I just moved into a house with pine flooring. Overall the floor is in really good shape. I cleaned it with a mild detergent and I want to know what I can do to help bring back some of the shine and maybe fill some of the hairline scratches?? Thanks.
Bear in mind the basic properties of your materials. 1) pine is a soft wood, easily scratched. Avoid this by using the old fashioned tricks of yore, like rug runners in doorways, etc.
2) Modern finishes like polyurethanes are very abrasion resistant. Solvent based penetrate best but may yellow with time and UV exposure. Water based may be better in these and other espects and are praised by many pros in the trades. Once you know what to expect from what's available you can make the most logical choice. A paint store where professionals get their supplies is a good place for any other questions. Good luck.Joe
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The best advice is to start at:
the rest of this post is me blathering and giving my personal, unprofessional, advice.
There are lots of different things you can do, but first you have to know what's on there now. Are the scratches in the wood, or in the finish? What is the finish (see if it gets sticky with some rubbing alcohol... if it does, it's probably shellac, a good think IMO) If it's shellac, you can remove/repair the finish with more shellac and/or denatured alcohol.
If it has been finished with poly, you pretty much have to mechanically remove it (sand) before you can do much else. you might be able to topcoat with more poly... although you probably have to scuff sand and recoat the entire surface first. read the directions on your finish or ask the professionals.
I've read of a technique of using thinned, resin heavy turpentine and linseed oil to harden and preserve pine floors... After several coats and several weeks, you top it off with a good wax coat and buff to shine. That's probably the route i'd take after bringing the surface to natural wood... but i like more natural finishes. (most of the furniture i've made has several coats of BLO followed by several coats of shellac as a finish... if it's cheap wood (read: dimentional pine... which works pretty well for cheap benches) sometimes i mix a stain in with the BLO.)
Unless it old-growth heart pine. If it is an old house, that is probably what it is. Then it can be as hard, or harder, then oak.
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