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Wood Floor Care- Need Info

| Posted in General Discussion on December 13, 2003 02:30am

I have a uncoated fir floors in my upstair studio. I recently did some wiring and drywall and now have to clean up. In the past I’ve tried mopping and it works fine but the wet wood smells terrible, and I’m afraid I may damage it over time. I certainly avoid soaking it with water, and do my best to damp mop only.

Is there a better approach to caring for untreated flooring? Is it better overall to apply a urethane coat to it? If not what about oils or wood soaps?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

=s=

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  1. FrankB89 | Dec 13, 2003 04:38am | #1

    Untreated fir is pretty soft and vulnerable to abuse (I have DF plank floors in my own house). 

    In your situation, I'd have it covered with craftpaper or some big sheets of cardboard or even sheets of OSB until you're ready to sand and finish it.

     

  2. andybuildz | Dec 15, 2003 12:38am | #2

    Butchers wax is fast and easy and looks great if you want the natural look but you'll need to continue to keep it up as its not hard as poly or anything else for that matter but......its easy and looks great...did I already say that..

    Be sorry for always repeating myself

                                                  andy

                .

    My life is my practice!

    http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

  3. Piffin | Dec 15, 2003 02:02am | #3

    You might get better answers if you say why you are leaving it untreated.

    Maybe you aren't finished yet and/or can't afford the finish job yet.

    Maybe you like it just the way it is, ( mistake IMO)

    Maybe you don't want the dust of sanding.

    There are multiple ways to deal with wood flooring. Start with not letting any pets pee on it. It is also important for us to know how you use the room. The type of wear surface is dependent on the type of wear.

    Your primary Q is somewhat poorly worded. To paraphrase - "How can I protect my floor as though it is treated without treating it?"

    Sorry, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.Supposing that I had such a floor and didn't care about glass smooth, prefering the natural rustic look and wanting to save the pesos, I would put down a coat or two of Tung oil which ytou can rub in with a rag and do small portions at a time. It is repairable should you scratch it just by buffing and reapplication to that spot. It brings out the amber luster of the wood while darkening it a little. It tolerates spills of moisture.

    If you plan to finish later when other work is done, Wax can interfere with some finishes. Tung oil will also harden the wood fibres slightly.

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

  4. luvmuskoka | Dec 15, 2003 03:13am | #4

    Fir floor are absolutely beautiful when finished professionally. Find a good finisher and discuss finish options.

    Never, ever, ever use water on bare wood.

    If you wax a bare floor you will all but certainly encounter adhesion problems if you ever decide to use a surface finish.

    Zinser makes a product called "Seal Coat". It is 100% dewaxed shellac. If the floor were mine, I would sand it,  and seal it with 2 coats of this product. You may then in the future use a surface finish or a wax finish.

    Wax over shellac is an old time finish. It requires maintenance, but  gives a "woodier feel" to the floor. If it sees light use, and is small enough to maintain regularly, it would be awesome......

    ....or you could be like 99% of everyone else and use a good surface finish and it would look just as nice.

    Ditch



    Edited 12/15/2003 12:21:11 AM ET by luvditchburns

    1. Skinshark | Dec 15, 2003 06:27pm | #5

      Thanks for the ideas.

      To be more clear about the space, it's a second floor art studio. I do digital work on the computer in one half of the room and I have a drafting table wear I paint and use ink. Currently under each of the two rolling chairs I have a heavy duty plastic to protect the floors which were unfinished when we bought the house.

      The people before us sanded it and left it. While it's a nice to look at the dust hugs the surface making it quite difficult to clean without water. I'd prefer not to use chemicals and let the wood breathe as much as possible.

      As per a few suggestions that you guys have posted I'll look into the costs. At this point I believe these areas get a lot of traffic and could use some protection.

      Thanks a lot.

      =s=

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