Questions on Refinishing Antique Heart Pine
synrgystyk
16 years ago
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amrad
16 years agosynrgystyk
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Reality check on installation of antique heart pine installation
Comments (9)I purchased just over 3000 sq ft of reclaimed heart fine flooring from an established mill dealing only in reclaimed wood. Before I made the purchase, I spoke with virtually every supplier of reclaimed heart pine and obtained samples from most of them. Without question, the most desirable heart pine is the river heart pine which is milled from logs that have been retrieved from a watery grave, so to speak. River heart pine is outrageously expensive, easily upwards of $30 sq ft. Better grades of reclaimed heart pine are in the neighborhood of $20 sq ft. Except for reclaimed heart pine of questionable origin/grade, left-overs from larger runs or "engineered" wood, I haven't seen any in the $8 sq ft range. I would seriously question any supplier who claims to offer antique heart pine for that low price. As for installation and finishing, I quickly discovered that most flooring contractors will not touch reclaimed wood. Those that do charge the preverbial arm and leg. I used an installer recommended by the mill, and I absolutely regret having done so. The entire floor, all 3000+ sq ft, has to be completely refinished. I wrote about that debacle in a separate thread quite some time ago. Getting to the point, before you agree to the exceptionally steep price your contractor wants to supply/install/finish antique heart pine, talk with Tim at Timberknee in Vermont. Unwilling to repeat my prior mistake with reclaimed heart pine, I recently ordered 440 sq ft of 5" country cherry for my kitchen. The flooring contractor just gave me an estimate of $1125 to install and $1031 to finish using 3 coats of polymerized tung oil from a vendor recommended by Tim at Timberknee. As for the cherry itself, it runs about $8-9 a sq ft. That, at least, is my recollection. More to think about, but I encourage you to think about it. You can get the look without the expense or, perhaps more importantly, the disappointment due to the difficulty of working with reclaimed wood. WmWalker Here is a link that might be useful: Timberknee Flooring...See Moreon finishing unfinished heart pine flooring
Comments (7)Shellac's solvent is denatured alcohol (or, um, real alcohol if that's handier.) If that doesn't work try mineral spirits or turp - it might just be old-fashioned varnish. Or you can have both, in serial layers. Oh, the joys of old houses! Either way, you'll know pretty quickly because the paper towel you rub the solvent on with will get sticky when you have a match between the product and the solvent. Do the tests in an out-of-the-way spot, naturally. It would be fab if it's shellac as it's much easier to lift than paint. The issue with paint is that it gets deep in the grain and between the boards and trying to sand down below it for total removal can result in sanding too deep. Believe it or not some of us actually still use shellac on floors. It has many adavantages: it's natural (it's made from insect secretions, which may or may not cheer you up!); it's almost completely reversible (as you will find if that's shellac on your floors, you'll bless who ever put it down); and it's touch-up-able as new coats actually dissolve the coat below. It is uncommon now and many (trades)people never having worked with it consider it too tricky to apply so there is much recommendation against it. It is not as durable as poly, though, and it is particularly vulnerable to water. (Though you can wax it - with well-buffed paste wax - to increase its resistance to water. It's very old-fashioned. I don't think it's as fouly stinky as poly. I like the softer, less plastic-y look to it, especially when waxed. It probably takes longer to apply (more coats) than slapping on some poly, which may be partly why it fell out of favor. Casey usually chimes with good advice about buying it dry and recommends not buying it at big box stores because their stuff is not fresh. One buys the shellac flakes in various tints and mixes with alcohol in situ. I think it is harder to apply when it is very hot and humid. At least I have more problems with uneven drying which can lead to a cloudiness. (Not fatal, but requiring another coat.) Try Googling about this. If you get beyond the anti-shellac propaganda, you'll find info and Youtubes of people who have done it. HTH L....See MoreHeart pine flooring question
Comments (7)Understand the depleted funds! How about refinishing or painting the bedroom furniture? We have pine floors in our 150 year old house and most of them have been painted. I've slowly been refinishing them myself, but once they are stripped, I just clear coat them with non yellowing polyurethane. I don't try to stain them... heck I don't even try to make them perfect when stripping them. They are full of "character" ;) But they do get a bit orangey and I'm careful to choose wall colours and furniture with that in mind. (Really like a lilac purple on the walls with the floors, but that may not be for everyone! ;) )...See MoreOak in living - heart pine in bdrms - How the heck to transition?!
Comments (7)How old is your house? I ask because our 1925 bungalow had oak in the living areas and pine in the bedrooms, as someone else described. This was because the builder used the “showy” wood for public areas and the less-expensive option for private areas (at least that’s how the local restoration folks characterized it ;-). We loved the fact that the different floors spoke to our home’s history. Of course I don’t know if this is the case in your home, but if it is, maybe knowing the purpose behind the two kinds of wood will help you feel differently about them....See Moresynrgystyk
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