Bonakemi Traffic, hard to use?

Hi everyone.

Anyone use this stuff? Apply it themselves?

I'm about to put down about 700 fet of red pine flooring. I'm considering trying this stuff for it' durability and low voc's. I've done a fair bit of flooring in my past (in houses I've lived in) and I'm experienced with both water based and oil polyurethanes however the application "Traffic" seems a little more difficult.

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with experience care to comment? Tips? Suggestions?

Thanks,

Jeff

Reply to
John
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Jeff:

I am flooring pro for 21 years and have used "Traffic" for around 6 First you need to seal the floor. Don't use the Bona waterbase sealer. All the floor pros now use Sealcoat universal sealer ie: dewaxed shellac Apply the Sealcoat with a lambs wool pad or 5" paint brush; put it on kind of thin. Sealcoat is a sealer, no build here. Wear a respirator, alcohol based. Scuff the Sealcoat with a maroon pad (320 grit) with a floor buffer. The Sealcoat will bugger up the pad, so clean it often. Some say not to buff the Sealcoat that the next coat of poly will buff out flat. But, Traffic is so darn hard; it is not easy to get smooth. After you buff out the Sealcoat, vacuum the floor and tack with a dampened rag. Cleaning between coats is the most important step. Next, mix the poly; you might need 1&1/2 gallons for each coat. Cut in the edges with an 8" felt paint pad, the main floor has to be applied with a "T" bar and white "rolled" felt pad. Best to have two people to apply the finish. Put it on kind of thin, because you will not be able to remove any puddles after they dry. Then buff the floor with a strip of self sticking 150 grit paper under a new maroon pad, go kind of slow. You will see a light white powder, but not much cause this stuff is hard. Again clean the floor as above and coat again. Two coats should be OK

You can purchase the tools on the net. Good luck

"John" wrote:

Reply to
<NOSPAMtdevery

I'm going to stain. Stain after the Sealcoat is buffed?

Thanks. Would you think that "Traffic" would be suitible for red pine wide boards? 6" to 12" wide?

-Jeff

Reply to
John

Traffic would be fine for this. It is hard, but will not get brittle like oil based poly. I have it in a Bedroom in my house, 200 Year old wide plank white pine 7" to

15", Satin finish, and I like the look It also comes in semi-gloss
Reply to
<NOSPAMtdevery

One more question if you'd be kind enough to answer.

I just talked to the guys at BonaKemi and they suggested I do not stain pine, due to uneven stain absorbsion. I really want the old-amber look of pine since this floor is going into a 200 year old house and water based finishes won't get me there. Have you had any success with stain on pine before you poly? Bona makes their "Mega" finish, but they told me that won't yellow as much as an oil poly.

Any suggestions on getting he look of an older pine floor with the durability of water based finish like "Traffic"?

Thanks again for taking the time to share your expertise.

-Jeff

Reply to
John

"John" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:

I'm not the floor pro who has been helping you, but I have a thought.

He suggested a shellac sealing coat between the raw floor and the Bonkemi. Tinting shellac with something like Transtint is pretty trivial, and can give you that hint of ambering that you seek. Just plan to do the whole batch at once, and mix it well. You could either use the Zinsser premixed, or something from Hock Finishes or Homestead, in a dewaxed bulk flake. If using the flake, you could use the natural colors of shellac as well. That 'pumpkin pine' color is pretty close to what you'd likely get with a garnet shellac, and may be historically accurate. Test in the closet.

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Both companies are good folks with whom to deal.

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

Jeff:

First off, after sanding your floor, a test spot. Take a wet wash cloth to it. this is the color that you will get after the Traffic. I know my own 200 yr old floor is a deep red color just with Traffic. Something to do with the age of the floor. Then, take some Sealcoat and apply it to another small area to see what it looks like. As in the earlier post, you can tint the seal coat. But with tinting, the color is not as colorfast as with pigmented stains. (Direct sunlight) And pine will get blotchy when stained, But you can also use a prestain. I have other processes, but to keep it simple, try the two methods above first to see if you like it.

And if you stain, you have to sand the floor to perfection, the soft pine will show scratches from the edger and floor sander. Most flooring contractors will not stain pine. It takes more time then they are willing to spend on a job. TIM

Patriarch wrote:

Reply to
<NOSPAMtdevery

Tint the Sealcoat.

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y

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