Finishing hickory hardwoods-sealer? or just water based poly?
peachmousse
6 years ago
We recently installed hickory flooring and I am having trouble deciding how to finish them. I'd like to keep the wood natural because it is so beautiful and not stain it this time. My flooring installer did a sample of a water based poly on one section and it just looks so dull. It didn't really enrich the tone of the wood. I guess I'm used to an oil based poly but I don't want to go that route because of yellowing. Anyway wondering if I need to perhaps seal the wood first to give it more of a rich tone and then apply something like Bona Traffic?
Any advice would be appreciated.
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peachmousse
6 years agoRelated Discussions
why is everyone pushing water based poly?
Comments (123)Angela Noble, Applying 3 coats is meaningless if, the contractor does not prep or apply the proper coverage. All of Pallman's water borne finishes require a final cut at 100 or 120 grit and 450-500 coverage per gallon. The sealer will seal 80% of the pores with proper coverage of 450 sq. ft. per gallon. Allowing 20% of wood for the first coat of polyurethane to grab onto. With an additional 2 coats of water borne polyurethane at the proper coverage of 450-500 per gallon. Your floors should be more than sealed. If, the products was diluted or applied improperly. Your floors will not have the proper coverage and will not be properly sealed. Leaving it vulnerable to premature wear and failure. How was the product applied: T-bar, rolled, brush? Are there gaps in the floor? Was there any thinning of the product?...See MoreHardwood floors... Which wood species?/Oil based vs. water based stain
Comments (13)For people looking for a durable domestic hardwood our hickory has been a very popular option. Because you'll be finishing in place your installer should be able to stain any color you want but make sure to see how it looks on the specie and grade you choose. The hickory has a very noticeable color variation between the heart wood and sapwood and because of this will stain a little differently. As far as finish goes we usually recommend a tung oil finish because of the fact that it is spot repairable. This allows you to re-finish or touch up areas where the dogs make their loop, leap, or general jumping around. I know pointers can sometimes be a little high energy and this will allow you smooth out those areas without re-finishing the entire surface like you would need to do with a traditional poly finish. Another option that many large pet owning customers have really liked is our saw kerf texture. This does give more of a rustic feel to the surface but it also disguises many of the "accidental blemishes" that can happen with your flooring. What ever your decision we wish you luck!...See MoreMasterline Commercial Grade Poly - WATER BASED
Comments (23)Hi, we are having our floors refinished...these are 100 year old oak floors which were in very good condition prior to refinishing... they had a golden finish on them and we wanted to go darker. We hired what we thought was a professional floor refinisher but now we are wondering about his practices. They heavily sanded the floors down to bare wood, then filled with wood filler, then they applied the stain (Duraseal Coffee Brown). there were several places where they missed applying the stain which we asked him to fix prior to applying the polyurethane. He did not fix these areas before applying an oil based poly (Masterline-Satin) after two days of drying we met him there and noticed that the finish looked as though it had been applied in different directions...across the grain, angle to the grain, etc...there were obvious lines made from the poly and it had a very uneven appearance all over in every room. (Red flags going up) He said it just needs hand sanding and reapplication. He hand sanded (again in all directions) then he called us and said he wanted to switch to a water based poly instead). Red flags continued to go up in our minds so we asked him to stop and give us a chance to get a second opinion before continuing. Throughout the job they tracked in their sanding dust every time they came into the house....on bare wood, after stain when on and after one coat of oil based poly. Every time my husband and I entered the house at the request of the refinisher to ok the stain color, etc... we were asked to remove our shoes and only walked on unfinished floors with socks on our feet. We were amazed that he allowed his guys to walk into the house with sanding dust and dirt all over their feet and tracked it all over the house. Anyway, I could go on about the unprofessional behaviors of these guys but...at this point we just want to get the job done correctly and get them out of our house once and for all. Would appreciate your feedback and your thoughts on allowing them to finish and if so, can you educate us on the products they should be using and the completion process from this point. Thank you....See MoreLow VOC water-based poly: Vermont Natural Coatings? Vermeister?
Comments (23)Polyurethane is not water proof. It is water resistant but not water proof. It will slow down the transition of water from the surface into the wood but it won't stop it completely. My guess is the edges that allowed a snick more water to reach the wood have had a snick more finish taken off. That's about as exciting as it gets. The drop in the gloss level is not something I would worry about. You sanded a finished surface. In other words you scuffed it up so much that you reduced the gloss level. Have you removed all the finish? No. Have you reduced the gloss level? Yes of course you did. That's what sanding does. Again, the issue with adhesion is going to be an on-going situation. Regardless of gloss loss or not. You can test treat a plank or two and leave them alone for 2 weeks (allow full cure) and then try the scratch test. I would leave them alone. Install the floor and use it until it becomes so bad that a full sand/refinish is needed. The only way to ensure good adhesion is to do a full sand/refinish. Until you get to that point, you could be setting yourself up for failure....See Morepeachmousse
6 years ago
PROWinter's Flooring, LLC
2 years ago
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