Three or four years back I put down a solid oak floor in our lounge, after sanding it down I finished it with water-based polyurethane floor varnish from either Screwfix or Toolstation. This was fine until about a year ago when the surface became badly worn in places. It's a bit of a mess now, and I'm going to have to sand it down again and re-varnish. Anyone got any recommendations on the best varnish to use - or any tips on applying it?
Rustins plastic floor finish. It's a 2-part mix and due to the fumes and ventilation required as a consequence you may prefer to postpone it until slightly warmer weather. But it is very tough and durable.
Nettie
Many thanks for that, it looks very interesting.
I'm in no great rush, so it can wait a few weeks.
Have you used this stuff yourself?
The _best_ varnish is going to be a two-pot yacht varnish. The real stuff, not the kind you buy from a DIY shed. However you may not like the price.
Ideally you sand to bare wood, then apply West Systems Epoxy or similar as an undercoat, then a couple of coats of two-pot varnish on top.
x-posted...
Andy
As a one-off job which I want to to properly the price isn't that critical - although all this stuff seems fairly expensive, the Rustins stuff is over £60 per tin.
Where is the best place to get this two-pot varnish?
Do you really want varnish? Would not a hard stain be better and leave natural wood?
If so look at either the Lasutect or HG ranges of flooring products - German and Dutch respectively I think. We have used both and they are equally good for the intended job.
yes I've used it, and I can therefore confirm it is hardwearing. It is expensive, but I have had it down for almost 10 years and it still looks pretty good. Happy to PM you a photo if you like.
Nettie
No that's necessary, I am happy to take your word. It's definitely on my list. Many thanks.
What about if the floor has already been varnished?
Personally I think a 2 pack plastic surface over natural oak would not look great, you might as well have laminate. Focus DIy do a water based varnish, it doesn't darken the timber and will leave it looking natural. Ok it may not be quite as hard wearing but it's dead easy to use, and to re-finish. Depending on what sort of use you give your floor this type of finish should be fine for another 3-4 years. Any type of timber finish is likely to need similar attention anyway.
Fascinating. Seems hard as anything on my boat.... but that's why I x-posted!
Andy
The OP said he is going to sand it down - I presumed to bare wood?
solvent thinned epoxy as a primer, then 2 coats of traditional oil based varnish (not the water based) see
paul
Thanks for that. Any idea what products I could buy (in the UK) that would comply with your suggestions?
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+1 Ease of application to renew only the worn areas has to be 'the line of least resistance' overall i would have thought.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.