The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just vacuum and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good shape. There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have some of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright Lysol idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the floor?

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully, will add
some luster as well?

Don't know who you can continue cleaning it w/o damaging it.

You've effectively got a raw wooden floor, w/o any polyurethane on it it's
completely porous, any liquid could/would stain it.

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them with 3 coats of
poluyrethane yourself, a tool rental center can rent you the floor sander and
polisher as well as give you step-by-step directions.

Turandot wrote:


How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

I agre with what the other poster said about sanding the floor down and
refinishing it well with a satin-finish polyurethane finish followed by
waxing. We have hardwood floors and that's what we did.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully, will add
some luster as well?

wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully, will add
some luster as well?

Turandot wrote:

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Whoops, I must have missed that.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully, will add
some luster as well?

You could try using lacquer thinner to remove the entire finish and then
refinishing (but you might even need to re-sand some with that), but
there isn't anything you are going to be able to to short of painting
the floor with paint that will make a more consistent look.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

Turandot wrote:

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Whoops, I must have missed that.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully, will add
some luster as well?

You could try using lacquer thinner to remove the entire finish and then
refinishing (but you might even need to re-sand some with that), but
there isn't anything you are going to be able to to short of painting
the floor with paint that will make a more consistent look.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on
the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the
rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

The answer is that isn't any such product. If there were, there wouldn't be
much reason to refinish floors. You'll have to wait until refinishing is an
option.

wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on
the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the
rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

The answer is that isn't any such product. If there were, there wouldn't be
much reason to refinish floors. You'll have to wait until refinishing is an
option.

We have a similar floor in our house, about 40 years old and in need of
refinishing, but that's not very likely. Ours is very dull and scratched,
but when I want it to brighten it up I use Wood Preen (made by Kiwi Brands
Inc out of Pennsylvania), which is a wood cleaner/protector/wax. I think the
product has been around for a very long time, but it is still available (if
you can't find it, let me know!). It has color in it, so it might blend the
light and dark areas of the floor and give them some luster. It takes some
elbow grease, though. Basically you apply it with a mop or soft cloth to
small areas at a time, rub it in, then buff with a clean cloth or a floor
buffer. Both my Mom and my Mom-in-law had floor buffers in their basements
from the 1950s; they look like a small upright vacuum only they have
removable round brushes and "polishing pads" on the bottom. That has worked
fairly well for getting some shine to the floors following the Wood Preen
application. If you can't find a buffer, you can just use a cloth and elbow
grease....).
I found Murphy's, etc. to make them dull but clean. Someone else suggested
bowling alley wax but I would think that would make them slippery.
I also recently tried "Brite" floor cleaner and that cleaned them well and
seemed to give them a nice shine (it is what I use on my linoleum, too). But
it did make them slippery and the luster didn't last very long. Be careful
that you don't get drops or spray when you squirt it, because it shows up
when you are done if it is not on there evenly.
Hope it works. If you find another good solution, let me know!
-Holly

..
Turandot wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have som
e of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the floor?

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

We have a similar floor in our house, about 40 years old and in need of
refinishing, but that's not very likely. Ours is very dull and scratched,
but when I want it to brighten it up I use Wood Preen (made by Kiwi Brands
Inc out of Pennsylvania), which is a wood cleaner/protector/wax. I think the
product has been around for a very long time, but it is still available (if
you can't find it, let me know!). It has color in it, so it might blend the
light and dark areas of the floor and give them some luster. It takes some
elbow grease, though. Basically you apply it with a mop or soft cloth to
small areas at a time, rub it in, then buff with a clean cloth or a floor
buffer. Both my Mom and my Mom-in-law had floor buffers in their basements
from the 1950s; they look like a small upright vacuum only they have
removable round brushes and "polishing pads" on the bottom. That has worked
fairly well for getting some shine to the floors following the Wood Preen
application. If you can't find a buffer, you can just use a cloth and elbow
grease....).
I found Murphy's, etc. to make them dull but clean. Someone else suggested
bowling alley wax but I would think that would make them slippery.
I also recently tried "Brite" floor cleaner and that cleaned them well and
seemed to give them a nice shine (it is what I use on my linoleum, too). But
it did make them slippery and the luster didn't last very long. Be careful
that you don't get drops or spray when you squirt it, because it shows up
when you are done if it is not on there evenly.
Hope it works. If you find another good solution, let me know!
-Holly

..
Turandot wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have som
e of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the floor?

