It’s a wonderful thing to be so far into the project that flooring is the topic!
We’re considering Purple Heart and need to know what the real story is on its tendency to oxidize to a brown color. We like the Purple color and if it’s just going to turn brown then…well… what’s the point?
Does this happen? Can the purple color be renewed by sanding? How long does it take to go brown?
IF this forum isn’t the correct place to be please re-direct me!
THanks in advance
Peter
Key proposals for the next edition of the International Residential Code tackle room sizes, stair specs, emergency egress, and deck guards, among other requirements.
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Replies
Peter
I'm sure more knowledgeable and experienced wood floor experts will respond, but I'll give you my limited experience with PH. About 6 years ago I got a good deal on a bunch of PH, and wound up making some trophy bases, picture frames and a few other decorative trims. Like all tropical woods, it is dense and heavy, and requires predrilling to secure pieces. But none of them have turned brown on me...still nice n purple...although I used a tung oil to finish
BruceM
You need the premier site for properties of purpleheart? You're in luck:) It's a fabulous site filled with the most information I've ever seen.
http://www.wflooring.com/Technical_Info/Species_Tech_Info/Species_Pages/purpleheart.htm
Ken Fisher
http://216.197.102.142/default.htm/
Edited 7/1/2002 10:16:29 PM ET by Fish
Thanks Guys!
Ken - that link to WFI is awesome!
I'd still like to hear from anybody who has used Purple Heart as there were no installer comments on the WFI site. Nailing problems? And still concerned about the color change although they state that a water based finish can inhibit color change.
Peter
PH will turn brown regardless of the finish. Clear water finish (Pacific) will not amber the wood like OMU, but it won't keep it from turning brown. I have a piece of PH on my sample board and every year or so I have to sand and refinish it to get the purple color back.
Peter:
And to other that visit this site. wflooring.com is one helluva site, and one could spend hours upon hours without finishing the entire site. They've really put together a massive dadtabase. Hey, I know there are some good computer knowledgable folks here, maybe you can help with the site I am building.
It's temporary but I am having a heck of a time linking one page to the next. I don't have the domain name yet as it takes a few days, or so I am told. In the meantime I have some IP #'s to work with. Check it out and look at the page links at the bottom of the default(home) page.
http://216.197.102.142/default.htm/
Ken Fisher
Edited 7/2/2002 3:08:26 AM ET by Fish
Hi Fish - I'm Peter's wife. Thanks for the info - It would seem that if the color is the major attraction to Purple Heart, it would make more sense to stain an oak #1 common to the purple shade and save money and future grief. Brown will not look good at all with the colors I have going on. My granite has purple specs in a greenish gray so the purple heart really makes it a class act. - Any other suggestions? Thanks for your opinion - Rhonda
Rhonda:
I wish I could help, but I've only dealt with one prupleheart job and I had nothing to do with the finishing. Try this site for some opinions. I'm sure someone has dealt with purpleheart on the finishing side of the equation. Btw, there will be some purpleheart photo's very soon in the gallery I'm creating.
http://floormasters.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
http://216.197.102.142/default.htm/gallery.htm
Edited 7/3/2002 6:29:44 AM ET by Fish
Fish - Thanks so much - I will look at those sites. You are so kind to take time out to answer - Have a great 4th!
Rhonda:
I'm glad to help. This message board stuff is a hobby of mine. I'm curious of what the professional finishers over at floormasters have to say on your subject.
This sounds like yet another use for...
da..dada...da
Grape Kool-Aid!!!
Do not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Cool...
Purple heart changes when exposed to light, maybe UV. Armor-all slows the process down, but eventually it turns deep brown. I suggest you consider using two woods, with PH as a trim or boarder. In high traffic areas, it will need screening every so often, and you can enjoy the purple periodically. As a dark wood, I think it wood be too dark in a room dark enough to protect the color.
I used purple heart as accent strips in my flooring. Ran a double border around the room. Been down a few months now with no color change at all. Its all finished with Waterlox.
Can dig up a few pics if you'd like?
I have to say it is the most splintery wood I've ever worked with. While milling it into flooring strips, I pulled no less than 20 splinters out of my hands... ;(
Mike
I built a workbench that was in the FWW Tools & Shops issue out of purpleheart. The bench is about 3-4 years old now and it is still pretty colorful. The issue seems to be the exposure to light. One end of the bench is close to a window and it gets regular shaded southern exposure. That end is noticibly less purple. The thing is that the wood is still very pretty and the stuff finishes so well that even with the color change it would still make a very nice floor. I finished it with a Watco Oil but I've yet to hear anyone come up with a formula for any kind of finish that will fix that color permanently. If the floor were out of direct light, like a room with all northern exposures, the color could last quite a while.
If it is the color you are after, how about taking a more standard flooring material like Maple and getting a custom stain made? Might save you some bucks and save sanding every couple of years to get the color back.
Alas the room that we really want to be Purple is the kitchen which has something like 200 square feet of window with half facing east and half facing south. All the glass is Low E but still - there's gonna be a bit of light in that room.
Purple would be perfect for the room, but dark brown would not. We'd be better off to switch to a light color like Maple or Bamboo.
Wih regard to staining another wood....my concern is that as it wears in the traffic areas it will loose it's color and create traffic patterns in the floor.
Peter