Refinishing Salon Hardwood Floors

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ah, I have cookies disabled...

 

[Delfin]

Gloss is always a harder finish.

Not so much. Epifanes Rubbed Effect varnish is far harder than any gloss varnish. After five years of hard dog/grandkid/normal use it looks the same now as when it was applied. Can't comment on its vomit release characteristics.

 

[Larry M]

It took a year to get to but we just refinished the salon floor. We used Zip-Guard as suggested by Rob in post# 3. We're real happy the way the Zip-Guard, Satin, 350 VOC went down and looks. One quart did the floor with 2 coats.

 

[Blue Heron]

Any ideas on hardening a soft floor?

 

[drb1025]

It took a year to get to but we just refinished the salon floor. We used Zip-Guard as suggested by Rob in post# 3. We're real happy the way the Zip-Guard, Satin, 350 VOC went down and looks. One quart did the floor with 2 coats.

That looks great!

 

[Datenight]

That looks great!

+1

 

[Aquarelle]

Rob, I own a Hinckley Bermuda 40 sailboat. The floorboards are solid teak/holly. I wooded them down with a heat gun, then sanded clean with 80, 150, 220 (maybe too fine?). In either case, I was thinking about epoxy clearcoat then varnish, but I am wondering if you would suggest something different. I like your lenmar suggestion...How many coats do you apply? Thank you for any advice. Scott

 

[Datenight]

Hi Scott,

I don't see the need for the epoxy clearcoat as a primer. Is your thought to make it more water resistant? Unless the floor is getting drenched I don't see the need. If it is getting drenched maybe look at ways to keep the water out. Normal wet feet are not an issue and I would be willing to bet that in those conditions there would be a mat to dry feet on or a towel handy to wipe up water that could be a slip hazard.

Lenmar is a good finish. There are also many other good ones out there. If your sole has sat for more that 24 hours you will need to sand it again due to the oxidation of the wood exposed to air. This is normal and happens to every species of wood. I would choose the 150# paper.

My first coat is usually a sanding sealer by Zinzer. Follow with the first coat of urethane after about an hour of well ventilated dry time. If you second coat within 24 hours (I think, read the label) you do not have to sand. If you are not able to second coat in that window, "sand" the floor with a black or maroon 3M pad. The Zinzer sealer tends to clog sand paper.

After that I like at least four more coats for a min. of six. I like the grain completly filled so it may require more coats. After the second coat (first of urethane) I sand between coats with a used 150# disk on my small Porter Cable orbital.

The three attached photos are of a sailboat I did this fall. First is before, second stripped and sanded, third finished. This job took seven coats. I would also like to note that this was veneered teak and holly not solid wood. About half the soles I do are this type.

Good luck,

Rob

 

[Datenight]

I forgot to mention the the sole was stained gray due to the finish being completly worn off for several years. It shows in photo one. After removing the finish with stripper and a scraper I washed the floor with oxilic acid to lighten the stains.

The second photo is from a different job but shows what can be done with a scraper. If you look carefully in photo one you will see the scraper in the upper left.

Rob

The photos are upright when downloaded but except for the scraper need to rotate 90* right.

 

[Newtrawlerowner]

Refinish Salon Floor

Rob,
What did you use to strip? I've used heavy duty paint strippers in automotive applications.

 

[squimmy27]

Bess

I have done my trawler, my house, and my RV. I used marine varnish on the trawler and Varathane for floors on the others. The Varathane gave the best results, by far. sand to bare wood with a pro sander, 40 grit, then 80, then 120. Mop on the Varathane with their special applicator pad. 4 coats. After 5 yrs, it looks like a new, professional finish.

I researched like crazy to restore my 1979 parquet which was carpeted in1987. Tore up the carpet, lots of black oxidation from nails, staples. Sanding to the previous posting, 3 coats of high-traffic Varatane, 1 coat coat of of matte sheen. We didn't make it perfect, flipped a lot of stained slats, made a bunch from salvaged teak...I'm happy!

 

[Comodave]

It looks great. Is it slippery?

 

[squimmy27]

Thanks! Haven't been on it yet, one more coat. Since I+2 dogs +1 cat live on the boat, before we reboard, I'm going to line with 2mm sheeting for a couple weeks to let the cure harden up.....supposedly should be impervious to scratching from the dogs, I'll put runners down tho.....I have a built-in settee planned, but dang, I don't want to hide the floor! I'm thinking of those hanging macrame hammock seats....

 

[Comodave]

2 dogs will be a challenge. We had hardwood flooring put in our house about 3 years ago and our dog hasn’t scratched it yet. So far so good.