best hardwood floor finish - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rickg · #1 10-17-2005, 11:16 PM

Ok, I know this group'll give me some good advice here

So, like, I have this 85 year old house, and we're redoing the kitchen. We peeled up the old linoleum, and found some awesome wood flooring underneath. Appears to be maple. We decided to bring it back to life, rather than cover it back up. So I've been cleaning off the old tile and adhesive (yukk!

), and want to put a good, long lasting finish on it. Found some cool stuff on the 'net, but can't find a retail distributer(yet)
http://www.trekfinish.com/index2.html

So, if'n I can't find this stuff, was wondering what any of you guys/gals may have used, and liked. I want something that's going to repel spills, and wear a long time. I DON"T want to have this much fun again any time soon.

kerry · #2 10-17-2005, 11:21 PM

Done lots of them including removing the adhesive. You'll probably have to use a drum or belt sander to prep the floor. I've used stain and Diamond Brand oil based polyurthane finishes. Put on at least 3 coats. Used to be able to put on 3 coats in a day until the feds mandated a reformulation to reduce volatiles a few years ago. I now found I have to wait at least 8 hrs between coats. Diamond brand finishes don't require sanding between coats unlike other less expensive polyurethanes.

rickg · #3 10-18-2005, 10:36 PM

Thanks!

kerry · #4 10-19-2005, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narwhal

I use the minwax fast drying polyurethane "cheap brand". If you use a brush to put it on instead of a sponge roller, you don't get the bubbles and can skip the sanding in between coats.

I've used sheepskin pads and foam (?) staining pads about a foot wide on the end of long handle. I prefer the foam. Keep it in a ziplock bag with mineral spirits between coats. I've found one of the most difficult parts is to get the right light so that you don't leave puddles or dry spots. I've also learned to use leather moccasins on my feet when putting on later coats since shoe sole patterns sometimes show up if the existing coat is not completely hard.

savas · #5 10-19-2005, 03:54 PM

I recently put in maple throughout the whole house. Mine was prefinished but I found a lot of helpfull advice/people on this forum:

http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwoodinstaller/phpbb2/index.php

unkl300d · #6 10-20-2005, 12:58 AM

I;ve always learned that the stuff that dries fast does not last longer cuz of the volatile ingredients.
Bona products are very good. Oil base. Do the primer first, gloss then the finish coat. Sand inbetween.
Try not too go too deep with first sanding. Don't know about Maple but you could waste the good layer of wood.

Diamond water base seems good. I've used it , but prefer oil base in general for my house.

my 2 cents.

have fun.

rickg · #7 10-20-2005, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkl300d

I;ve always learned that the stuff that dries fast does not last longer cuz of the volatile ingredients.
Bona products are very good. Oil base. Do the primer first, gloss then the finish coat. Sand inbetween.
Try not too go too deep with first sanding. Don't know about Maple but you could waste the good layer of wood.

Diamond water base seems good. I've used it , but prefer oil base in general for my house.

my 2 cents.

have fun.

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the oil base stuff too. That Trek finish I linked to earlier is actually a 2-part epoxy stuff that's supposed to be guarenteed for 15 years. But all I can find so far is sellers for commercial sales only. So I'll relent and use the next best stuff I can find.
If this project turns out good, we've been told that the living room & dining room has nice oak flooring under the carpet, which needs to be replaced anyway. Ya gotta love these old homes!

Thanks for the tips!

unkl300d · #8 10-20-2005, 09:54 PM

Another thing, with oil base and maybe other bases, gloss seems to be tougher for wear than semi gloss and satin. It has to do with the ingredients that are added to the gloss to get it opaque. However, gloss may have a tendency to show scratches easier. Just like a shiny car finish versus one that is not.

That is why gloss is used after the primer. Then you decide how to finish coat it. Gloss, semi-g or satin.

I've had gloss finish on my hardwood floors and the truth is that it has held up
close to 17 yrs and still looks good. The slight surface scratches can be seen at angles. Not a big deal. The gloss finish has the advantage that with time and use, it wears to semigloss.

My folks had their home hardwood floors done recently. One floor was oak.
They dumped the w to w carpet and now use their oriental rugs over the wood floors. Looks cleaner and probably will hide less dust.
Be aware that when you get out of carpeting, certain rooms may feel chillier or the sound dynamics may change. Just a function of the role that carpet plays in damping cold and sound.

Harwood floors are nice !

Those sanding machines take sometime to master. I've only done it once myself. Not easy. Gouges happen all too easily. Try to practice up a bit if you DIY. 220V machines are better bc they make the job go faster then 110v machines.

have fun !!

woot!

kerry · #9 10-20-2005, 11:31 PM

There at least a couple of different kinds of drum/belt sanders. One has a lever for dropping the drum down and the other has a twist grip. I've found that the twist grip allows more precise control that avoids dropping the drum too quickly and gouging the floor. Although I've learned to use the lever type more effectively over time. Home Depot rents the lever type in our region and the twist types are rented by professional flooring stores.
If you don't have any deep gouges the rectangular orbital sanders from HD can be effective. I've used them a lot on 5/16 flooring for which a drum sander is way too aggressive.