'Feeding' an old(ish) floor

[Andy B]

Our 1912 front room floor is pine, T&G boards about 5" wide.
The room faces south catching full sun for several hours a day, and the wood has the appearance to me of being very dry - although the gaps between the boards are still quite small (most less than 3mm).
Instinct tells me that it would benefit from some 'feeding' - it would certainly get this if I used an oil + wax finish.
But reading various other threads, using a water-based finish will be easier to apply, more durable and require less maintenance.
So advice please as to:
1) Is there any benefit in replacing moisture / oil in the timber?
2) If so, will a sanding sealer + water-based finish do this, or does it simply form a barrier in the outer surface of the wood?
3) Is there much difference in the amount of UV protection given by oil/wax vs water-based finishes? We've not decided yet how much will be covered by carpet or rugs, so don't want different coloured patches if we move things around in future years.

Further info, if it helps with any anwsers:
Like many floors of the period it still has dark stain around the edges which needs cleaning off (I'll follow Toby Newall's suggestions for that), and I'm hoping to avoid anything more than a light sanding as it is reasonably flat still. I'm not intending to stain it.

Thanks in advance,
Andy

 

[Toby Newell]

Hi Andy

Think of wood as semi alive! It absorbs moisture, it releases moisture, it expands as it absorbs and contracts as it gives out moisture. There is nothing you can do to increase the moisture content unless you switch the heating off!!! Wood finds its own natural equilibrium with its surroundings. More moisture (ie before central heating = nice environment for wood wrom - hence you usually get worm at edges of floors or by windows etc...)

The sap content of the wood should be pretty stable too. Your floor doesnt need any "feeding" at all! It may need protecting.

You will have to check out the data sheets for the oil finishes but I would presume all coatings have an inbuilt UV inhibitor. Your floor sounds like it gets a right tanning, ANY finish will be affected by that amount of sun, it is radiation damage after all. Oil is a lot less durable than the waterbased finishes but in your case I may actually reccommend it ( a first I think) as it is easier to apply a maintenance coat.

BTW with that much sun you are going to get colour differences after a few months, the area under the rug will be lighter, the areas round the rug will darken. Just dont stain it, sunlight will bleach the stain.

Toby

 

[middi]

How to feed wood floor ??.

has anybody tried saw dust with a springling of salt and pepper :wink:

 

[Andy B]

Toby,
Thanks for your reply, and apologies for mis-spelling your name in my original post!

Can you clarify for me though; in the other current thread on floors - "Is there an alternative to Osmo wax" - you state "Traffic is probably the most elastic finish you can get in that it moves with the wood, it does not flake, peel or chip, rather it is designed to wear slowly. If you prepeare the surface properly and coat it correctly you should NEVER need to strip it off and redo it. I use it in Hotels, galleries etc. You can strip it by hand or by sanding. After a few years it's hard work though!"
Is there a caveat to this: "provided it is not too exposed to UV, which will shorten its life"?
How does UV affect water-based finishes? I'm guessing from your comment that it makes them harder but less durable (more liable to peel and chip) - so sanding back is the only real option.

And can you give any hint as to a worst case life expectancy before a water-based finish may need replacing (given 'average' pet-free domestic usage) due to UV degredation?

Thanks again,
Andy

 

[Toby Newell]

Andy your last name isnt Basham by any chance is it?

Anyway. The simple answer is I don't know. Waterbased finishes or any finish indeed is meant to be maintained, i.e. that is cleaned up and recoated after a few years to prevent breakthrough to the substrate which would then necessitate stripping.

In the case of Bona traffic lacquer in a normal domestic pet free environment I would expect it to have better longterm UV proerties as it containes less solvent and therefore is less prone to "drying out" and becoming brittle. I have coated floors 6 and 7 years ago when the product was still quite new and I added a top up coat after 5 years. There were minor scratches by the stairs but no UV damage on some sunlit landings. I would think Bona have similar or better life expectancy than thier solvent counterparts. You are probably looking at decades before the finish breaks down if it is maintained. i.e. kept fairly clean. All finished degrade over time. Waterbourne lacquers work by being slightly softer but tougher (that is more elastic) so they will wear quicker than the top solvent finishes but will not crack or peel so much.

You just need to apply the correct thickness of finish. Follow the instructions carefully, you should be getting 9 to 12 m2 per litre coverage. Thats a lot! When I first started I was using waterbased finishes I was brushing it out to 20 to 30 m2 per litre! I thought, wow this is quite economical but now I know. You need to apply the finish with a special Bona roller, these are very expensive but there is no way round it. Apply as much as you can without creating puddles. If you do use thinner coats then just apply more coats which may be easier for you to do at first. Four or five coats for most people are similar to two to three of my coats. If you apply the correct amount of finish, when you look in the light the whole floor should be wet and totally smooth like a lake with no application marks visible. This took me a few dozen floors to perfect. Confidence is the key in finishing, even if you are not, you have to work smartly or swiftly without panicking. It's almost zen. Just think its all going to look lovely and you can do it and you probably will. Good Luck

Hope this helps

Toby