I am a complete beginner when it comes to wood, but I hope to get started on a couple of projects over the winter. One is restoring a floor. I have been reading about finishes, and polymerized tung oil sound like fantastic, if expensive, stuff.
My question: Can you control the final look of the finish to be glossy or satin?
Also, is Sutherland the best supplier of the oil?
Many thanks for advice from all you experts,
Marc
Replies
Polymerized oil is probably not a good choice for floors. Yes, it would be moderately protective, but not as much as a good varnish, in part because you can't let it build a film like a varnish. Polymerized tung has a very short working time--it needs to be wiped off before it gets tacky, but will get tacky quickly. It will craze if applied in thick films like a varnish.
Some who post here and in BT say that the Waterlox finishes can be applied like an oil (ie - wipe off the excess between coats & avoid the built up look of just brushing it on) and still provides a protective floor finish.
Sure you can use Waterlox (there are three sheen levels, the Gloss finish is less well suited for wiping) that way, just as you can do it with any varnish. It will be reasonably protective. It will be sufficient for many, but not all. It still is true that there is no free lunch. If you want lots of protection you need a thicker film, at least to a point.
Relative to this thread, Waterlox is not a polymerized oil finish, it is a varnish.
Get a Floor Finisher Pro to do the job.. Sit there and give directions if ya have to!
The glossiness of the finish is primarily affected by the final finish applied. You can treat a floor with an oil finish to bring out the wood grain, followed by a coat or two of clear varnish to protect the floor better, and provide a glossier finish.
Some finishes achieve a "satin" look by suspending silicates (to me, gunk!) in the finish. For furniture, it's better to get a satin or low gloss finish by buffing with steel wool or equivalent. If you are doing a big floor and want a satin finish, you can either buff (more work, but reversible) or use a varnish with silicates.
Polymerized tung oil is a nice finish, but you might want to thin it some with MS in order to have it pentrate more and to keep it from getting gunky before you can wipe it down. Whatever you do, after letting the oil soak in some, be sure to wipe it dry or you will have a mess. Let it dry for a couple days before applying a varnish top coat. Using a glossy varnish will give youa glossy floor, even with the oil step included.
When we bought our house the dining room floor had been re-done and had quite a bit of it's thickness removed. It is a parquet, the type that is glued to a canvas base and put down. The nails were popping out. I set them re-sanded it and finished it with McCloskeys Gym-Seal. Used it also in the living room. After 20 years it still looks great. All the traffic in the winter with ice, snow and salt.
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