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

"Turandot" wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have
some of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

white spirit


How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the floor?

wood soap scrub, sanding, white spirit scrub

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

a few coats of a darker coloured varnish like a mahogany will even it out
and hide some discolourations and make it shine but when the day comes to
refinish then it's more work to get off...unless you're selling, that's what
my floor was like when I bought this place. Under the dark varnish was very
light parquet with stains.

"Turandot" wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have
some of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

white spirit


How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the floor?

wood soap scrub, sanding, white spirit scrub

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

a few coats of a darker coloured varnish like a mahogany will even it out
and hide some discolourations and make it shine but when the day comes to
refinish then it's more work to get off...unless you're selling, that's what
my floor was like when I bought this place. Under the dark varnish was very
light parquet with stains.

From: Turandot


wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on
the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the
rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?


Look - what you're saying is you want a finished floor w/o refinishing your
floor.

Sorry. I'm an electrician not a magician...

From: Turandot


wrote:

Doors shouldn't rub it, take the door down and plane the botton edges.

That was done by the previous owners but they didn't fix the marks left on
the
floor and that's what I would like to do now, fix/hide those marks.

Look into re-finishing your floors and re-sealing them

As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right now.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and the
rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and, hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?


Look - what you're saying is you want a finished floor w/o refinishing your
floor.

Sorry. I'm an electrician not a magician...

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:

Turandot wrote:


As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right
now.


Whoops, I must have missed that.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol
and the rest of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color
and, hopefully, will add some luster as well?


You could try using lacquer thinner to remove the entire finish and then
refinishing (but you might even need to re-sand some with that), but
there isn't anything you are going to be able to to short of painting
the floor with paint that will make a more consistent look.


Unless he goes over the entire floor with the Lysol, and then back over
it with something like the oil soap...

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:

Turandot wrote:


As I said in my original post, refinishing **is not** an option right
now.


Whoops, I must have missed that.

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol
and the rest of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color
and, hopefully, will add some luster as well?


You could try using lacquer thinner to remove the entire finish and then
refinishing (but you might even need to re-sand some with that), but
there isn't anything you are going to be able to to short of painting
the floor with paint that will make a more consistent look.


Unless he goes over the entire floor with the Lysol, and then back over
it with something like the oil soap...

Sorry but I missed the original post on this subject.

I'm chiming in only because of the diversity of responses I have seen
to whatever the original question was.

I have also seen a comment or two by those in the wood floor industry
that actually made me cringe when I read them.

There are only two basic types of floor finishes and all finishes fall
under these two categories.

They are, Surface finishes, and Penetrating finishes.

Almost all of the finishes in use today fall under the Surface Finish
category and include everything from wax to the newer polyurethane
finishes. Shellac, Varnish, Lacquer, etc. are all surface finishes.

Surface finishes are just that, a thin film protectant OVER the wood
surface, that will wear off, flake off, peel off, become thin, and
sometimes even crackle or alligator if applied too heavily.

The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.

Back when I was a youngster (and before), most commercial building
with hardwood floors used nothing but penetrating type oils, because
they clean up easily and do not wear off to the point the wood becomes
quickly damaged in high traffic areas.
Oiled floors have a more rustic appearance to them than glossy
finished floors, but oil floors can be buffed to a nice satin finish
if one wants to put that much work into them.

My first two houses used the conventional Surface Finish techniques.
I had to be very careful to protect this wood finish, especially
around my desk and other high use areas. Even polyurethane will wear
off very quickly if you spend much time sitting at a desk in a home
office.
Even with continual monthly waxing, raising 4 kids, 5 dogs and a
managerie of other animals, surface finishes were an expensive
nightmare to keep up.

