parquet floor finishes Help, advice, information, answers and tips on all types of flooring from laminate and carpet to timber and vinyl

[valentine]

im looking to sand and wax my parquet flooring, if i wax the floor is there a certain process i should follow or is it a matter of waxing and buffing up, ive used the technique of varninishing to seal and then wire wool it off and do this process a couple times before waxing but that was on furniture, is there a quicker and easier way for parquet flooring.
any expert advise would be greatly appreciated
cheers

[floor-sanding-man]

Three main types of finish, Oils, Hardwax Oil and lacquers which are designed for floors. Wax tends to be used as a basic maintainer but not very common these days (tech moves on)
Oils are applied and then buffed in with a buffer and then the excess removed with a cloth. Look good and quick to apply but need more maintenance.
Hardwax oil is brushed or rollered on and then left to dry for a few days. Stronger than oil but not as strong as lacquer.
Lacquer is fairly simple to roller on the floor and you put a few coats down. When dried the floor is much harder wearing than Hardwax oil and still simple to maintain.
My choice would be "Carls" 90 Oil for oil, Osmo or this new Bona Hardwax oil for Hardwax oil or Mega for lacquer.
Try getting manufacturers "how to apply" leaflets to get a full explanation of each.
Regards
Sandy Man

[Woodfinish_Man]

Completely agree with Sandy Man, however Mega, Osmo and Carls Oil have a tendency of turning pale timbers slightly yellow over a period of time.

To get around this I would recommend Aquacoat SP Matt, which will not alter the colour of the wood but will give you excellent protection and a very natural appearance.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Woodfinish Man

[valentine]

So if i use an oil wax its simply apply, buff up and wait to dry, how often does this method need maintaining, obviously i know it depends on traffic but in general terms?
cheers

[Woodfinish_Man]

If Hardwax Oil is the way you wish to proceed then apply first thin coat leave for 8-10 hours and then apply a second thin coat. After a further 8-10 hours the Hardwax can be buffed or polished with a hand polisher or polishing machine.

Recommendation: Do not use Hardwax Oil on dark hardwoods such as Meranti, Merbau or Jatoba. I know of someone who did recently with very bad results.

If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck.

Woodfinish Man

[valentine]

the parque floor was very dark, now its sanded its very light almost like pine colour, will the process you described in your last post darken up the wood again...if not what is the best finish to use to darken the wood back up and also to keep a solid less hassle finish..
cheers for the help by the way, its much appreciated.

[Woodfinish_Man]

Yes the parquet will darken back up to it's natural state no matter what you put on it. To test the natural colour wipe it with a damp cloth. This colour can be achieved by applying single pack Waterbased coatings. The advantage of using these products are that the will not alter the colour of the timber unlike oils and solvent based varnishes which go slightly yellow.

You could try using a product called Aquacoat SP which is available from Smith & Rodger in Matt, Satin or Gloss, Natural Floor Finish from Liberon or Bona Spectra from Bonakemi.

All products are highly durable and require very little maintenance - you will not have to worry about the floor for a long time.

Hope this helps.

Woodfinish Man

[jacknightingale]

[quote="Woodfinish_Man"]

Recommendation: Do not use Hardwax Oil on dark hardwoods such as Meranti, Merbau or Jatoba. I know of someone who did recently with very bad results.
[/quote]

hi Woodfinish_Man
what were the bad results?? i have recently used osmo hardwax oil on balau and am disappointed with the results, it has darken too much and has taken the 'life' out of the grain, i was wondering what i can do about it?

regards

[Woodfinish_Man]

Sorry for the delay in replying, the results were that the floor showed up scratches immediately and had to be completely re-sanded and recoated (not with a hardwax oil).

It does say in small print on the back of the OSMO Hardwax tin "For dark hardwoods (such as Meranti, Jatoba or Merbau...) use Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin. Surface will harden further within 2-3 weeks. This product takes considerably longer to dry in cases where the air is humid or the product has been over applied".

Talk about covering yourself!

Hope this helps, but please come back with any other questions.

[Woodfinish_Man]

Sorry for taking so long to reply.

What happenend to our customer was that the floor scratched immediately and this was accentuated because he had applied it to a darker/harder timber.

On the back of the Osmo Harwax Polyx tin it says

" For dark hardwoods (such as Meranti, Jatoba or merbau...) use Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin. Surface will harden further within 2-3 weeks. This product takes considerably longer to dry in cases where the air is humid or the product has been over applied."

Talk about covering yourself!!

Hope this helps but please come back with any other questions.