The guys that did my floors used a 2 part stuff made by Morrells .Stinks to high heaven (I had to leave the flat for a while) but seemed to go on dead easily and dried quickly and was useable in next to no time .
Or apply it with a rag. The result is an almost imperceptible finish but with all the properties of the varnish. If anything it looks a little bland but at least there's no hint of the dreaded ginger look, which has spoilt so many softwood floors
Don't you come round here being all nice & reasonable...
:-)
I'll second that. The stuff is as hard as nails. Did the floors 15 years ago, still in excellent nick. The stuff is so thick and as familiarity breeds contempt, I tend to use it in self levelling mode. Pour lots on and spread it out with a stick.
How about "a little less sarcasm", I think you called it?
The moisture-curing poly is the one with the very nasty penetrating odour. I didn't hear anything about outdoor use. It is generally recommended that you leave the house while it is curing, which takes about a day. The solvent in it is not turps. I don't know why, but as I said the poly-flooring people I spoke to all use it. The stuff that was used in our house - Handley's - isn't available in small quantities from the usual retail outlets.
Here is an example of an outfit that uses it:
One thing's for sure, sealing the surface of wood will prevent its moisture content from varying seasonally, which will prevent dimensional variation.
Seasonal variation in normal domestic locations is minimal, with or without a finish. I spent 20 odd years researching this when my livelihood depended on it, and I can assure you that no finish I'm aware of is any kind of barrier to water vapour, even if you have access to the end grain.
How about fully encased in epoxy resin as often used in wooden boats?
I refinished wood and floors for many years, ive restored alot of houses and have lived with all types of floor finishes. For durability and least problems I like hard finishes. The breathablilty statement is simply a sales pitch.
More than 50% of a floor is unfinished, even sealed with poly a floor will "breath" from the underneath and sides. Wax-oiled is nice in looks, but they are not finishes my dogs dont destroy.
You're talking about your opinion, your personal preference. We are all entitled to our opinions and preferences. I don't deny you yours, please do not seek to deny me mine.
Ironically, the reason I like OSMO products isn't the breathability. That's actually almost irrelevant to my opinions.
The real reason I like OSMO products is that they are every bit as durable as hard coatings, and far easier to maintain, yet they don't hide the natural beauty of the timber, which includes its texture as well as its appearance.
I apologise if I didn't make that clear, and I regret that the mention of breathability has sent the discussion off on an irrelevant tangent.
As to my own personal taste, I have never quite understood the British desire to smother wood in thick, hard coatings, often very dark, which obscure the intrinsic beauty of a natural product. In Scandinavian countries, every effort is made to enhance the natural beauty of timber, and not to seal it in some hard impenetrable varnish or hide it under a dark stain as so many British people appear to want.
Perhaps an obsession with sealing is at the root of it? That would explain the irrationally angry response to any suggestion that a natural product should be allowed to breathe. Seal it, hide it at all costs!
;-)
Thanks for all the brilliant information .. my understanding of the whole picture has increased by 90%.
Mike P
If you "sealed" it maybe, but floor varnish isn't going to do that - even if you did both surfaces.
However old timber moves progressively less with moisture changes, although you're looking at 20+ full, slow cycles to have appreciable reduction (down to maybe 1/4 of what it did when newly dried). However many of the floorboards that find themselves getting sanded are already 100+ years old, so this is a significant factor.
Sorry. That wasn't intended as sarcasm. If I'm going to put words in somebody's mouth, I tend to always ask "is that correct?" - in case it isn't.
The real question was "what do you see as the advantages of breathability?"
I don't. I completely withdraw my comments about breathability.
See my reply to "ransley" elsewhere in the thread.
The 2 pack varnishes are totally clear, so they don't hide anything, and virtually indestructible, so they're unlikely to need maintaining. Sure, they can look like a sheet of glass if you want but, applied sparingly, that doesn't have to happen, and you can still mop the floor.
Couldn't agree more. Adding colour to a softwood floor is nearly always a disaster, but it looks so pale after sanding that you can understand why people do it. I always suggest wiping a section with white spirit to see how it will look with a clear finish. It can be a bit of a shock :-)
Couldn't agree more. ;-)
Seconded (or is that thirded?)
Wood treated with coloured varnish always looks like 'wood treated with coloured varnish' IYSWIM. The alkali ploy adds quite a lot of natural colour whilst waiting for age & light to work their wonders. Teaspoon of caustic soda in a litre of water, spray or brush on. Does raise the grain slightly.
On old boards alkali has the effect of deepening the colour, and making the grain pattern less dramatic. Nice on furniture, but can look a bit gloomy over a large area like a floor. Take a look at the "real" colour of old pine boards (or at least the ones I'm currently working on)
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