Before I moved into an older but modern home, the first thing I did
was have that nice new surface finish sanded off and had all of the
floors heavily oiled with tung oil. Then about once every three years
after that, we would deep clean the floors and apply another coat of
tung oil onto them while the kids were away at camp or elsewhere.

After the second treatment of oil, we could then simply mop our floors
like they were linoleum or vinyl without fear of ever hurting them.
An animal may use a throw rug as a waste station and it would go
unnoticed, yet when discovered, there was NEVER a black mark left
behind as evidence of their watering the carpet.

Some times the old ways are better!
I will NEVER have a bothersome surface finished floor again. An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!

TTUL
Gary

Sorry but I missed the original post on this subject.

I'm chiming in only because of the diversity of responses I have seen
to whatever the original question was.

I have also seen a comment or two by those in the wood floor industry
that actually made me cringe when I read them.

There are only two basic types of floor finishes and all finishes fall
under these two categories.

They are, Surface finishes, and Penetrating finishes.

Almost all of the finishes in use today fall under the Surface Finish
category and include everything from wax to the newer polyurethane
finishes. Shellac, Varnish, Lacquer, etc. are all surface finishes.

Surface finishes are just that, a thin film protectant OVER the wood
surface, that will wear off, flake off, peel off, become thin, and
sometimes even crackle or alligator if applied too heavily.

The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.

Back when I was a youngster (and before), most commercial building
with hardwood floors used nothing but penetrating type oils, because
they clean up easily and do not wear off to the point the wood becomes
quickly damaged in high traffic areas.
Oiled floors have a more rustic appearance to them than glossy
finished floors, but oil floors can be buffed to a nice satin finish
if one wants to put that much work into them.

My first two houses used the conventional Surface Finish techniques.
I had to be very careful to protect this wood finish, especially
around my desk and other high use areas. Even polyurethane will wear
off very quickly if you spend much time sitting at a desk in a home
office.
Even with continual monthly waxing, raising 4 kids, 5 dogs and a
managerie of other animals, surface finishes were an expensive
nightmare to keep up.

Before I moved into an older but modern home, the first thing I did
was have that nice new surface finish sanded off and had all of the
floors heavily oiled with tung oil. Then about once every three years
after that, we would deep clean the floors and apply another coat of
tung oil onto them while the kids were away at camp or elsewhere.

After the second treatment of oil, we could then simply mop our floors
like they were linoleum or vinyl without fear of ever hurting them.
An animal may use a throw rug as a waste station and it would go
unnoticed, yet when discovered, there was NEVER a black mark left
behind as evidence of their watering the carpet.

Some times the old ways are better!
I will NEVER have a bothersome surface finished floor again. An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!

TTUL
Gary

One more bit of information about the Wood Preen. It comes in light, medium
and dark colors, I think. It also contains naptha (like mineral spirits) as
well as a wax so it might get rid of buildup from previous applications. Our
parents didn't sand and refinish their floors. They cleaned and waxed them.
-Holly

I & H Prees wrote in message
...
We have a similar floor in our house, about 40 years old and in need of
refinishing, but that's not very likely. Ours is very dull and scratched,
but when I want it to brighten it up I use Wood Preen (made by Kiwi Brands
Inc out of Pennsylvania), which is a wood cleaner/protector/wax. I think
the
product has been around for a very long time, but it is still available
(if
you can't find it, let me know!). It has color in it, so it might blend
the
light and dark areas of the floor and give them some luster. It takes some
elbow grease, though. Basically you apply it with a mop or soft cloth to
small areas at a time, rub it in, then buff with a clean cloth or a floor
buffer. Both my Mom and my Mom-in-law had floor buffers in their basements
from the 1950s; they look like a small upright vacuum only they have
removable round brushes and "polishing pads" on the bottom. That has
worked
fairly well for getting some shine to the floors following the Wood Preen
application. If you can't find a buffer, you can just use a cloth and
elbow
grease....).
I found Murphy's, etc. to make them dull but clean. Someone else suggested
bowling alley wax but I would think that would make them slippery.
I also recently tried "Brite" floor cleaner and that cleaned them well and
seemed to give them a nice shine (it is what I use on my linoleum, too).
But
it did make them slippery and the luster didn't last very long. Be careful
that you don't get drops or spray when you squirt it, because it shows up
when you are done if it is not on there evenly.
Hope it works. If you find another good solution, let me know!
-Holly

.
Turandot wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just
vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good
shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have
som
e of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright
Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the
floor?

