I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
MY questions-
· Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
testing with finger nail polish remover?
· Even if the finish is oil based, can I cover it with a water based
finish? I want to use a water based because of the ease of
application, shorter drying, and less fumes.
· How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
· Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
use (brand or otherwise)?
We used BonaKemi TRAFFIC to refinish 1000 sq. ft. TRAFFIC is a 2 part
waterbased resin and catalyst hardener floor finish. Its top rated,
commercial grade and you won't have to worry about redoing your floors
for a good long time.
Normally only sold to contractors but you can find it on the web
(google it). Costs around $100/gallon and we used 9.5 gallons to do 3
coats on 1000 feet of red oak.
one source
http://www.hardwoodsupplies.com/store/ViewItem.cfm?ID=158&catid=102
We had 40 year floors, covered by carpet for the most part but we
still sanded and puttied cracks - you should too.
Be sure to use their quick drying oil stain/sealer to ensure good
ahesion (I read Minwax stain is not compatible)
Get their 18" wide applicator and follow instructions - keep a wet
edge and work fast as it dries quickly.
Read and follow all the directions carefully and you won't be
disappointed.
http://www.bonax.com/profile.html
other resources.
http://www.finishingwoodfloors.com/
http://www.installingwoodfloors.com/
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 08:14:21 -0500, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Have seen a couple of posts raving about Bona. Or Bonakem?
>
>On 4 Mar 2004 16:51:28 -0800, [email protected] (David) wrote:
>
>>· Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
>>use (brand or otherwise)?
David asks:
>
>I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
>covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
>appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
>
>MY questions-
>
>· Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
>testing with finger nail polish remover?
Floor age strongly leans me towards saying it's oil-based.
I don't think water over oil works well.
>How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
Sand and clean.
Charlie Self
"Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable." Mark Twain
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
Dave,
I was initially hesitant too but you have a 4 hour window once the 2
parts are mixed and with their 18" spreader it is really fast and easy
to apply, just pour a long puddle onto the floor and spread. I would
mix a gallon at a time and then towards the later part, I would mix
1/2 gallon to minimize waste (expensive stuff). I was _very_ impressed
on how it flowed and dried very evenly with no stroke marks.
Be sure to lightly sand/abrade the second to last coat (let it dry
sufficiently) to remove and bumps in the finish prior to the last
coat. Home Depot (Capitol Expressway location) rents the 175 rpm
buffers for this.
We used the Satin finish, shows less scratches and dust than the
Gloss.
Also, if you decide to stain/seal, use a lambswool applicator and
apply once around the edge of the room and then circle back (rubbing
more rather than applying more stain) again to insure that the wood is
evenly covered - some parts absorb more than others. Work your way
around the edge and leave a way out. Don't over apply, just rub it in
well.
JP
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 23:10:48 GMT, Bay Area Dave <[email protected]> wrote:
>I was afraid to use it due to the catalyst so I used Mega. Had any
>experience with that product? I put it on one floor in my home last
>summer. So far, so good.
>
>dave
>
>jp wrote:
>
>> We used BonaKemi TRAFFIC to refinish 1000 sq. ft. TRAFFIC is a 2 part
>> waterbased resin and catalyst hardener floor finish. Its top rated,
>> commercial grade and you won't have to worry about redoing your floors
>> for a good long time.
>>
>> Normally only sold to contractors but you can find it on the web
>> (google it). Costs around $100/gallon and we used 9.5 gallons to do 3
>> coats on 1000 feet of red oak.
>>
>> one source
>> http://www.hardwoodsupplies.com/store/ViewItem.cfm?ID=158&catid=102
>>
>> We had 40 year floors, covered by carpet for the most part but we
>> still sanded and puttied cracks - you should too.
>>
>> Be sure to use their quick drying oil stain/sealer to ensure good
>> ahesion (I read Minwax stain is not compatible)
>>
>> Get their 18" wide applicator and follow instructions - keep a wet
>> edge and work fast as it dries quickly.
>>
>> Read and follow all the directions carefully and you won't be
>> disappointed.
>>
>> http://www.bonax.com/profile.html
>>
>>
>> other resources.
>> http://www.finishingwoodfloors.com/
>> http://www.installingwoodfloors.com/
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 08:14:21 -0500, "[email protected]"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Have seen a couple of posts raving about Bona. Or Bonakem?
>>>
>>>On 4 Mar 2004 16:51:28 -0800, [email protected] (David) wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>· Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
>>>>use (brand or otherwise)?
>>
>>
I recently refinished my 70 year old oak floors, which were under carpet for
about 40 years. I'm sure they were oil, but we used 5 coats of water based
poly after sanding. For cleaning the floor before finishing we used static
pads, lots of 'em, to get up almost all the dust. Came out really nice.
Kevin B.
Target Coatings owner Jeff Weiss commented this morning that WB
finishes, Targets' specialty, are fine over cured oil.
www.targetcoatings.com
On 05 Mar 2004 01:07:07 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
wrote:
>Floor age strongly leans me towards saying it's oil-based.
>
>I don't think water over oil works well.
Some have posted about odors and mistakes of coating ALL stair steps
with oil that aren't associated with WB.
On Fri, 5 Mar 2004 08:34:19 -0500, "Stephen M"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Why do you want to refinish a floor in excellent shape?
>
>The right way to do it is to sand the floor down to bare wood before
>refinishing. This makes the question of the prior finish moot.
>
>Personally I have only done oil, so I'll let others comment on the choice of
>finish question.
>
>-steve
>
>
>"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
>> covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
>> appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
>>
>> MY questions-
>>
>> · Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
>> testing with finger nail polish remover?
>>
>> · Even if the finish is oil based, can I cover it with a water based
>> finish? I want to use a water based because of the ease of
>> application, shorter drying, and less fumes.
