Our Latest posting in Wood Floor Finishing & Staining

• S Thornton

  Barnet, 2019

  Question

  Is Lacquer Finish better than Hardwax-Oil for My Pine Floorboards?

  I have pine floorboards in my house, which I want to restore. Which type of sealant would you recommend? 

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Hi and thank you for the question. Pine floorboards are a popular type of flooring and we often get the same question from our customers. Although, both lacquers and hard wax oils can be applied on pine floorboards, in most cases we would recommend sealing your pine floorboards with hardwearing varnish rather than using hard wax oil. The reason for this is that pine is a softer wood, compared to oak, for example, which means that it has a higher absorbent properties and should you decide to use wood floor oil, there is a great chance that the sealant will penetrate in the timber, providing lower level of protection on top.

    Pine floorboards restoration is also often accompanied by staining, which is done to change the original colour of the boards. Should this be the case, varnishing will provide a better protection to the colour compared to hard wax oils, which means that you will be able to enjoy the new colour and shine on your pine flooring for longer. Please note that we always recommend the application of at least three coats of hardwearing varnish for pine floorboards to achieve the ultimate protection.
    
    We hope that the above helps.

• W Tucker

  Bormley, 2019

  Question

  How can I achieve a Whitewashed Finish On My Wooden Floors?

  Hi,

  I have engineered wood flooring in my bedroom which had whitewashed effect. I think that it is oiled rather than varnished, but not quite sure.  In some areas there are patches where the whitewashed effect has completely disappeared and I can see the original wood colour coming through. I have decided to sand and re-seal the flooring, but I want to make sure that the whitewashed effect stays for longer, so I am wondering whether to seal the floors with varnish or Hardwax Oil. Can you help with this?

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Hi and thank you for contacting us

    Hi and thank you for contacting us regarding finishing whitewashed flooring.

    The answer is that you can achieve a durable whitewashed effect on your engineered wood flooring with both lacquers and oil-based products if you choose the right product and apply it properly. However, the choice of lacquer or oil will define the final appearance and therefore, you need to be aware of the different potential results.

    Achieving white wash effect with the use of floor lacquer will result in a more uniform colour. This can be achieved either by mixing a white colourant with a clear varnish or by applying white stain on the sanded floors, followed by the application of multiple coats of clear floor varnish on top. Some of the most popular products that we use with our floor restoration service to achieve whitewashed effect include the application of "Bona Create Ice" stain, followed by the application of three coats of water based Bona Mega Varnish, which comes in matt, satin and gloss finishes.

    Should you decide to use oil-based products to get the whitewashed effect, please bear in mind that this will result in less uniform appearance where the natural grain of the timber will appear brighter than the rest of the floorboards as the oil be better absorbed there.

    We hope that this helps.

     

• R Johnson

  Dagenham, 2019

  Question

  Can You Restore Engineered Wood Flooring by Clean and Polish Rather Than Sanding?

  Hello,

  I have engineered wood flooring in a pretty bad condition which I want to restore. I am not sure if it can be sanded as it has already been sanded once in the past and I don't know if the top layer is tick enough to allow for another sanding. That's why I was wondering if you can clean and polish, rather than sand my flooring to restore back its shine?
  

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Engineered wood flooring comes in various thicknesses of the top layer, ranging between 3mm and 6mm, which defines the number of times it can be sanded. You mention that your floors have already been sanded once, which means that if your flooring has the thinner top layer there might be a limited opportunity to sand it again. Having said that, if the previous sanding was properly done by a professional sanding company, this means that another sanding should be possible.

    Because your floors are in a bad condition, as you describe it, cleaning and polishing might not be applicable. This is a service that is used to maintain the existing sealant in order to extend its life until another sanding is required. Unless this is done before the condition of the flooring gets really bad, and before the sealant is actually worn out, it is not recommended. Cleaning and polishing is done to apply an extra coat of sealant, where the new coat bonds to the existing varnish and not to the bare wood. If the existing sealant has disappeared, then a proper sanding and re-varnishing will be required.
    
    

• P Starling

  Watford, 2019

  Question

  Some Blobs are Showing on My Recently Varnished Wooden Floors. Can You Help?

  I recently sanded and varnished my wooden floors myself. Soon after I noticed that blobs have appeared in some areas and I am not sure how to rectify this? Any help would be much appreciated.

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Hi and I am sorry to hear that you didn't achieve the effect that you wanted. Floor restoration looks pretty easy before you start doing it and then you realise that it actually requires significant skills and knowledge to avoid situations like yours. From what you are describing it sounds like there was not sufficient and perfect bonding between the different coats of floor varnish or between the first coat of floor varnish and the timber. This usually happens when the floor surface was not perfectly smooth and clean before the application of varnish or when the previous sealant was not completely sanded down before the new varnish was applied. The only solution would be to re-sand and re-varnish the flooring again to ensure a smooth sanded surface and a proper application of the coats of varnish on top. However, you need to check to make sure that your floors have sufficient thickness of solid wood as a top layer to allow for additional sanding to take place.

     

• Z Scott

  Croydon, 2019

  Question

  What is the Best Finish for Parquet Flooring?

  We have decided to restore the parquet flooring in our house, but we need advice on the type of varnish or oil that would be most durable. We need something that is hard wearing as we have kids and we often have guests at home, so floors are heavily used. Thank you in advance.

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Parquet flooring can be sealed with either hard wearing varnish or Hardwax Oil.You didn't mention the type of wood, but I am assuming that it is oak parquet flooring as this is the most popular type. Choosing between lacquers and oil-based wood floor finishes can be difficult. There are several advantages and disadvantages to both and the most appropriate product usually depends on the type of flooring and the intensity of its use.

    For floorings where a high level of foot traffic is anticipated, floor varnishes provide a higher level of protection and durability. There are water based varnishes such as Bona Mega or Bona Traffic, Loba and Junchers HP Commercial varnishes on the market which might be the right solution for you. Varnishes may also be solvent based, providing thicker layers and higher level of protection, but are less applicable to the residential sector due to their strong odour and the slow drying time

    Alternatively, oil-based wood finishes provide less durable sealing and require more frequent maintenance, but provide more natural feel and appearance. However, they allow for buffing and re-oiling to be done to avoid sanding. We recommend Osmo Polyx hardwax-oil products which we use for our floor re-oiling service.

    Whether you choose hardwearing varnish or oil-based sealant for your floors, make sure that you sand the flooring to a perfect and smooth finish before the sealant is applied.

• R Trent

  Barking, 2019

  Question

  Can You Sand and Oil 3-Strip Engineered Wood Flooring?

  Hi. My 3-strip oak engineered floor needs sanding as it has quite a few scratches as we have a dog. It is currently lacquered, but I was wondering if it can be sanded and oiled instead?

  • 

    Mr Sanders

    Answer

    Three strip floorings come in various sizes and the thickness of the top layer defines if it can be sanded. The most popular ones come in 3 mm top layers and unless it has been sanded before it should be ok to restore. It is possible to change the sealant from lacquer to oil as the existing sealant is completely removed during the sanding process.  

    Before you make the final decision on the most appropriate type of sealant, bear in mind that Hardwax Oils provide more natural look and scratches might be less visible, however, they require more frequent maintenance and re-oiling to ensure long lasting protection.

In this section...

---

• Ask The Expert
• Wood Floor Sanding
• Wood Floor Finishing & Staining
• Stairs & Banisters Restoration
• Parquet Flooring Restoration

Ask Mr Sanders