Wooden Flooring

[miltonbentley]

Hello All

Does anyone out there have wooden parque flooring. If you want to keep it in really top notch condition how often do you have to reseal them and what is the cost? What are the other maintenance issues? Anything else I should know and does anyone know a good contact for resealing?

Thanks in advance

MB

[Ajarn]

My floor, after 9 years of use, looks great. Never done anything except sweep it...

[Dustoff]

Hello All

Does anyone out there have wooden parque flooring. If you want to keep it in really top notch condition how often do you have to reseal them and what is the cost? What are the other maintenance issues? Anything else I should know and does anyone know a good contact for resealing?

Thanks in advance

MB

It depends on whether it is oiled or lacquered. The important thing is not to clean wood floors with water. Check out:

Maintaining parquet flooring

When resealing, lightly sand first and use a quality polyurethane varnish. Here in Thailand, if you want it done without bubbles, you would do well to do it yourself.

[miltonbentley]

Here in Thailand, if you want it done without bubbles, you would do well to do it yourself.

Yes that sounds like good advice Dustoff

[Rasseru]

Hello All

Does anyone out there have wooden parque flooring. If you want to keep it in really top notch condition how often do you have to reseal them and what is the cost? What are the other maintenance issues? Anything else I should know and does anyone know a good contact for resealing?

Thanks in advance

MB

It depends on whether it is oiled or lacquered. . . .

Forgive the intrusion, Milton, but I have a related question prompted by your post and Dustoff's comment on it.

I am going to be putting in wooden floors in my apartment and need to decide whether, using Dustoff's terms, to oil or lacquer them (I assume that applying a polyurethane coating is covered here by "lacquer").

The romantic in me is drawn to the idea of an oiled wooden floor.

Should I seriously consider strangling my inner romantic?

And advice welcome, on-line or off.

[p1p]

Dustoff - Thank you for your most helpful link!

My floor, after 9 years of use, looks great. Never done anything except sweep it...

Mine too - except I have some problems where my geriatric, incontinent cat has relieved himself over the past couple of years. For some reason cat movements damage the floor!

At least, thanks to Dustoff, I now know how to repair it when he has passed on to the great mousehunt in the sky. (Don't know why he should hunt mice after kicking the bucket though. He ignores them in life.)

[Dustoff]

Forgive the intrusion, Milton, but I have a related question prompted by your post and Dustoff's comment on it.

I am going to be putting in wooden floors in my apartment and need to decide whether, using Dustoff's terms, to oil or lacquer them (I assume that applying a polyurethane coating is covered here by "lacquer").

The romantic in me is drawn to the idea of an oiled wooden floor.

Should I seriously consider strangling my inner romantic?

And advice welcome, on-line or off.

Lots of issues to consider here. I quit the idea of actual wooden flooring and put in the growingly popular composite flooring which is absolutely stunning, amazingly tough and requires almost no maintenance.

Wood Parquet flooring is at least as attractive (and perhaps more romantic) but can be a bit of a hassle. Most come already treated in one way or the other but oiled wood seems to be falling by the wayside. If you have older flooring that is oiled, putting polyurethane varnish on top is as ill-advised as putting water-based latex paint on top of an oil-based paint. It simply ain't gonna stick..

When deciding what Parquet to install, know that Parquet blocks, installed with the grain running in opposite directions, is almost impossible to sand and refinish satisfactorily when it needs it. And when installing Parquet, or any other wood flooring, stack it in the room for AT LEAST two weeks to allow the wood to expand/contract according to the humidity in that particular room or you will likely experience either gaps or buckling as it adjusts to it's new environment.

Not to mention that wood is notoriously plagued by water stains. Rings on that expensive coffee table, or even dog-drool on that nice, new wooden flooring, will be there forever.

My suggestion is to check out the composite floorings. They have come a very long way in quality and selection, are reasonably priced, have padding underneath so when you drop a glass it is more likely to bounce than break and when a bit of scuffing begins to show an application of an automobile paste wax will knock you off your socks if you are not careful...

Good luck

Edited March 18, 2008 by Dustoff

[Bill97]

I have been told that Tung Oil gives a great floor finish, easy to repair and refinish but it takes a long time to dry and is not available here. Also a good wood finisher advised me that more than 5 coats of polyurethane will cause problems so there is a limit to refinishing without heavy sanding at some time.

I have had good luck with polyurethane on parquet but as others have posted, it has to be dry before the start and stay dry. You can also get flat polyurethane now if you do not like the full gloss but the flat is a bit difficult to apply in a uniform finish.

[zepplin]

I have been told that Tung Oil gives a great floor finish, easy to repair and refinish but it takes a long time to dry and is not available here. Also a good wood finisher advised me that more than 5 coats of polyurethane will cause problems so there is a limit to refinishing without heavy sanding at some time.

I have had good luck with polyurethane on parquet but as others have posted, it has to be dry before the start and stay dry. You can also get flat polyurethane now if you do not like the full gloss but the flat is a bit difficult to apply in a uniform finish.

5 COATS IS ABOUT 10 YEARS WORTH OF TRAFFIC,1 SEALER COAT,2 TOP COATS-THEN1 EVERY 5 YEARS.

TUNG OIL IS GOOD-IT LETS THE TIMBER BREATHE AND EXPAND/CONTRACT A BIT.POLLYURATHENE DOES NOT,BUT IS HARDER WEARING ,I ALWAYS RECCOMMEND 50% matt50% FULL GLOSS-SATIN IS MUCH EASYER TO LIVE WITH THAN FULL GLOSS.TUNG OIL DOES NOT GIVE OFF ANY FUMES AND ITS EASY TO TOUCH UP A SCRATCH IF NEEDED-NOT SO WITH POLLY.

[justcruisin]

[My suggestion is to check out the composite floorings. They have come a very long way in quality and selection, are reasonably priced, have padding underneath so when you drop a glass it is more likely to bounce than break and when a bit of scuffing begins to show an application of an automobile paste wax will knock you off your socks if you are not careful...

Good luck

Yep, I have composite timber flooring in my place,am fully converted to the pro's of this stuff,as I have a gammy foot,this seems the only wood/hard floor I can walk on without shoes.

Also seems fairly low maintenance,just sweep and mop.Just be careful about water ingress as neighbours had to replace total floor after water ingress(blocked balcony drain)