Replies

1. 
   HeavyDuty | Mar 03, 2004 05:14am | #1

   I would go with oil base poly.

1. 
   CorvairDuVal | Mar 03, 2004 05:33am | #2

   Yes, oil based poly works great in kitchens.

   Frank DuVal

2. 
   gdavis62 | Mar 03, 2004 05:53am | #3

   BonaKemi "Traffic" two-component waterborne.  Watch it outlast the oil-based poly.  Both your finish coats will go on in the same day.  Try that with poly.

1. 
   HeavyDuty | Mar 03, 2004 10:44pm | #4

   Is this what people refer to as Swedish finish? Could you share your experience?

3. 
   andybuildz | Mar 04, 2004 01:19am | #5

   Thats an easy one.

   MOISTURE CURE....and thats the very best answer but don't try to do it yourself.

   Takes a pro to do it.

   I've done many in baths and kitchens. Lived with it for years. Its the very best finish on wood in wet areas.

   Try and arrange to have it done on humid or wet days. Drys real quick.

   Non yellowing is almost dbl the cost of yellowing.

   In most cases you dont need non yellowing unless you have a pig skin colored stain or bleached or natural.

   I've most always gone with Minwax's "provincial " color. Its kinda an inbetween color.

   Be floored

                andy

   My life is my passion!

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

4. 
   WorkshopJon | Mar 04, 2004 01:49am | #6

   Toolin,

   The most durable [clear] finishes are catalyzed urethanes.  Now I'm not recommending one as, 1) I've never used one on wood (but they do exist for wood) 2)They are quite hazardous prior to mixing, and even more so during application and curing (they contain polyols and isocyanate's), 3) and are generally only sold industrially. But, hey you asked.

   I'd go with several coats of oil based polyurethane.

   Jon

1. 
   Pitt | Mar 04, 2004 03:05am | #7

   Waterlox original finish. Good durability, and the way it pops the grain can be stunning. Visit their website.

5. 
   ed2 | Mar 04, 2004 04:52am | #8

   be careful about using Moisure Cure, everyone has to wear full mask setup or will get sick, really bad vapors...

   Traffic is good stuff, but need one coat of their sealer as a bonding agent, then three finish coats to last, do all four coats over two days.

   Been using Trek Plus, a 2 part catalyzed water base from Absolute Coatings in new Rochelle, NY... This is on par with Moisture Cure for commercial type usage, but no mask needed as it's water base. Non-Yellowing formula won't amber up/darken over time like oil, lot of refinishes are due to poly turning color, not due to wear...

   Use coat of their XL non-yellowing sealer (not needed if staining), then three coats of the finish. Follow pot life instructions and mix up only what you need. Get 500sf coverage per gallon at $65.gal.  The sealer is about $25.gal, get about 15% more than what bottle tells you, it soaks in.

   Can do four coats in two days, make sure it's dry between coats, great stuff. Better than oil which is durable but seems to blow out faster in kitchen environment.

1. 
   toolin | Mar 04, 2004 04:21pm | #9

   Thanks to everyone,  Looks like I have some choices ranging from good old basic oil based poly to some higher end products. Great info as usual.

   A followup installation question.

   Scenario,  2- 1/4 white oak strip flooring in the rest of the house.  A new door way from the kitchen to the dining room.  We want to continue the oak floor from the dining seamlessly into the kitchen.  Of course, the door is right in the middle of the field and the flooring runs perpendicular to the door way.

   I know I have to weave the old floor into the new one.  But where do I start.  Getting the seams to line up starting at either side wall of the kitchen doesn't seem(bad pun) likely. 

   Best I could come up with is to start at one end of the doorway Weave in my first strip from the old dining room floor and right thru the middle of the kitchen.  Use a spline to reverse direction of the tongue and groove on side and work out both ways from the middle.

   Is there a easier way I am missing?  If I make the spline out of oak can staple right thru it just like a tongue or do I need to face nail right in the middle of the field?

   Thanks

1. 
   jarcolio | Mar 04, 2004 04:44pm | #10

   I am really interested in this thread -- I am about to do the same thing - have had tile in 2 kitchens and just do not like the lack of warmth -- I have 5" T&G unfinished rosewood that we will be putting down -- but wanted tha old world hand rubbbed look -- something that has 6-8 costs of penetraing oil -- something that is good for water and not necessairly so for taraffic because scratches can be quickly repaired by adding more oil to the area

   Any one have any names of something that will fit this bill?

1. 
   Fairfield | Mar 04, 2004 06:54pm | #11

   I used an interior Penofin oil on all first level floors (new and old) including new oak floor in kitchen. After four years it shows no wear, and it has a nice sheen to the finish.

   http://www.penofin.com/products_hardwood_interior.shtml

   Edited 3/4/2004 10:55:48 AM ET by karrowrs

2. 
   ed2 | Mar 08, 2004 06:57pm | #13

   have installed and finished the 5" rosewood, beautiful stuff...recommend gluing every course w 1/4" stripe pl400 subfloor adhesive. been doing this w 5" or greater domestic stock but found rosewood and other exotics need it to keep floor tight, use extra fasteners. can use bostiks best trowel on but expensive...can get a pneumatic assist caulk gun for big qt size cartridges pl440 from grainger's, about $85., good if big job or if have other uses for it.

   i finished rosewood with oil poly, some manufacturers like Lenmar http://www.lenmarcoatings.com now have hand-rubbed look in polys....the old handrubbed oils are real good, lot of work.

   no pre-mixed wood filler for rosewood....keep sawdust from your edger bag, mix it with Glitza Wood Flour, about $20. gallon to make your own color matched filler. flammable so watch that & vent area, works great.

   rosewood is dense material so back off couple inches from ends and use airgun nails to avoid splitting, i put new blades on all the saws for cuts, beats them up.

