I am doing an ultra custom hunting lodge in south Texas with some pretty uuuhhh different requests from the Archy’s. Most I have been able to google and check but this new one I havent found any feedback on. They are requesting samples on QTR sawn longleaf pine flooring with nothing but paste wax and nothing else. Particularly Black Bison paste wax. To my knowledge paste wax is for furniture only. Has anyone ever applied this to flooring and if so how did it hold up? Keep in mind this is all new wood with a new install so there is no finish whatsoever on it now.
Or, do I need to nip this in the bud right now and recomend something else?
Replies
Used to be done all the time, especially on "rustic" floors. Problem is, once you do it there's no going back -- no other finish will stick without deep sanding.
Talk them out of it now.
Pine (even quarter sawn and heatwood pine) is soft and needs all the physical protection you can give it. Polyurethane, varnish, shellac, even lacquer would be a better choice.
But as the other poster said, once you go wax, you can never finish it with any other product.
Wax also tends to accumulate dust, dirt and other debris in joints.
As Dan states, it used to be normal. I grew up in a time when all the stores waxed their floors. It meant that lots of grit and grime got worked into the wood and the florr quickly gained "character" (I use the word loosely). High traffic areas like entries and isles soon looked quite different than corners and other low-use areas.
If the owners expect any sort of uniform appearance or a finish that will resist dirt and abrasion, then I don't this this will deliver. I would suggest that the archy explain his/her reasoning to the owners, in writing, so that there aren't any surprises down the road.
It should also be noted that even the most wear-resistant finish laid over Pine will experience dents due to the soft nature of the wood.
Thanks all for the comments thats about what I expected though i wasnt aware that it used to be used in the past. The installer wants to use several layers of poly coating for the floors and I havent even let him know about the wax yet.
The archy's here are good guys but they are deferring all finish products to the designer who works directly for the owner. Some of her stuff is really off the wall. The good thing is they trust my judgment on most things and something just didnt seem right about the wax to me. When I get done its supposed to be in archy digest so I really want to get right for them but the owner and the quality take priority.
Thanks again for the replies.
Paste Wax
I still have nightmares of when I was a kid of paste waxed floors had to be polished every day!!!
Yeah my nightmares are of cutting firewood all the time. I still hate picking up a chainsaw.
Please let us know how this turns out....I'm really curious about what the motivation is to go with paste wax. I use paste wax for all sorts of things; just not floors any more.
Is is it sentimental nostalgia, clearheaded intention, or something in between?
Thanks.