Replies

1. 
   luvmuskoka | Apr 16, 2003 11:35pm | #1

   Seth,

   You should have used a de-waxed shellac like Zinnser Seal Coat. It can be tinted slightly with U.T. to achieve the desired color, but it is ambered straight from the can. It is compatible under any top-coat.

   Ordinarily you would wax a shellac sealer, but wax will spot in a bathroom.

   Your best bet is to sand off the shellac and start over.

   Ditch

2. 
   goldhiller | Apr 17, 2003 06:05am | #2

   I'll add another notion to what Ditch has already said.

   You might get away by removing the shellac with denatured alcohol. If you try this, you'd want to strip the floor with the first application and then I'd wash it down well again to make sure that any contained waxes are gone. You'll need plenty of rags. You could then apply the Zinnser Seal Coat. This may or may not be simpler for you than re-sanding the room.

   Don't make the mistake of thinking you can simply seal off the first coat of wax bearing shellac with the Seal Coat. Shellac is a reactive finish and the second coat will melt into the first leaving the waxes free to migrate up into the Seal Coat.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
1. 
   Seth | Apr 17, 2003 03:35pm | #3

   Thanks fellas,

   I'm going to remove the shellac with denatured alcohol and then apply a final coat of stain to darken the wood to make up for not having the amber shellac's orange hue. Then I'll apply 3 coats of spar varnish.

   Seth

1. 
   NormKerr | Apr 17, 2003 07:38pm | #4

   I was always told that you don't use shellac in a bathroom because of its sensitivity to moisture.

   Is the kind that you are using on the floor formulated to survive in such a wet location?

   In the past I substituted varnish for the bathroom doors (shellac for all the other rooms) but never did a floor before so don't know the answer to my question.

   Norm

1. 
   Seth | Apr 17, 2003 07:54pm | #5

   Hi Norm,

   No shellac is never good for moisture resistance. Will develop white water spots.

   The reason I was using it was to help me attain the orange color of the surrounding pumpkin pine floors with the expectation that I could use spar varnish on top for water resistance. Turns out it wasn't a good idea to coat shellac with varnish (at least not regular shellac vs dewaxed) so I'm removing it and just going with a darker stain and 3 coats spar varnish.

   Seth

1. 
   goldhiller | Apr 17, 2003 08:04pm | #6

   Seth,

   Don't forget what Ditch suggested. If you like, you can tint the Seal Coat with an appropriate colorant. A good choice for this would be the Trans-tint liquid dyes sold by Homestead Finishing. These particular dyes can also be added to oil based varnishes and there's many colors available in premixed colors or you can blend your own to acheive the look you're after.

   You'll find directions for using these dyes in various finishes on Homestead's site. Check out the "technical notes" for an in depth explanation.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

2. 
   RW | Apr 18, 2003 01:18am | #7

   Reactive finish: one that cures by chemical reaction forming an solid surface unpenetrated by subsequent applications of the same finish. Solvents typically naptha, mineral spirits, petroleum "distillates". Example: conversion varnish, poly, Catalyzed lacquer.

   Evaporative finish: one that cures by evaporation of the solvent or medium used to hold solid materials in suspension. Subsequent coats melt into previous coats. Solvents flash quickly, such as lacquer thinner, acetone, or alcohol.  Example: shellac, nitro lacquer.

   Coalescing finish: one that cures by both evaporation of the solvent and reaction of the solids. Prevalent among water based finishes. Solvent typically glycol ether. Also applies to the curing properties of water based stains and most paste wood fillers.

   Gold was almost right - the shellac will melt into the previous and wont cure what ails you. Shellac in high moisture area will give you , what was Piffins's thread, headaches and ulcers? "The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb "      lyrics by Roger Waters

1. 
   goldhiller | Apr 18, 2003 07:08am | #8

   Yea, I mis-spoke. Sorry about that but when I'm in a hurry, it happens sometimes.

   Okay.....somebody lay on the thirty lashes.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

   Edited 4/18/2003 12:12:25 AM ET by GOLDHILLER

1. 
   RW | Apr 18, 2003 07:46pm | #9

   No sweat. Lord knows we all take our lumps. I'm about ready to give up trying to explain the way the building world works here. I think we're about the only ones who do things our way. Then there's the rest of the CONUS. "The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb "      lyrics by Roger Waters

1. 
   goldhiller | Apr 18, 2003 07:57pm | #10

   Love that tag line. Unfortunately it has much truth to speak all too often.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.