Unfinished hardwood floor

[Baron]

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." <raiar@bbs.galilei.com.nospam> wrote in message
news:400008c5.326257718@news.galilei.com...
> ...
> The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
> penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
> into the wood and actually make the wood harder.
> ...

Well written post. Just one quibble. Penetrating finishes do not make
the wood noticeably harder. I'm going by the results of tests by some
nationally recognized experts in the field.

[Lloyd Randall]

In article <400008c5.326257718@news.galilei.com>,
raiar@bbs.galilei.com.nospam (Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:


> An oiled
> floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
> floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
> door in the house!
>

Hear hear! Twenty years ago, I house-sat for my sister and her husband
while they vacationed in Europe. I had to keep my motorcycle in the
living room because they forgot to tell me where they kept the
garage-door opener.

When they got back they made a couple of snobby remarks about the oil
spots, but within a year she had oiled the whole carpet. It's been
trouble-free ever since.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd

[William Brown]

I agree with almost everything you have said. We have an old home, and
over the years I have refinished almost all of the hardwood floors, one
or two rooms at a time (a better plan would have been to do the whole
house before moving in). The first room I put polyurethane on, and it
has not held up well at all. That was perhaps 25 years ago and maybe
more modern polyurethanes last better, but still that room will have to
be redone. I did use a waterbased urethane on the stairs, as it was
recommended as lasting and not being slippery, and it has held up well
for about five years. In the remaining rooms I used the Duraseal
penetrating finish, which comes in different hues, and it has worked
really well. I initially got it because the place I rented the sander
also sold this finish. That place is now out of business, and it is
hard to find the Duraseal products (I think they like to sell to the
trade, rather than the public), but if you can find that product it is
really worth the search, and the penetrating finish seems to last and
look good. They do recommend waxing for additional protection and looks.

Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. wrote:

> Sorry but I missed the original post on this subject.
>
> I'm chiming in only because of the diversity of responses I have seen
> to whatever the original question was.
>
> I have also seen a comment or two by those in the wood floor industry
> that actually made me cringe when I read them.
>
> There are only two basic types of floor finishes and all finishes fall
> under these two categories.
>
> They are, Surface finishes, and Penetrating finishes.
>
> Almost all of the finishes in use today fall under the Surface Finish
> category and include everything from wax to the newer polyurethane
> finishes. Shellac, Varnish, Lacquer, etc. are all surface finishes.
>
> Surface finishes are just that, a thin film protectant OVER the wood
> surface, that will wear off, flake off, peel off, become thin, and
> sometimes even crackle or alligator if applied too heavily.
>
> The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
> penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
> into the wood and actually make the wood harder.
>
> Back when I was a youngster (and before), most commercial building
> with hardwood floors used nothing but penetrating type oils, because
> they clean up easily and do not wear off to the point the wood becomes
> quickly damaged in high traffic areas.
> Oiled floors have a more rustic appearance to them than glossy
> finished floors, but oil floors can be buffed to a nice satin finish
> if one wants to put that much work into them.
>
> My first two houses used the conventional Surface Finish techniques.
> I had to be very careful to protect this wood finish, especially
> around my desk and other high use areas. Even polyurethane will wear
> off very quickly if you spend much time sitting at a desk in a home
> office.
> Even with continual monthly waxing, raising 4 kids, 5 dogs and a
> managerie of other animals, surface finishes were an expensive
> nightmare to keep up.
>
> Before I moved into an older but modern home, the first thing I did
> was have that nice new surface finish sanded off and had all of the
> floors heavily oiled with tung oil. Then about once every three years
> after that, we would deep clean the floors and apply another coat of
> tung oil onto them while the kids were away at camp or elsewhere.
>
> After the second treatment of oil, we could then simply mop our floors
> like they were linoleum or vinyl without fear of ever hurting them.
> An animal may use a throw rug as a waste station and it would go
> unnoticed, yet when discovered, there was NEVER a black mark left
> behind as evidence of their watering the carpet.
>
> Some times the old ways are better!
> I will NEVER have a bothersome surface finished floor again. An oiled
> floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
> floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
> door in the house!
>
> TTUL
> Gary
>

--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

[I & H Prees]

One more bit of information about the Wood Preen. It comes in light, medium
and dark colors, I think. It also contains naptha (like mineral spirits) as
well as a wax so it might get rid of buildup from previous applications. Our
parents didn't sand and refinish their floors. They cleaned and waxed them.
-Holly