>>
>> · How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
>>
>> · Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
>> use (brand or otherwise)?
>
I was afraid to use it due to the catalyst so I used Mega. Had any
experience with that product? I put it on one floor in my home last
summer. So far, so good.
dave
jp wrote:
> We used BonaKemi TRAFFIC to refinish 1000 sq. ft. TRAFFIC is a 2 part
> waterbased resin and catalyst hardener floor finish. Its top rated,
> commercial grade and you won't have to worry about redoing your floors
> for a good long time.
>
> Normally only sold to contractors but you can find it on the web
> (google it). Costs around $100/gallon and we used 9.5 gallons to do 3
> coats on 1000 feet of red oak.
>
> one source
> http://www.hardwoodsupplies.com/store/ViewItem.cfm?ID=158&catid=102
>
> We had 40 year floors, covered by carpet for the most part but we
> still sanded and puttied cracks - you should too.
>
> Be sure to use their quick drying oil stain/sealer to ensure good
> ahesion (I read Minwax stain is not compatible)
>
> Get their 18" wide applicator and follow instructions - keep a wet
> edge and work fast as it dries quickly.
>
> Read and follow all the directions carefully and you won't be
> disappointed.
>
> http://www.bonax.com/profile.html
>
>
> other resources.
> http://www.finishingwoodfloors.com/
> http://www.installingwoodfloors.com/
>
>
>
> On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 08:14:21 -0500, "[email protected]"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Have seen a couple of posts raving about Bona. Or Bonakem?
>>
>>On 4 Mar 2004 16:51:28 -0800, [email protected] (David) wrote:
>>
>>
>>>· Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
>>>use (brand or otherwise)?
>
>
Why do you want to refinish a floor in excellent shape?
The right way to do it is to sand the floor down to bare wood before
refinishing. This makes the question of the prior finish moot.
Personally I have only done oil, so I'll let others comment on the choice of
finish question.
-steve
"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
> covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
> appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
>
> MY questions-
>
> · Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
> testing with finger nail polish remover?
>
> · Even if the finish is oil based, can I cover it with a water based
> finish? I want to use a water based because of the ease of
> application, shorter drying, and less fumes.
>
> · How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
>
> · Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
> use (brand or otherwise)?
[email protected] (David) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
> covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
> appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
As others pointed out, most of the time refinishing the floors means
sanding down to bare wood and reapplying a finish. Is that what you
meant too?
I have the same with a house I bought two years ago. We were certain
we would refinish the floors when we first tore up the carpet. We
turned out to only have about 50 out of 1000 sq. ft. of flooring that
NEEDED refinishing. We just decided to leave them alone. Later, when
we refinished just the kitchen floor, we thanked our stars we hadn't
done the whole house. It became apparent that getting a finish as
good as the first one is a difficult task. We had trouble keeping the
floor sander from digging waves into our floors.
> MY questions-
>
> · Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
> testing with finger nail polish remover?
>
> · Even if the finish is oil based, can I cover it with a water based
> finish? I want to use a water based because of the ease of
> application, shorter drying, and less fumes.
>
> · How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
I don't believe applying new finish over old is a recommended
procedure. If the floor needs a new coat of finish, you will have the
best results by sanding the whole floor and refinishing all of it at
once. DAMHIKT.
> · Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
> use (brand or otherwise)?
I was not impressed with the durability of the water based finish we
used in our kitchen. I know another person who sanded off his water
based finish after a couple years and redid it in oil based.
Neil
Neil writes:
>e about 50 out of 1000 sq. ft. of flooring that
>NEEDED refinishing. We just decided to leave them alone. Later, when
>we refinished just the kitchen floor, we thanked our stars we hadn't
>done the whole house. It became apparent that getting a finish as
>good as the first one is a difficult task. We had trouble keeping the
>floor sander from digging waves into our floors.
Yeah, it's a problem unless you do it a lot. Oreck (believe it or not) sells a
ROS floor sander that helps reduce the problems those monster belt sanders
create.
Charlie Self
"Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable." Mark Twain
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Yeah, it's a problem unless you do it a lot. Oreck (believe it or not) sells a
> ROS floor sander that helps reduce the problems those monster belt sanders
> create.
>
> Charlie Self
> "Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable." Mark Twain
>
Exactly the problem we had. For a newbie, using one of those monster
belt sanders is like an afternoon of mule wrestling. I wish I had
known about the orbital floor sanders. We ended up evening out the
wiggles by passing the edge sander (i.e. big 'ol disk sander) over the
floor in a more or less random orbital manner.
Neil
Have seen a couple of posts raving about Bona. Or Bonakem?
On 4 Mar 2004 16:51:28 -0800, [email protected] (David) wrote:
>· Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
>use (brand or otherwise)?
Very slim chance that a 40-year-old floor has any kind of water-based finish.
Probably varnish.
I've done several floors like this. Give it a REALLY good sanding -- rent a
floor sander and an edger -- and then three coats or more of FloorShield and
it'll look wonderful.
New water-based polys are pretty tough!
Joe
[email protected] (David) bellowed forth with this wisdom for all to hear:
> I have 40 year-old oak flooring in my house that until this week was
> covered with a carpet (with a carpet pad underneath). The floor
> appears in excellent condition. I plan to refinish the floor.
>
> MY questions-
>
> · Can I tell if the existing finish is water based or oil based by
> testing with finger nail polish remover?
>
> · Even if the finish is oil based, can I cover it with a water based
> finish? I want to use a water based because of the ease of
> application, shorter drying, and less fumes.
>
> · How should I clean the floor before refinishing?
>
> · Any recommendations for what is the best water based finish I can
> use (brand or otherwise)?