what finish for my floor

[swuzan]

Hi all! I'm a DIY'er with just enough info/experience to be dangerous! I just sanded the finish off a 30 year old oak floor which had been carpeted. The stains from animal urine did not come up, but I can't afford to replace boards so it'll have to do. I planned to use some varnish I had bought several years ago for this project, but then I realized it is Porter Varnish for floors, solvent based, but not polyurethane. The paint store folks told me this was even better than polyurethane; said it was more durable. so, what to do? My concern is if it is water resistant. Will a couple of coats of this varnish hold up to wet mopping, and will it resist more stains when the pets pee on it, which they will?

or should I just cut my losses and buy something else? Also, if I use this varnish for a couple of coats, can i then put down a coat of polyurethane?

Many thanks!

[Connor Aston]

Yes cut you lossess and buy a Parrot in a cage it won't pee on the floor like the cat and the dog! And two coats of varnish will be fine for the Parrot

. . . . Only kidding

In the Ireland we have diamond glaze floor finish its great!!

[tIM]

Throw away the varnish! Get Zinnser Seal coat for the first seal coat. Dries in about an hour or less. Alcohol base, so wear a respirator. Then coat with ploy, after 8 hrs or more, buff with a maroon pad or steel wool. Hand sand if you do not want to buff, use 150 grit. Vacuum and tack with paint thinner. Then coat again with satin poly. It will not show DIY imperfections. Repeat again if you want a third coat.

24 year floor guy????.

[swuzan]

thank you very much! when you say buff with a maroon pad, do you mean with a machine? And the other option is to hand sand? it's not a problem; not that large a room.

...still learning....

[nospambob]

[vdubbs]

How do you apply your poly? I have heard you can use a squeege, but that would appear to leave ridges in the finish?

[<>]

I use a lambs wool to do large area's over, say 100 sq.ft. Cut in the edges with a brush. But some oldtimers still brush the entire house. A maroon pad is about 320 grit. 3M makes them. Or you could put 150 grit sticky sand paper on a white pad, then use a buffer. Auto supply stores have them on a roll, about 2" wide. Hand sand the edges the buffer cannot get. Just vacuum and tack, this is the important step.

When you sand the flooring, sand down through the grits, say 40-60 then 100 DIY's stop at 40 or 60 grit, this is where I make my money, after the wife threatens them to fix the floor

[swuzan]

Thanks for all your help. I am really frustrated right now. The sanding went fine. Lowe's told me to use a mohair blend roller to apply poly (oil based). That left bubbles I had to use a natural bristle brush to get out. They wouldn't have gone away, cause after it dried you could see where I missed some . Next coat i tried using a lambswool applicator as recommended by my local building supply. When it dried, I still had bubbles, plus now little fibers had dried in it, too. So for 3rd coat (I sanded off all the bumps, etc btw coats), I used the roller and brush and just did my best. It has dried with bubbles still showing. I give up! I'm done with this floor, but I've got 3 more to do, and I want to know what I did wrong! I've even been told to use a cheap sponge mop. Any ideas on how to get a smooth coat?

[Ken]

The secret is to thin the poly with the appropriate thinner for the type you use (water for water based poly, mineral spirits for oil based). The extra solvent allows the bubbles to rise and pop before the thinner all evaporates. The only problem with this is that you get less build of poly per coat so you may have to apply additional coats. Precautions like gently stirring the poly rather than shaking the can will reduce bubbles applied as will careful application. Don't work the finish. Apply with a single stroke if possible. If you have to go over it, do it once, in a single long stroke. Experimenting a little first on some scrap is always a good idea. Try it with 10 or 15 % extra thinner and add more if you need to, but remember the more thinner the more coats. As your technique improves you can get away with a little less thinner.

Ken

[DamnYankee]

Yes, thinning is the secret. I did my entire house (1800 sq ft of hickory) with an 18 inch roller and had no problems with bubbles or rough finish. I put on 4 coats.

Bryan

[janahartzell]

I don't thin the poly. I always use a paint pad. The kind with the peach colored fuzzy nap that slides on to the handle. You can usually screw a broom handle into the end. I don't because I can't see how it lays out with the reflection of the light. My eyes aren't that great so I about need my nose in it. I have no problems with bubbles and you can get close to the walls with a pad.Work with the boards from one end to the other so you don't get any lap marks. It'll be most even if you always go left to righ instead of coming back. Other wise you're last swipe will have started to dry at the beginning and won't blend as well with the next. I hope that makes sence. I just use 220 sandpaper between coats and make sure you work up a white powder. 3 or 4 coats should be plenty. Good luck, Jana

[janahartzell]

I don't thin the poly. I always use a paint pad. The kind with the peach colored fuzzy nap that slides on to the handle. You can usually screw a broom handle into the end. I don't because I can't see how it lays out with the reflection of the light. My eyes aren't that great so I about need my nose in it. I have no problems with bubbles and you can get close to the walls with a pad.Work with the boards from one end to the other so you don't get any lap marks. It'll be most even if you always go left to righ instead of coming back. Other wise you're last swipe will have started to dry at the beginning and won't blend as well with the next. I hope that makes sence. I just use 220 sandpaper between coats and make sure you work up a white powder. 3 or 4 coats should be plenty. Good luck, Jana

[<tdevery>]

[swuzan]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I am going to investigate using another, better brand of poly (I was using minwax satin; any suggestions? Can I get commercial grade?). I will also try to experiment with thinning, as well as with the paint pad. Buying a GOOD natural bristle brush also seems to be really important, too. I've read in another thread that I should have washed the lambswool applicator with paint thinner first, and also a suggestion to cover it with a piece of pantyhose to prevent the shedding.

I guess there are as many opinions as there are floor people! Again, thanks!

[DamnYankee]

I used Varathane on my floors. Very happy with it.

Bryan

[phildcrowNOSPAM]

I have an instructor who did this (also a former floor guy) and he said that the shellac delaminated from the floor in a couple of months. What gives? He did say he used stain on many of them, so perhaps the stain wasn't dry/cured. Or perhaps the shellac wasn't dewaxed. Any enlightenment would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-Phil Crow

[Lawrence Wasserman]

Isn't that how Tom Sawyer whitewashed his fence?