Loba 2K Supra AT for Tasmanian Oak
Hi, I’ve recently purchased a property and am currently looking to sand and refinish my old wooden floor. It is in a good condition with no problems with floorboards, just a bit of dark water damage marks in and around laundry room which I’m not too fussed with as long as it’s toned down.
The old floor is glossy reddish brown and I wanted to change it to a lighter colour in satin - I originally wanted it in matte but that doesn’t sound like a good idea after reading up some of the floor professionals’ advice here. I’m told it’s Tasmanian Oak and it’s quite common here in Australia. It’s my first time owning a home with hardwood flooring so I have zero idea about sanding and polishing/refinishing and maintenance.
I gather that Loba is easier to work with compared to Bona Traffic HD. I found a floor sander who only does Loba products and am in the process of getting quotes. I just wondered what sort of products or applications would the experts recommend. I’ve come across for example, Loba WS EasyPrime and then one or two coats of Loba 2K Supra AT Gloss and then Loba 2K Supra AT Satin.
Would that be something that could be used to achieve the lighter coloured floor in the photos? We just wanted something lighter although my wife doesn’t want it too white. I’m getting quotes on lime washing and whitewashing (mixing watered down paints (?) in each coat of Loba (currently finding out specific products). I also wonder about its durability and effect in the long term - limewashing needs a touch up every 5-7 years and whitewashing lasts 20 years?? Just something that I briefly came across online. My wife is also a bit reluctant about the hazy milky look on the top coating of these applications but would satin finish help make it a bit more natural?
I’ve attached some photos of our current floor and what we want to achieve for your reference - 2 of the photos have bare timber. Thanks for your help in advance.
Comments (18)
PROG & S Floor Service
2 years ago
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2 years agoRelated Discussions
Questions about Loba Invisible & Supra
Comments (176)Yes, I would definitely keep the HVAC running throughout your entire application and curing times to keep the red oak at a proper moisture level. A flooring professional would test the moisture content of the raw wood prior to finish application, but that may be beyond your desire to pursue as it requires a specialized tool. As long as you have had HVAC running for as long as possible after the flooring was installed and prior to coating (a few weeks, ideally), you will probably be fine. The fumes will be strongest while applying the wet coating. Make sure you wear an N95 mask to protect your lungs, and if the fumes seem overpowering while working, then open windows. I wouldn't open a door unless it is screened because you don't want dust or bugs getting trapped in the wet coating. For my projects, opening windows for fresh air while working was mandatory even with an N95 mask. The fumes from two-part, catalyzed coatings are very strong and contain cyanide-based chemicals that release isocyanates into the air that can damage your lungs. Even beyond the technical explanation, in practice the fumes smell too strong for me to tolerate without fresh air flowing through, even while masked with an N95. Because this coating is rolled and brushed on, you can get away with N95 masks, but any sprayed coating of this type would require supplied air respirators to protect the lungs. It is my best guess that you will want windows open to clear fumes for at least an hour or so while working with each wet layer, then you can close them back up to get your heated or air conditioned air back into the area. If you have children or other people in the house, it would be a smart move to have them leave the home while fumes are active. Tannin is a brown-colored chemical compound that resides in wood and some other organic matter, and it can be pulled to the surface and stain wood when exposed to water or waterborne coatings. Because you have chosen to use Loba's waterborne Invisible (which is a good choice to avoid the ambering you would get from an oil-based product but not as good as oil when it comes to tannin pull), the risk is there with that waterborne coating of creating stains on the flooring. Using a heavy first coat and always keeping a wet edge will help prevent tannin pull but may not in all circumstances eliminate it. Using EasyPrime first would prevent it. Red oak is less likely to present with tannin pull stains under a waterborne coating that is white oak. The Houzz discussion forum is a good place to search for examples of tannin pull. Here is a recent post for starters: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6286234/tannin-pull-with-loba-invisible#n=6...See MoreLoba compared to Bona Traffic
Comments (101)Ciranova ? Pink Blocker can be used with any competitors brand stain. I have not experienced any issue. You do need to buff with a maroon pad prior to applying a stain with other manufacturer's WB PU. I have not applied any other WB except for Ciranova's own WB PU over Pink blocker. No time for experimenting. Pink Blocker is a reactive stain. It is water soluble. Ciranova has a binder in their invisible line finishes : Ecofix plus, Woodlook Plus and Oculto. It helps prevent reactivating the stain and moving the color around. Reactive stain can be applied after pink blocker. Still needs buffing with maroon pad. You can use the regular reactive stain on red oak. It will not be as intense as if, it was applied onto white oak. Aquavintage is a two part reactive stain. hardwax oil , oil poly or wb poly can be applied. If, using WB poly, use one of Ciranova's invisible poly. Ecofix for light natural colors. Woodlook for whites and grays and Oculto for dark