I am probably going to finish my floors with zinsser shellac. On the can it says it has a 3lb cut. What does that mean? Is it already thinned 3:1?. Also. Is the shellac all I need? Or do I need some sanding sealer, etc?
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never heard of anyone using shellac on a floor but hey, what do I know? maybe I'm missing something?
Wait 'til you hear from Frenchy --- according to him it's the best thing since sliced bread.
If you never heard of it, chances are you are a young'un. Shellac was a common floor finish for many years, guess until the 70's or so (?). It has some benefits, easy to repair being one of them. Most people like the polyurathanes because it's a harder finish, less likely to damage.
To each their own.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
yeah, i'm a young 50. anyway I would'nt use it. anything with alcohol in it is gonna leave a ring or some kind of mark. yeah its easy to fix but how often you wanna fix your floors?
I'm planning on trying it.
Yet I will lessen my risk too by using it in an upstairs corner room. Most unlikely room in the house to ever see alchohol.
Not arguing with you; to each their own. But about two years ago, I was renovating an old building for rental and getting ready to finish the panelled doors. One of the older carpenters working for me gave me an hour long lecture about how a shellac finish would be such a problem for maintenance... I didn't listen.
I can tell you that I have had absolutely no extra problems using the shellac vs. using polyurathane. No staining, no white spots, nada - even in the bathrooms. Personally, I even like the smell better.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Here's a relevant thread. I never heard of shellac on floors prior to this:
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=95631.1
To answer you question a 3 lb cut means that there is 3 lbs of shellace in 1 gallon of solvent.
And shellac does not need a sealer.
In fact it is often used as a sealer under other finishes.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Shellac is good for antiques and elbow grease will keep it looking good. Many chemicals will affect it.
I wouldn't use it on a floor but the main reason I wouldn't use it is that it is impossible to sand. Someday you'll be sorry it's on there simply because of that. Also take a look at any pre war II house and realize that that's shellac and see how ugly it is.
Shellac wasn't used around here after WWII. Almost all floors were finished with either a penetrating sealer and wax which was alright for bedrooms, or sanding sealer and varnish. That last wasn't too hot either but in those days the premium was on speed. Now HO's want quality and that calls for polyurethanes. They are so much superior to any of the previous finishes that I can't understand that there should be questions about it. Oil base urethane is cheap and the best. One day of stink is well worth it and if it's a corner bedroom and the door is shut and the window is open you won't smell anything.
And then rather than shmell alcohol inshstead you can drink it. That may jush be the proper ushe for it.
So a shellaced floor that is 60+ years old looks like ####, so shellac is ####?I have a 3 year old poly'd floor that looks like ####.I must be missing some other premise.