finish for recliamed pine floorboards Oil ok?

[mickthetree]

Hi All

I've seen lots of suggestions for finishes on the forum and around the web, but would really appreciate some of your expert advice.

Have just laid a floor in my living room of reclaimed pine floorboards. I have a couple spare so want to try out some finishes first.

I am sanding it this wknd and and am after a natural looking finish which will repel water from shoes etc (front door is on this room)

Original plan was to sand and varnish, but reading round I like the sound of an oil finish for a natural look.

I have seen suggestions of tongue oil and linseed oil. will these be sufficient? and how often would they need reapplying?

I appreciate that the floor will wear and am looking forward to seeing it age, but dont want it completely knackered in a couple of years.

Does tongue oil have a bit of a smell to it?

Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[mickthetree]

Hi all

further reading has shown up This site and a product that I see some of you have recommended.

I see that this would replace the wax or oil finish with something that does both.

Is it realistic that it will stop major damage to the floor inside the main front door way? (wet feet etc)

Out of interest, could I save a few pennies by oiling the floor and then waxing it myself? if so which oil and wax combination would be right?

Then I would also have some remaining wax for any minor repairs.

The boards I used were all straight edged and I have joined them close together (with an expansion gap behind the skirting) however, if any goes between the boards, does it make a mess? Should I scrape it out? leave it to go hard?

Kind regards

Paul

 

[WoodYouLike]

Hi Paul

Pine boards and a natural finish (like the clear HardWaxOil) could turn your pine boards orangy - a characteristic of pine, not of the HWO (as Oak turns honey colour).

You could try a coloured HWO like Golden Oak - which many of our DIY clients have used very successful on pine boards.

HWO is a great protection against dirt and wet shoe prints - which you will not notice as easily as you would with a varnished or lacquered finish and no, you won't save many pennies by buying a separate oil and wax. You could end up with products from different brands too, never recommended.

You could buy a tin of power wax (hard wax) for maintenance.

 

[Symptoms]

mick - you wrote "... stop major damage to the floor inside the main front door way? (wet feet etc)"

and I'll add dust, grit, soil, stuff on the dog's feet, etc.

No floor finish will guarantee this, so ...

... invest in a decent doormat ... a cocomat - lots of designs from www.cocomat.co.uk and others.

How to stop the mat from slipping? We usually create a mat-well using a router & trimmed with brass, or you could use retaining beading (make some from a bit of your spare flooring so it matches) or anti-slip pad below, or double-sided tape (yuk!), or leave it the otherside of the front door if you have a porch.

 

[HowlinWilf]

Hi Paul.

Tung oil is good stuff - non-toxic, pleasant but not strong odour (salad bowl/chopping board smell), water resistant, heat resistant, solvent resistant (once dried), hard-wearing.

The only downside in your situation is that it can make the pine fairly 'orange'. And it produces a matt finish. And you'll need several initial coats (with the first couple being thinned with white spirit to aid absorbtion - subsequent coats sit 'on' the wood). Applying several coats with the necessary periods inbetween could take a week or more to complete.

The suggestion of a coloured oil is a good one. You could also stain the wood prior to oiling. Danish oil could also work similarly to the tung oil (but certain brands, eg. Rustins, STINK for a while - Liberon smells nice). Danish oil would be quicker to apply, but wouldn't be as hard-wearing as tung oil.

You could also try burnishing the finished oil surfaces to produce a satin sheen. I'm not convinced that any wax finishes will stand up to the rigours of normal daily wear and tear (esp by a front door), and you could end up with more maintenance than you care for.

You should try contacting the manufacturers of these products for their suggestions/advice.

 

[RigidRaider]

I wouldn't use wax or oil. They won't stand up to the traffic and you'll regret your choice and will never be able to varnish on top of it in later years.

You'll get a nice satin sheen with Dulux Trade satin varnish. Not glossy or shiny to show up imperfections but a nice smooth low-key sheen, which will look like wax.

 

[WoodYouLike]

I wouldn't use wax or oil. They won't stand up to the traffic and you'll regret your choice and will never be able to varnish on top of it in later years.

Beg to differ on this - due to years long experience from us and our clients. It does need, like every other finish does, regular maintenance - every 5 to 6 months but that is very simple.

Oil brings out the character of the wood much better than varnish or lacquer. When you treat your oiled floor well, it will only become more beautiful over time.