tone reactive stains. It is water soluble, competitors WB PU will move finish around. If, you want a WB system that looks like a oil finish. Ciranova's invisible line is what you want. It will look as natural or raw as can be with the protection of a WB system. For added protection, you can do two coats of their invisible finish and two coats of Fortico. Fortico is comparable to Bona Traffic HD and Loba's Supra AT. You can top coat Ciranova's invisible finishes with competitors WB finishes. That will help keep cost down. Only downside, if, you run into issues. The tech support will not help you. Use your own discretion. Unico is the same as RMC. It's a single coat oil system with the added benefits of being able to apply a WB PU over it. It's soft, top coat with one coat of Titan or two coats of Fortico for the added protection. Titan is better than RMC. Note: every manufacturer alters their binders slightly in their finishes to make it unique. It creates issues with other manufacturers products. You would need to test samples to make sure there are no finishing issues. I have used Ciranova's reactive stain with RMC and Pallmann's oil with no issues. I have tried applying a competitors WB PU over Ciranova's reactive stain with no success. It moves the color around. But when used with Ciranova's invisible PU, no issues. You can apply dewaxed shellac over the reactive stain and apply a competitor's WB PU or just apply oil base poly. Keep in mind oil base poly will turn yellow. For aged look, it does not look good. If, you want the aged look use Ciranova. you won't be disappointed, unless your guy does not know how to use it. For a stained look, you can use any other brand. The colors are all the same, besides Duraseal, which has more colors available than anyone....See MoreHas anyone used loba stains?
Comments (19)Just something I thought I’d mention - There are many dilemmas on Houzz where something has gone wrong with whatever work is being performed. If there is a contract, it’s provided by the contractor/tradesperson 99% of the time. Many times, there’s no contract. Most (if not all) states have statutes protecting homeowners in connection with building a house and having work performed at an existing house. These statutes require all work to performed in a good and workmanlike manner - and provide SOME protection to homeowners who fail to require a written contract prior to having work performed. The most important area that must be EXPRESSLY agreed to between a homeowner and contractor is the SCOPE OF WORK. As S J McCarthy has stated above, you need to have the scope of work (two coats of Loba 2K Supra AT) agreed to - in writing. While an oral contract may be enforceable, it will be very difficult to prove. I’ve read TOO MANY discussions on Houzz where not having a written scope of work has resulted in HUGE = EXPENSIVE consequences. This is also important for all contractors/tradespeople. Also, as pointed out, if you do not have an existing contract, a text message/email does work. The law has had to “expand” what is acceptable as written evidence due to technology. I am putting together a list of the most important items that should be addressed in all contracts for work being performed - once I have everything organized, I will post it here on Houzz....See MoreHelp! Loba finish on red oak and maple floors
Comments (11)Thank you so much! I appreciate the expert advice. I'm definitely not an expert! I think I used the wrong term earlier - when I said 'raw'. What I meant is that that ideally the colour looks like natural wood, as close to white oak as possible - vs. something that turns pink, yellow or orange. We do want some shine, and are leaning toward a satin finish. So, in that case, would you still recommend Loba invisible? Concerned about durability, as we don't want to be fretting about the floors. These floors are rather yellow, which is why I asked about the UV blocker or stain. Edited to add: we also have the option of delaying this work and waiting until someone that can do both Bona and Loba is available. So, if Bona might be a better option, that's something we can consider. Quite possible I'm overthinking this ;)...See MoreSJ McCarthy
2 years agoVdubbed
2 years agoThanks for that SJ McCarthy, that really sums it up. I mean I had read up on different Loba products but to hear that it comes off by a bit of scrubbing is really surprising. Supra AT didn’t come up on my Google search in Australia so 2K Supra may be the top of the range here. I’ve enquired with a Bona Certified flooring company today and I’m getting a site inspection done this Friday - for Bona White as a sealer and then two coats of Bona Traffic (HD) xtra matte.
Thanks to your information on how hard it is to work with Bona products (2 minutes) in your other post - that made me reconsider offers from those garden variety sole traders in the business. I was also told by the Bona Certified flooring company today that Bona Traffic HD Satin is quite shiny and it can last a while so that got me thinking again what sheen level I should go with. I saw another post where someone complained about the scratches from chair legs or dog’s claws on his matte floor and that it is actually like polishing effect on the matte surface. So I was going to go with satin but I didn’t want to go too shiny. Would liming make the light colour in the floor a bit more consistent? I’m told it’s quite expensive to get it done. The attached are Bona White and Bona Traffic Matte applied floors on Tasmanian Oak and while I like the light colour I was wondering if it’d be possible to make it a bit more consistently similar in colour. I understand each plank would react differently and it’s their natural colour but would proper liming be any different to just using Bona White?
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