I & H Prees <hiscoop@peoplepc.com> wrote in message
news:vvukcdbt8k5n3d@corp.supernews.com...
> We have a similar floor in our house, about 40 years old and in need of
> refinishing, but that's not very likely. Ours is very dull and scratched,
> but when I want it to brighten it up I use Wood Preen (made by Kiwi Brands
> Inc out of Pennsylvania), which is a wood cleaner/protector/wax. I think
the
> product has been around for a very long time, but it is still available
(if
> you can't find it, let me know!). It has color in it, so it might blend
the
> light and dark areas of the floor and give them some luster. It takes some
> elbow grease, though. Basically you apply it with a mop or soft cloth to
> small areas at a time, rub it in, then buff with a clean cloth or a floor
> buffer. Both my Mom and my Mom-in-law had floor buffers in their basements
> from the 1950s; they look like a small upright vacuum only they have
> removable round brushes and "polishing pads" on the bottom. That has
worked
> fairly well for getting some shine to the floors following the Wood Preen
> application. If you can't find a buffer, you can just use a cloth and
elbow
> grease....).
> I found Murphy's, etc. to make them dull but clean. Someone else suggested
> bowling alley wax but I would think that would make them slippery.
> I also recently tried "Brite" floor cleaner and that cleaned them well and
> seemed to give them a nice shine (it is what I use on my linoleum, too).
But
> it did make them slippery and the luster didn't last very long. Be careful
> that you don't get drops or spray when you squirt it, because it shows up
> when you are done if it is not on there evenly.
> Hope it works. If you find another good solution, let me know!
> -Holly
>
> .
> Turandot <qqqq@pppp.net> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1a68b699d4a812f6989761@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
> > The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just
vacuum
> and
> > apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good
shape.
> There
> > are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
> worse by
> > moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have
som
> e of the
> > floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
> visible
> > part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright
Lysol
> idea...
> >
> > Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
> finishing the
> > floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:
> >
> > How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?
> >
> > How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the
floor?
> >
> > Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
> the rest
> > of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and,
hopefully,
> will add
> > some luster as well?
>
>

[Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.]

Hi Dawn

Tung oil as been around for centuries, it is an oil that dries like
Danish Oil or Linseed Oil.
An example of a non-drying oil would be Lemon Oil.
For floor finishing, you only want to use an oil that dries.

Today you can get penetrating oils, like Tung Oil, in almost every
shade imaginable and perfectly clear non-yellowing as well.


New floors require sanding and cleaning before being sealed with a
penetrating oil, TSP is good for this.
But the deep cleaning I was referring to was doing a really bang up
cleaning job on the floor before reoiling, so as not to harded dirt
into the new finish.
I usually use mineral spirits on the whole floor, and sometimes
turpentine or paint thinner in the main walk areas to get them really
clean. Then I follow up with a rinse of hot water and mild dish
detergent like Ivory. In fact, that's what we use for everyday
cleaning of the floors, is dish detergent and hot water.

Because penetrating oils do dry, you can build them up and get a
glossy shine, but it doesn't look as natural as the normal satin
finish.

TTUL
Gary

[Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.]

Hi Baron

Pine and fir, softwoods, were the most common flooring material used
in pre 1900's buildings, warehouses, stores, shops and saloons.

Unfinished pine or fir for that matter will not last very long in a
high traffic area. But oiled wood lasts for centuries without much
wear if it is maintained properly by reoiling every year in these
instances.

Whether it is technically correct to say, it makes the wood harder,
may be a misstatement.

The oil fills the pores of the wood, dries and as such, makes MORE
surface to have to wear away.

So perhaps it literally does not make the wood itself harder, but it
does fill in the pores making the wood less susceptable to wear and
damage.

A sponge soaked in cement and allowed to cure will wear a lot longer
than the original sponge, who's properties never physically changed.
But I would rather be hit with a regular sponge, than one impregnated
with concrete, because the impact would be much harder on my old bean.

TTUL
Gary

[Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.]

Hi Bill

Duraseal is still around, great stuff!
They make an excellent penetrating oil also, which is the brand I used
on my last house, initially for the first two coats, then switched to
Waterlox for the last coat and subsequent touch ups.

TTUL
Gary

[Turandot]

Thank you so much for the great advice you provided, Gary. I've printed every
message you posted to this thread. An oiled floor would go much better with the
style and character of our house than a surface finished floor. Many of my guests
like the "rustic" look of this floor, discolorations and all, and have been
telling me to leave it alone but I will go ahead and follow your advice. I like
the feel and appearance of oiled floors and am sure they fair better in dry
weather conditions. Thanks again.

Also, many thanks to Holly, William Brown and Phisherman.