1. 
   SEBDESN | Mar 08, 2004 10:18pm | #14

   Is this Dalbergia sp. rosewood???

   Somebody must have won the lottery if so....a 2x2 by18" costs $20 or so...

   I am suitably impressed.

   Bud

2. 
   ed2 | Mar 09, 2004 05:05am | #16

   thing about these exotics is lots of different species and grades, have several brazilian walnuts, Ipe, Lapacho, there's a couple more like we have several oaks.... the expensive stuff is the rarer of the trees and out of them the stock w best color and clarity. saw some walnut flooring at wholesaler 5" wide, color wasn't that clear and it wandered across the stock when a bundle was opened and spread out. fair amount of shorts, 1-2', but you get the same with domestic mass produced oak until getting up to clear grade. Now figure this 5" walnut still looks pretty good when down & finished  and it's running under $4.sq. ft.

   the stuff is so hard they have to machine it good, sharp edges, great fit with real low waste ratio, no knots, real clean grain. makes our average oak look like packing crate stock.  do business w a custom woodworker/cabinet co. that carries the real good stuff, have lots of expensive small pieces like you saw in rosewood. the home woodworkers use it for trim to custom furniture and craft woodworking projects...

   check out brazilian tigerwood in flooring, stuff looks a lot like african zebrawood, just got some 3" unfinished under $4. ft., beautiful floor. while our domestic lumber guys keep strip red oak @ $3.40s.f. they opened the flood gates for the exotics to come in.

   ed

2. 
   ed2 | Mar 08, 2004 06:32pm | #12

   you answered your own question...reverse course

   start at door jamb farthest from the closest wall. this gives you elbow room at the reverse course, though sounds like middle of room on your job... choose dining room flooring course to align to, square off and snap line across new work area for first course to follow. nail temporary backer along chalkline to prevent nailing impact from mialigning first couple courses

   bed first new course in 1/4"stripe pl400 subfloor adhesive, install 3-4 rows(use long straight boards to help keep alignment), return to reverse course. pull backer away from new work to avoid damage, install slip tongue (spline) into groove. i like to put little wood glue and few staples, but slip tongue MUST be tight into groove before fastening, staples may need countersink. pneumatic flooring gun gives best control.

   bed first course in 1/4" stripe pl400 and fasten. 8-9" nailing pattern everywhere on floor. run flooring with 8" staggering of seams course to course for quiet floor.

   Prep work at start: cut back courses in dining room to lace in staggered seams. can square off, mark and cut butt joints. like to use plunge router with carbide cutting bit, some guys use rotozip with its cutting bit. can use fein sander with straight blade, this is also good for undercutting jambs. can cut boards down middle w circular saw, few cuts. if cleanliness is needed, use plunge router with attachment to vacuum.

   if flooring has shrunk w age, have to be careful about spreading courses open as you lace in.  2 ways: easy, run shallow lacing, minimum fitting and dress w manufactured wood filler color matched to wood species, or, run longer proper lacing and taper cut new stock to fit into old work. taper important at point new floor begins to avoid saw blade profile on finish surface.

   necessary to remove some tongue or groove material to fit piece in. use pl400 on subfloor to strengthen area, prevent noise. can face nail, air gun best.

   use manufactured slip tongue at reverse course, about $ .25 a lin ft., american milled has slight radius to either side, canadian is skinnier, w square cut on sides

   linoleum and drinking heavily never looked so good?

6. 
   Quickstep | Mar 09, 2004 01:14am | #15

   The best finish I can think of is lineoleum! That said, I have failed to convinde my wife of this. So, we're doing the Oak and plan to use Glitsa. Any opinions on Glitsa?

1. 
   ed2 | Mar 09, 2004 05:16am | #17

   take your time and it will look great. don't care for the glitsa, think it's hard to worrk with...

   one thing i didn't mention about Trek Plus is that it's aluminum oxide finish, same stuff on prefinished wood, very durable....

   on prefinish they tend to use gloss, looks cheap. apply it on site and you can choose satin or semi-gloss.  people get shook about the $65.gal price tag, but second and third coats use successively less, and coverage is as much as 550sf, real easy to apply. non-yellowing is big perk, can eliminate need for refinish years away v.s. oil as it darkens. figure it adds about sixty cents a sq ft for chemical cost.

   but the linoleum is still a good idea.

1. 
   johnharkins | Mar 09, 2004 08:27am | #18

   my guy for floors is using the polys ( oil downstairs and some waterbase upstairs )

   I'm going to try the waterlux or trexplus or Bonakemi on my present house remodel

     having said that up until this newer guy  ( workin for / with me maybe 8 yrs ) all the wood floors I was involved w/ received the glitza treatment and I think it is fantastic - read the directions well and you'll have a wonderful floor  -  the one thing that people don't mention nor is it touched upon in literature is  -  I assume they still refer to their sealer/initial coating as the bacca coat  - they talk one coat and then your top coats

   GO two coats bacca -  I think it strikes fast and that second coat might have to be done within six hrs of first   anyway do two coats bacca then two coats glitza

   some clients who don't wear shoes indoors have a white oak floor we laid 15 yrs ago this month w/ four coats and it looks and feels brand new