Limed Oak Flooring

Hi,

I've recently installed new feature grade oak flooring. Before applying the two pac finish, the floors appeared a nice light colour. After applying the two pac, the flooring appears much darker, in addition, the two pac epoxy has yellowed (UV?) since it's application. I'm now wondering if it would be possible to sand the floor again with a hired drum floor sander and then lime it before applying the two pac finish.

I guess I have a few questions about this...

If I don't quite strip all the varnish off, will I get an uneven finish? Will the sap wood (feature grade) appear strange after liming? Can I recoat in two pac? What paint do I use for the liming process? Will the final finish look ok?

Cheers,

Reply to
crmay
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Whats a 2 pac finish I usualy only smoke on breaks. Lime a floor, what is that. Oil Poly yellows water base doesnt, but wood darkens with age, but only over years should it yellow or darken. Yes you must remove all the finish. Lighest color will be no stain and acrylic poly

Reply to
m Ransley

Yes

Don't know, probably will be less contrast.

Matter of opinion.

Do you have any scraps left? If so, take a piece to the paint store and ask them what they have for the liming. Keep in mind, most any oil or epoxy based finish will darken the color when applied. Do a test piece to be sure you get what you want.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Or consider calling in an experienced professional to refinish them. Given the work involved and it not being easy to remedy if it goes wrong again, that is probably what I would do.

Reply to
trader4

Probably. If you partially strip this finish, and apply a stain that is absorbed into the wood, the old finish will keep the stain from being absorbed. If you apply a new surface coat, wear may expose the partially removed old finish.

"Strange" is in the eye of the beholder. I have no idea what feature grade or two-pac is, but most oak darkens considerably with just a clear coat or oil finish. It tends to yellow, as do most hard woods, and yellows a bit more with oil-based varnish than with water-based.

I used plain old alkyd paint, same color as solid trim in room, to refinish oak rails in the room. Thinned it, slathered it on, gave it about 5 minutes, and wiped it off. Dries fast, so not the best way to go on a floor. There are mfg. stains intended for liming, or your paint store can mix one for you. The main difference between stain and paint is that stain is transparent, however dark or light, and paint is solid. Stain most times is intened to soak into the wood and requires a protective coat (for a floor). There are one-step stain/varnish products but they are difficult to apply evenly and when they wear, the color goes.

Liming is basically putting solid color in the open grain part of the wood. When it soils, dirt might collect same places. My favorite finish for oak is plain, old fashioned oil base varnish. Medium brown. If you want a light finish, you might have chosen the wrong wood. Best bet would be to take some scraps to a good paint store and try what seems good to you.

Reply to
Norminn

Limimg or coloring-staining, ok. Use a stain for the recommended finish since best for you is water base finish since it darkens the least, What a 2 pac finish. 2, 6 pacs of beer

Reply to
m Ransley

Hi,

Thanks for the responses!

Ok... two pac is.. well I guess my term for paint consisting of two parts, something like an epoxy resin you would use for glue. If there's a better term for this let me know.

I live in Australia and have installed "tasmainian oak" flooring, which everyone tells me is really victorain ask, though the receipt reads "oak" and that's how I would prefer to address it =)

You can read about the timber grading on the website:

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But to sum-up the term "feature" means that the timber contains clearly visible imperfections like sapwood and other "features" like pen marks and dead borer channels. Select grade is the highest, whereby the timber doesn't contain any "features" High feature is the worst grade used by either the tragically poor, or the "shabby chic".

Most of the pictures that you see on the tasmanian oak website show "select" grade flooring. Feature grade on the other hand contains gum veins, or sapwood. When you paint sapwood, it turns a very dark colour, that in general probably increases the general darkness of the floor.

My understanding of "liming" is that the timber has a wiped treatment of light paint before being sealed.

So, in saying that, my concern is that liming the floor might result in overly white lines in the timber due the the sap veins and also due to the inability to sand the "two pac" finish from these veins or cracks. I'm also concerned that it might result in a generally distatsteful finish. Only today I heard the comment that "it's a 90's finish"!!

I've since had another look (no digital camera, so can't take photos) and think that I should perhaps mix a touch of white enamel paint in with the "two pac" varnish (Wattyl 7008) to provide a lighter consistent finish.

Any further comments?!

Cheers,

Reply to
crmay

clipped

Now it all makes sense. On this side of the world, oak and ash look and work very much the same. They say ash has a bit more open grain. Neither one will be a light color without putting something other than a clear finish on them. They are my favorite woods, but for "light", maple or birch unless you have a species down there we haven't heard of :o) Liming might be the best way to get the shade you want, and it doesn't have to be white. When I have small tasks, I mix up my own potion. Want red paint for picture frame? Mix a little varnish and red artist oil. A little wood stain? Linseed oil, ms and artist color. Also have painted on faux wood grain. Fun.

How large an area are you working with? The only articles I have "limed" are old oak bannister rails which formerly were very yellowed. We painted the room and I used the same paint that was used on wood trim

- very light taupe semi-gloss alkyd. Mix a little mineral spirits or turpentine, paint it on, let it sit a bit and wipe. Liming doesn work unless there is open grain for it to settle into, and is likely to cloud the grain a bit. I tried wood bleach once, but it had no effect. Oak did not lighten with the product I tried. You may be happier in the long run to choose another wood, but that is a major project. Good luck.

Reply to
Norminn

Any 2 pac if its oil base will darken and yellow Acrilic-water base does not darken.

Reply to
m Ransley

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