it is very brittle and scratches easily. There are many cross- linked polymere polishes that can be used as a sacrificial coat after the three coats of tung Oil have been applied. These water based protective coatings can give your floor that beeswax type look that your keen on. I recomend that the sacraficial coat be re-done at least every three months in a domestic situation.

Another important point is that the sanding has to be done to an extremely high level (as it should with all floors) to help bring out the best in both the Jarrah and the Tung Oil. As the Oil is a penatrating finish it tends to show up any of even the smallest sanding blemishes, leaving dry spots and many, many visable sanding marks. This is more evident on the higher density timbers, which Jarrah is. So choose a sanding contractor carefully.

From my way of thinking, if your looking for that smooth, waxy type look and feel than your best bet would be to go with a polyurethane finish, consisting of two coats of gloss with the final coat being a satin finsh. This method of finishing will be the smelliest, but, it will give you the most benefits.
Firstly, that wax look.
Secondly, durabilty and longevity.
Thirdly, low maintainance.
Fourth, the polyurethane finish is much more forgiving if there are any sanding discrepancies. It hides problems, not highlights them.
Fifth, easy clean. Just mop with a little warm water.


Anyway, here's hoping you find the perfect solution to suit your floor.
Let us all know how it goes.

[twinkoz]

Thanks for the reply Dusty. Every three months ugg. I like the sound of your idea. Now my question is, what is the difference with one part or two part or do they call it pack? We are a family of eight so we need something that doesnt mark to easily.

regards
Vicki:)

[seriph1]

one-pack V two pack "pack" refers to ingredients in the final applied product - ie: one-pack is straight out of the tin and onto the floor

two-pack is when an additonal hardener is mixed in - ie: the second "pack"

family of 8 - get the most durable product available and fast!

:)

[twinkoz]

thanks Steve for the reply. Guess it the 2 pack for me!!

regards
Vicki

[Dusty]

As Steve has already pointed out, one pack is a straight out the can product, whereas, the two pack needs to be mixed together before use.

Of the two different products, the Two Pack is the hardest wearing, more durable finish, which would be the best way for you to go with such a busy household.

The down side to the Two Pack is that it only comes in a high gloss finish. Which is not quite the look your striving for.

The satin (beeswax looking) finish only comes in a single pack and is a fairly tricky product to apply. So once again make sure you find a contractor who is comfortable with applying satin. Some aren't.

So, my advice at the end of the day is...
Go with the two Pack gloss finish.
~It goes on beautifully with very few problems
~ It's the toughest on the market
~ It's the easiest to maintain
~And, as it ages it becomes that satin, beeswaxy finish your looking for.
With your family of eight it will take no time at all for that initial gloss to subdue and that warm mellow look to happen, so eventually you'll end up with the best of everything.

Ohh, and with the smell, once that final coats' been applied, the following day, open up every door and window and in no time at all the last residues of odour will disappear. It's that easy.

[twinkoz]

Thanks Dusty for the reply, weighing up all the input it seems the two pack makes the most sense.

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to reply, you have all been very helpful.;)

[seriph1]

Vicki

just one more consideration ('where will it end', I hear!)

take care NOT to flood the floor too much with the product - if you're using one, ask the person applying it if they have had problems/complaints regarding boards splitting due to glue-up-effect...... which occurs when product floods through so far that it basically glues boards together, and being stronger than the timber, when expansion/contraction takes place, the wood splits - often along the top groove I am told...... this is far less of a problem if the boards are still very tightly joined, as the product won't be able to penetrate too far. (apologies if this is unclear - it's still early here.....)

I bet those boards are starting to look great JUST the way they are

:)

All I am saying is it might be good to do some further, final research with product suppliers/applicators, now that we in the peanut gallery have had our say.

[twinkoz]

Thanks Steve didnt know they could do that (carpet is looking a good option sigh) They seem to be fairly tight but the question would be are they tight enough. (We could have a TV show on timber floors) ha ha. Will delve further into it.

Regards
Vicki;)

[seriph1]

tv show is not as funny as you might imagine, but that's another story

:)

I feel polished boards is a great idea - once you get some "professional" advice, along with finding out what guarantees are offered by appliers - If youre applying the product yourself, then think about Cabot's range, as they (and all the others now I guess) have, in my experience, a very helpful customer-help line, to address concerns and queries......carpet may be more practical for your large household..... perhaps not as nice as boards though.

If you can, let us all know what you decide to do

success

Steve

[twinkoz]

Thanks Steve. Now lm totally confused!! Will try and get some advice, a friend is having hers done professionally will ask him for a quote and fire some questions at him. Okay here is a thought! Tiles!! Guess they would crack with the movement in the floor.

Regards Vicki:D

[Dusty]

Hold on, Vicki, stick with the polished floors:) although all the info might seem a bit daunting and confusing:confused: trust me it will all be fine.

Here are some pics of some of my flooring work.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7218

And later on tonight, I'll scan some of the Jarrah floors I've done. Hopefully, that'll keep you interested.

Cheers.:D

[Eastie]

From the wattyl site:
Description
A penetrating clear timber coating, predominantly for use on interior timber floors where a subdued gloss finish is desired. Provides a tough protective barrier.
Principal Uses
Ideally suited for interior timber floors subjected to heavy traffic, such as community halls, factories, public buildings and gymnasiums which are regularly maintained by polishing or recoated annually.

It's a subdued gloss so you will be able to see the grain and won't burn your eye's out with glare on a sunny day like a full gloss. Visit a few flooring displays and work out what you like best. Unless you've looked at them in person and like them be warned with high gloss - it more often than not detracts from the natural beauty of the timber

[Theva]

Sideline question to Dusty:

Your two pack finish looks great. Did you sand between coats?

Is steelwool between coats an option?

Probably what I am after is options for getting the grain smooth as possible and a hard coating then some rubbed satin finish on top (want everything don't I). Timber will be new blackbutt or brushbox.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Theva

[twinkoz]

Thanks Dusty, they sure look stunning, and the jarrah will look lovely done.Another question, we are in the south west of WA which gets very cold in winter, the house is built up off the ground so we would need to insulate underneath, any ideas (we can reach under most of the underneath). Looking forward to seeing the jarrah pics!!

regards
Vicki

[Dusty]

Here we go, Vicki.
the one on the left is 100 year old recycled Jarrah with a Satin finish.
the one on the right is new Jarrah, Two pack gloss finish.

[twinkoz]

Thanks for the reply Dusty, both look great, im still not sure which way to go ,today l was given an old hoover floor polisher from a friend,so lm going to do some testing on the back verandah whicjh is covered but still has jarrah floor boards, should be interesting trying a few methods. Thanks again for the great imput its been so helpful.

regards Vicki