I’m looking to finish my stairs, stained treads and painted risers. I was just wondering what type of brush would be the best to apply the polyurethane coat on the treads. Sponge, black nylon bristle or a natural hair bristle.
I am also looking for a good stainable woodfiller. I pulled off the protective osb slats of the treads and two of the staples snapped and are left in the wood. I want to sink them and fill them, but I do not want it to look like garbage.
Many thanks.
Replies
Brush type depends on finish type.
Oil finish= natural bristle, water = synthetic.
Purdy makes good'n in both.
Dave
I use natural bristle for any oil base (polyurethane), as stated by Dave. I recently tried Famowood for a filler, seems to take stain pretty good.
And Famo comes in many colors premade to boot.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"People that never get carried away should be"
Diomedes,
We just had this very subject come up and once again I need to point out that polyurthanes are soft.. softer than shellac.
Shellac is a traditional finish that has been used for centuries for floors. It's also used for fine antiques which is why some assume that it is fragile..
Shellac is the easiest, safest, (you've been eating shellac all your life it's on pills and some candy to keep the wrappers from sticking) and fastest finish available..
If You want I'll disprove any of the myths you've heard about shellac (or tell you how you can disprove them yourself)
two hours from the point you start all the fumes will be gone and you can then walk on the floor. Try that with polyurthanes..
In addition fixing shellac is insanely easy, I can repair a deep scratch inside of a minute and do a partial repair that is absolutely invisable without ever sanding! Try that on polyurthanes!
I thought shellac didn't do well with water ..
wane,
That's one of those myths that has a semi truth to it... I had an airconditioner overflow, and put a great big puddle on the floor, a storm sometime in the night woke me and I discovered it, it had been there since my daughter went to sleep around 10:00 I think I woke around 4:00 and discovered the puddle.. I took a couple of towels and wiped it up expecting it to be white in the morning.. It wasn't, all that happened was the area was dust free. The reason for the myth is because of fine antiques. They are frequently french polished (an extremely labor intensive method of applying shellac) water rings from glasses removes some of the shine requiring a repair which with french polishing you need to do the whole area. Since you won't french polish your stairs (not if you want to remain sane) shellac is an extremely durable finish to use if a modicum of care is used..
If something had happened you just get some denatured alcohol and wipe up the damaged shellac down to the bare wood.. then reapply the shellac as I've previously described. (ask, I'll repeat it) Each new coat of shellac melts the previous coats and makes an invisable repair.
Just for infomation I've spilt a lot of shellac on the sub floor and I thought tromping around in work boots which are often wet and muddy would quickly make the shellc disappear. well it hasn't!~
That's been years of tromping now.. So, can you damage shellac? Yes but you can repair it so easy that it's not anything to be afraid of..
Edited 12/13/2007 1:56 pm ET by frenchy
I can second the durability of shellac. A window shelf I built several years ago has held up quite well with only the two original coats. This shelf holds potted plants (and occasional cats) in a south west window , so there is also the occasion of water.
never try foam with any oil base; the foam will melt.
Buy good brushes or you'll be picking stray bristles out of the finish forever. It's worth the extra cost and the extra time to clean them afterwards.
>> never try foam with any oil base; the foam will melt. <<
I agree with your choice of good quality natural bristle brushes for use with polyurethanes.
However, I have repeated experience with foam disposable "brushes" and MINWAX, fast drying, oil based polyurethane. Mineral spirits is their recommended solvent for clean up. I did not attempt to clean the foam applicators - that was the point of using them in the first place.
That experience says that although one does not get as nice a finish with foam, the foam did not melt. Foam "brushes" were not anything special - cheapies from Lowes - dark gray foam - wood handle - under a dollar for a 3".
I did this on a project which invloved closet shelving - 21 shelves, 12" wide, anywhere from 2' to 11' long. 3 coats, top and bottom.
My use of foam with oil based poly has been limited to project coating times which lasted under an hour - maybe longer contact will cause that to happen.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
I use them all the time with poly and spar varnish. Never reused one, but did leave one in a can of poly one night. It was all still there the next morning. never had one melt on me either.
Dave
Thanks.
Now I know I am not hallucinating a non-melting foam applicator in my oil based polyurethane.
Although I bet it would melt nicely in acetone or poly-ester resin - never tried - just a suspicion.
JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
I cleaned my spray gun parts with a toothbrush once, and leftthe brush soaking in the cup of Lac.Thinner overnite.
Next day, nuthing but the bristles and itty bitty bits of wire staples, the handle was Gone.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"People that never get carried away should be"
i have had oil based solutions melt my brushes, although not immediately nor thoroughly; usually just enough to collapse the structure to be dense and clumpy.you raise an excellent point tho about them being unsuitable with any viscous liquid because they tend to create lots of air bubbles that don't always pop out before the medium dries.
I guess you cannot pull them out the backside?
I would cut them off short with wire cutters, sink them with a nailset and putty with a crayon type filler which approx. matches the tread stain. Good luck.
Edited 12/13/2007 8:53 pm by GOLDENBOY
I keep reading that shellac is harder than polyurethane. However, Frenchy is always the author.
Every other author I've ever read on the subject say that the urethanes are much tougher.
Hmmmmmm. Mesic
mesic,
I keep telling you to try it yourself.. it's very simple to do. I've described in detail how to do it dozens of times. If you want I'll repeat the instructions for you.. You don't have to do a whole floor. Try the two finishes on some scraps of wood and check it yourself and see.. Or try it with a satin poly, a gloss poly, and shellac.