Calling All Handy Men Of The Board

[Doctor Z]

Okay, I have a horribly water-damaged wood floor that I am having sanded and re-finished. What is the best option for a sealer/finish? I hear shellac is basically a thing of the past, and that oil-based polyurethane is a solid choice... but it's confusing because there's so many different options/ingredients/brands. What kind of details should I look for? What should I avoid? Help.

Thanks.

[Don Stugots]

a clear polyurathain (sp?) would be fine. insist that the person doing the work (or yourself) put three to five coats. just be sure if that no matter how many coats you want that you get them.

[drjoek]

Stugots makes the right point that it comes down to how many coats of Poly that they put down the more coats the nicer the results.

[nate1000]

I re-did my floors with an oil based poly about five years ago. It is a pain in the ass time consuming project, but wow what a difference it made. The only suggestion that I'd offer is make sure you go over carefully with tack cloth after sanding between coats- if you miss any of the dust, it will get sealed into the poly and at the least make it look like shit and at worst could leave you with a granular finish that is sure to drive you crazy.

Also- remember when applying the poly- go with the grain and make long even strokes- try not to over lap.

[EliSnow]

Calling All Handy Men Of The Board

This thread's title had a completely different meaning for me because I read Lord Jezo's Blowjob Man thread right before this one.

[Reephdweller]

a clear polyurathain (sp?) would be fine. insist that the person doing the work (or yourself) put three to five coats. just be sure if that no matter how many coats you want that you get them.


Correct, go with the poly.

[Don Stugots]

Correct, go with the poly.

thanks.

[Reephdweller]

thanks.




Welcome

:bye:

[Doctor Z]

Sounds like a plan. Does anyone recommend a specific brand?

[Don Stugots]

Sounds like a plan. Does anyone recommend a specific brand?

they are all good really. Thompson's is one. i never really found one to better than the other. they all work the same, IMO.

[SatCam]

did you eliminate the source of the water?

[Doctor Z]

Good lookin' out, SatCam. We're working on that now. We still don't know, but work will not begin on the floor until the water problem is resolved.

[MadMatt]

they are all good really. Thompson's is one. i never really found one to better than the other. they all work the same, IMO.

I agree with Stugots (you are getting a lot of support in this thread, Budday).

If you are going to do the job yourself, try to rent a floor sander that has a built-in vacuum and a filtering system. They were very hard to find a few years ago, but they should be more prevalent now. You will still need to do some minor tack-ragging, but the vacuum will pick up the majority of the dust.

If you can get one that includes a filter, you will dramatically decrease the amount of dust. You may not even need a mask with some models.

And go with at least 5 coats if you can afford it. 3 coats might get the job done, but at least 5 will give you a NICE finish. It will also help with upkeep in the long run.

[BMoses]

Sounds like a plan. Does anyone recommend a specific brand?

Look into Varathane polyurethanes. It is a label of Rustoleum. It comes in both water and oil bases in a satin, semi gloss and gloss finish. I would recommend going with the oil based, it gives a true durable finish. The water base is a quick (recoat in two hours) and holds up pretty well. The best part is you do not have to sand between coats for both the water and oil (it is recommended to sand before the final coat). You can find it in a lot of places (Home Depot, Ace and Menards).

[envirogator]

If you can get one that includes a filter, you will dramatically decrease the amount of dust. You may not even need a mask with some models.


also be sure to close and cover all of the vents in your house. If not you will have dust EVERYWHERE! A little lesson I picked up after the fact...

[MobCounty]

a clear polyurathain (sp?) would be fine. insist that the person doing the work (or yourself) put three to five coats. just be sure if that no matter how many coats you want that you get them.

Use very light coats.. Do not put enough to create any kind of puddling. Pro's use sprayers. Also, dont do this work when it is cold. I made both of these mistakes and lost use of my kitchen for several weeks....

[drjoek]

You do have a choice on the finish

Matte
High Gloss

I ve got Matte finish on my floors

[MobCounty]

Also, depending on how much sanding you need to do, use the upright square flat floor sander instead of the upright drum sander if at all possible. Real drum sanders are unforgiving if you don't have any experience with them.

[MobCounty]

You do have a choice on the finish

Matte
High Gloss

I ve got Matte finish on my floors

I used gloss, and I have a friend who used matte. His matte finish looks like he left the floor unfinished IMO.

Also, dust is your enemy.. Tape plastic over all the doors and vents. Get every bit of dust off the floor, cabinets etc. before you finish.. It is going to smell like shit for a few days.

[MadMatt]

also be sure to close and cover all of the vents in your house. If not you will have dust EVERYWHERE! A little lesson I picked up after the fact...

Good point! If you can create an "airlock" using sheet plastic and tape it will make your life a lot easier. Seal off the work area as much as possible, especially if you are using a sander WITHOUT a vacuum or filter.

Include your air vents if you have central air - you could end up spreading dust all over your house and/or fry the filters on your air handler.

[Bulldogcakes]

I re-did my floors with an oil based poly about five years ago. It is a pain in the ass time consuming project, but wow what a difference it made. The only suggestion that I'd offer is make sure you go over carefully with tack cloth after sanding between coats- if you miss any of the dust, it will get sealed into the poly and at the least make it look like shit and at worst could leave you with a granular finish that is sure to drive you crazy.

Also- remember when applying the poly- go with the grain and make long even strokes- try not to over lap.

Listen to Matt and Nate on this. The floors must be SPOTLESS before you apply it each time. Any little piece of dust, dog hair, dirt will show up like its X-Rayed every time light hits the floor. SPOTLESS.

Other than that, just apply it. Cover w/masking tape any mouldings you dont want it to splash on. Its not rocket science. Do a few coats like Stu said. If you do 4-5 you'll never have to do it again. 3 or less and maybe you redo it in a few years depending on how much traffic it gets. So do it once, right.

[FUNKMAN]

Use very light coats.. Do not put enough to create any kind of puddling. Pro's use sprayers. Also, dont do this work when it is cold. I made both of these mistakes and lost use of my kitchen for several weeks....

doesn't he have to put something first to get the air out of the wood to prevent air bubbles?

[MadMatt]

doesn't he have to put something first to get the air out of the wood to prevent air bubbles?

Since it's an existing floor he shouldn't. I am assuming it is old enough and has completely acclamated, settled, etc. However, after the floor is refinished the first coat will be a "sealer" coat - but most modern poly's will take care of that without having to buy a special sealer.

Also, he will heave to dry the hell out of the floor. If there is any moisture left in the floor it can cause BIG trouble. Depending on the type of wood and grain pattern, there may also be a problem with the boards cupping.