On Aug 30, 9:49*am, Stuart Noble wrote:
geraldthehamster wrote:
Right, I'm back, with some test results and another question.

I've done two test pieces on spare board (that was taken up during
renovations upstairs), one with Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish
(water-borne polyeurethane, medium VOC), and the other with Wickes
Professional Interior Varnish (solvent-borne polyeurethane, high VOC).

As predicted, the Ronseal lowered the colour ever so slightly without
really changing it, but left a plasticky-looking finish that I don't
like at all. The Wickes produced the lovely golden colour that I was
after. However...

The management has decreed that the more natural colour obtained from
the Ronseal is to be preferred. In fact, she's right, as it matches
the natural wood colour of our stripped and waxed doors (the mellow
golden colour worked in the previous house, because the doors
themselves were a mellow golden colour, through the application of
linseed oil, which is not the case here).

So I'm tempted to use the Ronseal as the first couple of coats, to
seal the wood with a lighter colour, then to finish with a couple of
coats of solvent-borne matt (or more likely satin), to avoid the
plasticky finish. Does anyone know if there could be any problem with
applying a solvent-borne varnish over a waterborne one, once the
latter has dried? I can't immediately see that problems are likely - I
know you have to be careful if doing it the other way round, to make
sure the solvent has evaporated, but the water evaporates quite
quickly. Could there be issues over the one bonding with the other?

Regards
Richard

Probably won't be any immediate compatibility problems, but a hard
varnish on top of a softer one isn't usually a good idea, especially on
a floor.
You may find that applying the Ronseal differently will change the look.
Try brushing it on, then wiping with a rag after a few minutes as if
you're trying to remove it. Repeat if necessary (when the first coat is
dry), using a circular motion, until the rag starts to "drag". The
plastic look is really to do with the thickness of film sitting on the
surface, which I prefer to keep to a minimum.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I think that could work over a small area. I can see accessibility
problems in "wiping it off with a rag after a few minutes", when I'll
have just varnished an entire hall; though I suppose your method
avoids the need to maintain a wet edge, and therefore to do the whole
floor at once.

Point taken on the thickness of the film. Possibly one coat of the
water-borne would be enough to seal the wood for colour; before
completing with high VOC.

I'm probably trying to be too scientific about this. I've now hoovered
the floor and tack-ragged it with white spirit. Once that's dried I'll
apply the first coat of watery Ronseal then take it from there. My gut
feeling is two coats of Ronseal, de-nib, then two or three coats of
the matt solvent stuff.


Regards
Richard