Protecting an oak floor from damp

[News]

This was posted elsewhere, by a friend. Any thoughts?

As most of you know I have a geriatric dog. This means he doesn't quite have the bladder control he once had and sometimes when I get in from work there's a puddle for me to clean up. Which is not a problem as I don't have carpets any more and it literally takes a couple of minutes to wipe it up, spray antibac on the floor and dry it off as thoroughly as I can.

However, that puddle might have been there a few hours before I get home, and I've noticed a few cracks appearing in the floor where the wood has expanded and contracted again. It's only been down a few years and was expensive as it's solid oak, not laminate, so naturally I want to save it!

Someone advised I sand the floor and then apply a couple of coats of boat varnish. However, I really don't want the uber shiny finish that'll give it as I think it cheapens the look of the wood (sorry to those with varnished floors).

Anyone know of a product to seal the floor and maintain the silk/semi matte finish?

[TimW]

It really depends what finish has already been applied.

Tim W

[tabbypurr]

er... varnish with a non-gloss finish?

NT

[Martin Brown]

What was it originally sealed with? Teak oil or beeswax polish? Renewing the original treatment will be the least effort.e

Either may show marks with trace organics and persistent wet. Much worse problems if there are any iron nails about to react with tannins.

Regards, Martin Brown

[Andrew]

I'd be more concerned about the smell of stale dog pee that has soaked into the wood and settled into the gaps between the planks.

People often make the mistake that 'solid' wood is better than laminate. Better than plastic laminate maybe, but engineered wooden laminate flooring is usually far superior to solid wood because it resists movement caused by the change in humidity over the course of a year.

Wickes sold something called 18 mm thick solid oak flooring back in

2009/10/11 but the packs were full of short bits only 300 or 400 mm long and the wood was all different species that expanded and contracted at different rates. The recommended metal clips were impossible to fit so most people glued the stuff down and together and then some sections split along the grain during period of low humidity.