I'm feeling sick!! (hardwood floors dilemma)
For 30+ years I lived with old wax finished hardwood floors in my 100 year old house that were a major ordeal to keep clean - and also impossible to do since past owners had pets that made many messes. For years I went on my hands and knees every few months using stain and paste wax as a band-aid to help make it at least look 'fair' (but it always looked 'poor'). Finally, earlier this year, I decided to bite the bullet and hired a contractor to re-finish all of the floors in the entire house. It was a huge ordeal - including living with my dogs in the garage during the time that the work was being done - since I requested the oil-based poly. Then moving in with friends after the work was done for 3 weeks to let it cure. It looked great when it was all done and I was over the moon in love with my floors! Finally, all I had to do was a quick vacuum and it looked gorgeous!
However, recently my dog was expecting puppies so I covered the floor in the area where they would be whelped and raised with a super thick contractors tarp and covered that with a large piece of rolled linoleum-like material. 8 weeks later I lifted the linoleum and tarp and thought I was going to die. I don't know how moisture got through the tarp and linoleum material -- but it sure did in this one spot. I suspect all will say only refinishing is the only solution -- but I thought I'd throw it out to the community and see if anyone had another idea. boo-hoo!!!!! :-( :-( :-(
Comments (15)
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Ranting .... I'm in hardwood floor HE- - !
Comments (12)I just wanted to chime in to 2nd what pharaoh said. The guy who did my floors told me the same thing about all coats being gloss and only the final coat is the desired finish. My finish came out perfect. I think everyone overreacted after the first coat. Which probably says your floor contractor isn't very experienced. That first coat will always be flawed because it can't possibly provide complete coverage. That's because your floor is not perfectly flat. With each coat, the layers build and everything starts to even out. To really see the final finish they should have did the whole process on a board. That's what my guy did. He took a board and applied the three coats, including the sanding between coats. That's the only way to get a feel for what the end result would be like. For you, it's not too late. Take a step back and experiment with several scraps starting with two coats of gloss on each. Then apply the various mixes for the final finish to determine your desired mix. Then just sand the floor (no need to strip it), apply the gloss to repair the base layer and finish with the top. You'll basically end up with four coats but it'll be fine. I had my upstairs done by a different guy (because he was cheaper and as a favor to my MIL because he was a "friend") and he screwed up the finish. I ended up hiring the first guy to fix it which is how I know what I said above. In the end, it ended up costing me the same as if I had hired the first guy to do the job. Lesson learned....See MoreDark hardwood vs lighter hardwood floors
Comments (61)When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time....See MoreHardwood floor vs. engineered hardwood?
Comments (27)Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors....See MorePlease help! I’m desperate. Hardwood flooring has been discontinued!
Comments (41)We made the same error as you did with similar results. But, I learned a valuable lesson. Lesson learned? Always finish the job b/c it's very difficult to find and match materials later. Our engineered hw was very similar to yours. We stopped at practically the same place, I convinced myself that carpet in the living/dining room was just fine (and mine was better than yours--no offence). After 2 years, all I could focus on, was getting rid of that old carpet and why didn't we put hw everywhere when we had the chance. In the end, I pursued relentlessly until I found the last of our flooring at a discount flooring store in California. We are in Canada and thankfully it all worked out. Our old installer was able to lift up some of the adjoining floor boards and fully integrate the new material. No one and I mean no one believes it was done 2 years apart, but we were very lucky. The dye lots were a good match and the width of the boards were exact. But I will repeat-----don't do this! Always finish the job, or at the very least, purchase the material and store it until you can finish the job....See More
dvd94
4 years agodvd94
4 years ago
Sammy
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agodvd94
4 years agoYes, they are the original floors! The contractor did an incredible job - if you saw how they originally looked. One guy flat out said it can't be done after only looking at only one room. So I had another come in who said 'sure - no problem; I've seen worse'. I wanted a couple of bids so I called another. This guy also said, 'no problem; I've seen worse' -- even though I told him about the first guy who said it can't be done and I'd be disappointed with the results. He did not agree; I gave them the job. I seriously could not believe how beautiful the floors came out
- even before he stained them. I did not expect him to get out all of the stains and damages to the floors - so I expected 'it's the best we could do, lady' - but he made them like new! The gorgeous old oak just gleamed! Even the upstairs pine - that was badly pitted from years of abuse - looked incredible. So yes, I am beyond sick right now and will call the contractor back to hear what he has to say.
As for the puppies - they were Great Danes. I thought I took extreme precautions while setting up the area -- but somehow, after weeks worth of cleaning, I guess there had to be a leak point somewhere. ugh!!
PROSelect Hardwood Floor Co.
4 years agoYikes... that's quite a herd of pups!
Sorry you're having problems... but I'd have to agree with anyone who suggested removal, replacement of the area involved...
With any luck (and a bit of expertise) either the people who did your prior "refinish" will have the stain brand & or formula, and can PERHAPS blend in the new material to match (close) to the original... however, there aren't many of us willing to assure a perfect match.
Floor looks like 3/4" x 2-1/4" Oak (although if it's actually very old, the material was milled to 25/32" thickness, and in that pic, I'd say Red... but possibly White oak)… Point is, that product is quite readily available UNFINISHED, from most local flooring distributors, (but there may be some slight differences in milling, lumber appearance, etc..) The "old growth" lumber definitely looks a bit different in comparison to the more modern stuff... but as I said, a guy who knows what he's doing should be able to get you back to where you were.
One last suggestion... should you try that approach, consider using a water-based poly finish... there are many on the current market that afford the "user friendly", almost odorless, less toxic results in a fraction of the time needed for oil based finishes... and one that comes to mind (which we use regularly) is Emulsion Pro by Basic Coatings. It's an oil emulsion, water-based product which ambers slightly to give the same rich, golden tone associated with oil based products.
And, it's easy to maintain & or repair (if needed), although, once again, I don't recommend having someone who isn't "qualified" jump into the picture... experience may come with a slightly higher price tag... but it's typically well worth it in the long run.
Sorry to "drone on"... best of luck, and if you have any questions, we'll try to help.
dvd94 thanked Select Hardwood Floor Co.dvd94
4 years agodvd94
4 years agodvd94
4 years agodvd94
4 years ago
millworkman