Hi,

I've recently installed new feature grade oak flooring. Before
applying the two pac finish, the floors appeared a nice light colour.
After applying the two pac, the flooring appears much darker, in
addition, the two pac epoxy has yellowed (UV?) since it's application.
I'm now wondering if it would be possible to sand the floor again with
a hired drum floor sander and then lime it before applying the two pac
finish.

I guess I have a few questions about this...

If I don't quite strip all the varnish off, will I get an uneven
finish?
Will the sap wood (feature grade) appear strange after liming?
Can I recoat in two pac?
What paint do I use for the liming process?
Will the final finish look ok?

Cheers,

Whats a 2 pac finish I usualy only smoke on breaks. Lime a floor, what
is that. Oil Poly yellows water base doesnt, but wood darkens with age,
but only over years should it yellow or darken. Yes you must remove all
the finish. Lighest color will be no stain and acrylic poly

"crmay" wrote in message
If I don't quite strip all the varnish off, will I get an uneven
finish?

Yes


Will the sap wood (feature grade) appear strange after liming?

Don't know, probably will be less contrast.


Will the final finish look ok?

Matter of opinion.

Do you have any scraps left? If so, take a piece to the paint store and ask
them what they have for the liming. Keep in mind, most any oil or epoxy
based finish will darken the color when applied. Do a test piece to be sure
you get what you want.

Or consider calling in an experienced professional to refinish them.
Given the work involved and it not being easy to remedy if it goes
wrong again, that is probably what I would do.

crmay wrote:
Hi,

I've recently installed new feature grade oak flooring. Before
applying the two pac finish, the floors appeared a nice light colour.
After applying the two pac, the flooring appears much darker, in
addition, the two pac epoxy has yellowed (UV?) since it's application.
I'm now wondering if it would be possible to sand the floor again with
a hired drum floor sander and then lime it before applying the two pac
finish.

I guess I have a few questions about this...

If I don't quite strip all the varnish off, will I get an uneven
finish?
Probably. If you partially strip this finish, and apply a stain that is
absorbed into the wood, the old finish will keep the stain from being
absorbed. If you apply a new surface coat, wear may expose the
partially removed old finish.
Will the sap wood (feature grade) appear strange after liming?
Can I recoat in two pac?
"Strange" is in the eye of the beholder. I have no idea what feature
grade or two-pac is, but most oak darkens considerably with just a clear
coat or oil finish. It tends to yellow, as do most hard woods, and
yellows a bit more with oil-based varnish than with water-based.
What paint do I use for the liming process?
I used plain old alkyd paint, same color as solid trim in room, to
refinish oak rails in the room. Thinned it, slathered it on, gave it
about 5 minutes, and wiped it off. Dries fast, so not the best way to
go on a floor. There are mfg. stains intended for liming, or your paint
store can mix one for you. The main difference between stain and paint
is that stain is transparent, however dark or light, and paint is solid.
Stain most times is intened to soak into the wood and requires a
protective coat (for a floor). There are one-step stain/varnish
products but they are difficult to apply evenly and when they wear, the
color goes.
Will the final finish look ok?

Liming is basically putting solid color in the open grain part of the
wood. When it soils, dirt might collect same places. My favorite
finish for oak is plain, old fashioned oil base varnish. Medium brown.
If you want a light finish, you might have chosen the wrong wood.
Best bet would be to take some scraps to a good paint store and try what
seems good to you.

Cheers,

Limimg or coloring-staining, ok. Use a stain for the recommended finish
since best for you is water base finish since it darkens the least, What
a 2 pac finish. 2, 6 pacs of beer

Hi,

Thanks for the responses!

Ok... two pac is.. well I guess my term for paint consisting of two
parts, something like an epoxy resin you would use for glue. If
there's a better term for this let me know.

I live in Australia and have installed "tasmainian oak" flooring, which
everyone tells me is really victorain ask, though the receipt reads
"oak" and that's how I would prefer to address it =)

You can read about the timber grading on the website:
http://www.tastimber.tas.gov.au/

But to sum-up the term "feature" means that the timber contains clearly
visible imperfections like sapwood and other "features" like pen marks
and dead borer channels.
Select grade is the highest, whereby the timber doesn't contain any
"features"
High feature is the worst grade used by either the tragically poor, or
the "shabby chic".


Most of the pictures that you see on the tasmanian oak website show
"select" grade flooring. Feature grade on the other hand contains gum
veins, or sapwood. When you paint sapwood, it turns a very dark
colour, that in general probably increases the general darkness of the
floor.

My understanding of "liming" is that the timber has a wiped treatment
of light paint before being sealed.

So, in saying that, my concern is that liming the floor might result in
overly white lines in the timber due the the sap veins and also due to
the inability to sand the "two pac" finish from these veins or cracks.
I'm also concerned that it might result in a generally distatsteful
finish. Only today I heard the comment that "it's a 90's finish"!!

I've since had another look (no digital camera, so can't take photos)
and think that I should perhaps mix a touch of white enamel paint in
with the "two pac" varnish (Wattyl 7008) to provide a lighter
consistent finish.

Any further comments?!

Cheers,

clipped
I've since had another look (no digital camera, so can't take photos)
and think that I should perhaps mix a touch of white enamel paint in
with the "two pac" varnish (Wattyl 7008) to provide a lighter
consistent finish.

Any further comments?!

Cheers,


Now it all makes sense. On this side of the world, oak and ash look and
work very much the same. They say ash has a bit more open grain.
Neither one will be a light color without putting something other than a
clear finish on them. They are my favorite woods, but for "light",
maple or birch unless you have a species down there we haven't heard of
) Liming might be the best way to get the shade you want, and it
doesn't have to be white. When I have small tasks, I mix up my own
potion. Want red paint for picture frame? Mix a little varnish and red
artist oil. A little wood stain? Linseed oil, ms and artist color.
Also have painted on faux wood grain. Fun.

How large an area are you working with? The only articles I have
"limed" are old oak bannister rails which formerly were very yellowed.
We painted the room and I used the same paint that was used on wood trim
- very light taupe semi-gloss alkyd. Mix a little mineral spirits or
turpentine, paint it on, let it sit a bit and wipe. Liming doesn work
unless there is open grain for it to settle into, and is likely to cloud
the grain a bit. I tried wood bleach once, but it had no effect. Oak
did not lighten with the product I tried. You may be happier in the
long run to choose another wood, but that is a major project. Good luck.

Any 2 pac if its oil base will darken and yellow Acrilic-water base does
not darken.