Our yellow pine floors are in desperate need of re-finishing thanks to 2 very large dogs. The last time we had them done, three coats of polyurethane was applied. It scratched very easily from the beginning and after a few years, the scratch marks are down to bare wood in some heavy traffic areas. We are planning to have the floors completely sanded and re-finished in a few weeks. I was wondering if anyone has experience using Tung Oil opposed to the polyurethane as a finish; i.e., ease of application, length of time involved in the entire process and most importantly – durability. I was told that the Tung Oil allowed spot areas to be re-finished when necessary and were thus easier to maintain. Any opinions????????
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
SYP is a soft wood and theree is little you can do to prevent them from ruining under the paw.
Tung oil is softer and does little to provide surface protection - no top 'skin' to it. It does touch up easier but then your scratches wil be deeper in the wood and take more sanding to do, leaving you with divots all over. When you sand that deep, yopu will get into new wood and away from the UV darkened older surface. The new area will then be litghter and show.
Better in my mind to ge the hardest poly you can and keep the dogs off it, or buy them some booties
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Thank you- I truly appreciate the input
I, also, have yellow pine floors, and a 125lb beast with large toenails<G> When the floors were new, we finished them with seven coats of Varathane™ Diamond waterborne poly. Still looks great every where except where the dog hangs out. We call those scratches "character."If I ever refinish, I'll use Waterlox™. It's got some tung oil in it. I've used it on old pine floors for clients. Really makes pine shine. I didn't use it on my own floor because I figured the poly would be quicker. Well, it was, but not by much.I really like the fact that the Waterlox™ is easy to spot touch up, and with light sandings, the color changes to blend back in pretty quickly. I figure (I'm assuming from observation) the oil finish allows much more oxidation than the poly/film finishes....and then, I'm thinking of getting an air sled for the dog<G> "what's in a name?" d'oh!
You find SYP to be soft? I find most yellow pine to be very hard, and particularly the old stuff on many floors. Stuff that was old growth in 1880 when it was put in (green) and the resins have hardened. It can be like petrified rock!It seems to that oil finishes on closed pore woods like pine are not a good match. I would suspect that it will be blotchy, plus of course there isn't any protection.
SYP is definitely a soft wood, both by the fact that it is from a softwood ( evergreen) tree and the fact that it is soft. now there are a great many floors i have worked on that weree from a hundred years ago that are Heart pine, from the heart wood of the longleaf pine, related to the southern yekllow pine, which fit your description, tight vertical grain wood with 12-20 growth rings per inch and hard and stable, but that is not the same flooring at all as modern southern yellow pine which is almost as soft as white pione in the summer growth, of which there is plenty.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
and, I've worked with "antique yellow pine," which while not as hard as longleaf pine but same vintage, is way harder than today's yellow pine. I've never seen any yellow pine around here even close to as soft as white pine, but I have seen some extraordinarily beautiful old white pine floors in PA, oiled, and full of "character," too<G> I'm hoping dogs accelerate that LOL "what's in a name?" d'oh!
When he used the phraase, " after a few years" it gave me the impression the hosue was only a few years old, thus the thinking that this was newer SYP. I was refering to the summer growth which is prevalent in what we get here for flooring since it is not quarter sawn anymore. it is good looking but very soft alrernating with the winter hard rings in the pattern. if indeed he has a antique yellow pine, it is surely harder than what I am referring to, but still soft and easiuly scratched by doggy paws, this I know from experience. Yopu and I have discussed these differeences before, so I know you know too. You don't disagree that he is better off with a hard surface poly, do you?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
It depends on the desired look. Hard poly is definitely the way to go for protection...but, if he wants rich, warm, lived on looking floors...<G> "what's in a name?" d'oh!
I'm jumping in here - same topic...
I'm putting 10" yellow pine in my new house. I'm the kinda guy that likes character/rustic/lived in etc, but I've always used poly. Actually I once used linseed oil/turpentine to give a floor patina, then finished with poly, but I think my finish was softer for it.
I've never done pine, so how does it finish? Won't waterborne finishes be clear vs oil based give a yellow tint? I was planning on oil based, but now I'm interested in other options...
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!