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We have just installed about 1000 square feet of 5″ hickory flooring. Normally we sub out the finish on our floors and just do the install ourselves. On this floor I want a different look.
I have seen other floors that have been roughed up with scrapers and lightly sanded with random orbit sanders. I am going to try this method. Finally I am thinking about finishing the floor with an oil. The house has distressed pine cabinets, hand planed fir ceiling beams and a reclaimed pine ceiling. I would like the floor to be lightly distressed.
My crew that does framing, siding and minimal interior trim is going to be doing the work.
Has anyone finished a floor this way? Does anyone know about oil or another fininfinish may work?
Thanks in advance.
Dave
Replies
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Daved, You might try using a floor drum sander with 36 or 40 grit belts to staart with. This will even out the edges to produce a smoother floor and will rough up the grain without tearing it too bad. Be sure to stay with the grain and practice first in an out of the way spot, say a closet. Using an edge sander with again a 36-40 grit paper will tie in the sanding nicely to the walls. Corners you can take down with a chisel or scrapper. You can sand using the drum and finer belts or switch to a screen sander to achieve the roughened look you or your clients desire.
As far as oil finishes go, my experience has been with Tung oil, a time consuming process of brushing on, letting sit for a bit, then wiping off the excess. Drying time between coats could be as long as 48hours. It does give a beautiful finish but dulls quickly and I found most people do not like the eventual look. I have used Duraseal products pretty exclusively for the last 8 years now on floors and like the results. Try a sample floor with Duraseal 90 (I believe) which is a clear sealer with 50% or so solids. It behaves much like an oil treatment with only one application. Then I use the Duraseal gloss then Duraseal satin for finish. Your results are a hard, near flat looking finish that can stand up to alot of abuse and still look good.
There are many new finishs out there and I have not tryed them so I can not speak about them. Duraseal is a petro-based solvent not water-bourne, but I use proper precautions in application and have not had a problem. It drys overnight, but the vapours can linger for awhile. Just some thoughts/. walk good. david
*You might look into <ahref="http://www.livos.com/"> Livos Products. I used their Meldos Oil on a floor last year and really liked the results. It is citrus oil based, so the only odor is a pleasant, faint orange scent. Very easy to work with and seems to hold up well. Check it out.