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Post by shin on May 22, 2015 14:04:49 GMT
I'll be laying down wood flooring in a little while.
I am thinking of using wood boards rather than prefab hardwood flooring, and I'll have to seal the wood after staining it.
Shellac, polyurethane, there're a lot of options. I'd like to ask for some opinions on the alternatives to polyurethane out there, if it's worthwhile to use them.
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 23, 2015 1:20:34 GMT
If you're not using tongue and groove boards, look forward to cupping and crowning as the moisture levels change. How wide are the boards you're thinking of using? Over 6" wide, you'll want to pre-drill and edge nail. Moisture content of the boards is important in flooring. NOFMA requires oak/maple flooring to be in the 7-9% range. Even at 8% wide boards will give you good sized cracks during dry months.
As to finishes, I'm a believer in the water borne finishes. They take more coats than oil based polyurethane, but do as well wear wise and don't yellow over time.
I was in the wood flooring business 30+ years, if I can help PM me
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Post by shin on May 23, 2015 5:18:23 GMT
Hmm.. I suppose I could put a tongue and groove on the boards with a router. Haven't decided on the wood yet, so no decision on sizes. Got to look and see what's available out in the local area in a few weeks.
Is there anything you'd consider to seal a floor besides polyurethane?
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Post by shin on May 23, 2015 5:18:50 GMT
And thanks Ozarks Tom, I appreciate it!
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 24, 2015 1:32:15 GMT
You could buff in a stain/wax called Renovator from Dura Seal, using a steel wool pad on a floor buffer, but it's not going to give you the protection you'd want in traffic areas, and require periodic touch ups. I really do recommend the water borne products. They're fairly user friendly, quick drying, and stand up well to foot traffic. The key to using them is to always work with a wet edge to avoid stop marks.
If you're going to router the edges, tongue & groove, keep in mind the bottom of the tongue holds down the bottom of the groove. A few test pieces to make your adjustments will probably be necessary.
On wide boards, especially 8" and over, you should run a bead of Liquid Nails down each bottom side edge. This will minimize cupping. Also, I'd recommend using trim head screw in lieu of nails on the edges. Sink them up, and putty the holes.
One thing to keep in mind is oil based stain on rags is highly combustible, including spontaneous combustion. Soak them in water when done staining, and lay them out to dry individually. Never pile them in a corner, you'll burn the house down. I remember a 12,000 sf house in Austin that burned to the ground because the dummies doing to floors left a pile of stain rags in the garage.
Feel free to contact me any time.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 22:22:37 GMT
poly, sherwin used to have a product called rexthane, floor guys swore by it it... no longer made as far as I know.
you want a hard finish, shellac and water base are not.
They also make a product known as Bartop, I would not use as is but thin it down with appropriate solvent.
Probably be pretty close to the rexthane.
of coarse the finish is only as good as the substrate, drop a cup dent the floor ... well...
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 22:24:22 GMT
You will want what ever you put in for flooring live a while in the home. so it "acclimates" lack of a better term at the moment.
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Post by shin on May 25, 2015 22:45:51 GMT
Yes, I will be sure to give it a bit of time. Have to paint the place first in any case, so it should time nicely. I'll buy the first batch, let it sit while I paint, then run it all through the router and figure out how to fit it all together.
If the first batch goes well enough, then on to the rest of the place. Nice cheap diy wood flooring, and maybe some travertine tile in the kitchen and bathroom.
I'm kinda torn -- I like the durability of the polyurethanes, but I'm an old fashioned guy, and using something like wax rather than plastic appeals to me too.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 23:17:33 GMT
I was in the paint industry on one side or the other my whole life, Applications and supply.
Its always comes down to a trade off but isnt that devil in the details, cost vs life, ease vs complication.
Its the nature of the beast.
Floors are notoriously had on any coating.
One reason rugs or pads are run on high traffic areas.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 1:37:34 GMT
The prettiest floor I've done was Ponderosa pine stained cherry with 3 coats of semi-gloss poly. If you use straight boards, run them through a table saw, run 2 kerfs 1/3 the thickness in 1/3 the width from each edge, 3 if more than 8" wide, keeps the boards from curling. I don't recommend the #2 or #3 pine, too soft, even with the poly....James
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Post by Cabin Fever on May 26, 2015 15:16:25 GMT
Our home is completely floored in old barnwood of various widths...5", 7" and 9" wide. The boards were planed on one side to ensure they were all the same thickness and then T&G'ed. The boards were both side-nailed (like regular wood flooring) and then surface nailed which was mostly for looks. We didn't have to stain the boards because each board was already "stained" from age...each board is a slightly different shade. The finish we used was a professional oil-base varnish, specifially made for floors. Since the wood we used for our floors already had saw marks, dents, stain marks, paint marks, nail holes in them, there is really no way we can damage them any further - LOL!   |
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Post by shin on May 26, 2015 19:29:36 GMT
That's some nice wood flooring there. When there're enough dings you don't have troubles anymore with another alright!
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 19:38:49 GMT
"Our home is completely floored in old barnwood of various widths...5", 7" and 9" wide. " This is a beautiful floor. Thanks for sharing the idea & pictures. |
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Post by shin on May 26, 2015 19:50:45 GMT
On the non-wood side, this is the stuff I'm thinking about for the kitchen/bath. Got samples coming in the mail. Don't know if it'll need additional sealing or not. |
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Post by shin on May 26, 2015 21:52:32 GMT
Hmm. Reading further, it'll need the sealing too.
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