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and,
hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

One more bit of information about the Wood Preen. It comes in light, medium
and dark colors, I think. It also contains naptha (like mineral spirits) as
well as a wax so it might get rid of buildup from previous applications. Our
parents didn't sand and refinish their floors. They cleaned and waxed them.
-Holly

I & H Prees wrote in message
...
We have a similar floor in our house, about 40 years old and in need of
refinishing, but that's not very likely. Ours is very dull and scratched,
but when I want it to brighten it up I use Wood Preen (made by Kiwi Brands
Inc out of Pennsylvania), which is a wood cleaner/protector/wax. I think
the
product has been around for a very long time, but it is still available
(if
you can't find it, let me know!). It has color in it, so it might blend
the
light and dark areas of the floor and give them some luster. It takes some
elbow grease, though. Basically you apply it with a mop or soft cloth to
small areas at a time, rub it in, then buff with a clean cloth or a floor
buffer. Both my Mom and my Mom-in-law had floor buffers in their basements
from the 1950s; they look like a small upright vacuum only they have
removable round brushes and "polishing pads" on the bottom. That has
worked
fairly well for getting some shine to the floors following the Wood Preen
application. If you can't find a buffer, you can just use a cloth and
elbow
grease....).
I found Murphy's, etc. to make them dull but clean. Someone else suggested
bowling alley wax but I would think that would make them slippery.
I also recently tried "Brite" floor cleaner and that cleaned them well and
seemed to give them a nice shine (it is what I use on my linoleum, too).
But
it did make them slippery and the luster didn't last very long. Be careful
that you don't get drops or spray when you squirt it, because it shows up
when you are done if it is not on there evenly.
Hope it works. If you find another good solution, let me know!
-Holly

.
Turandot wrote in message
...
The woman who used to live here never cleaned the floor, she'd just
vacuum
and
apply Murphy's Oil. This 20+ y/o hardwood floor isn't in very good
shape.
There
are marks, scratches and discolorations all over and I made things even
worse by
moping it with a Lysol solution (trying to sanitize it) and now I have
som
e of the
floor with some luster from all those years of Murphy's oil and a very
visible
part of it it's dull and a shade or two lighter because of my bright
Lysol
idea...

Because of its location, I can't hide the mess with an area rug and
finishing the
floor isn't an option right now so I need to know:

How do I effectively clean this floor without damaging it?

How do hide the discolorations caused by doors rubbing against the
floor?

Is there a product I can use on both the part I "treated" with Lysol and
the rest
of the floor so that the whole floor looks the same color and,
hopefully,
will add
some luster as well?

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in message
...
...
The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.
...

Well written post. Just one quibble. Penetrating finishes do not make
the wood noticeably harder. I'm going by the results of tests by some
nationally recognized experts in the field.

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in message
...
...
The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.
...

Well written post. Just one quibble. Penetrating finishes do not make
the wood noticeably harder. I'm going by the results of tests by some
nationally recognized experts in the field.

Daniel L. Belton wrote:

Unless he goes over the entire floor with the Lysol, and then back over
it with something like the oil soap...

You know, that might work.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

Daniel L. Belton wrote:

Unless he goes over the entire floor with the Lysol, and then back over
it with something like the oil soap...

You know, that might work.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

In article ,
am (Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:


An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!


Hear hear! Twenty years ago, I house-sat for my sister and her husband
while they vacationed in Europe. I had to keep my motorcycle in the
living room because they forgot to tell me where they kept the
garage-door opener.

When they got back they made a couple of snobby remarks about the oil
spots, but within a year she had oiled the whole carpet. It's been
trouble-free ever since.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd

In article ,
am (Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:


An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!


Hear hear! Twenty years ago, I house-sat for my sister and her husband
while they vacationed in Europe. I had to keep my motorcycle in the
living room because they forgot to tell me where they kept the
garage-door opener.

When they got back they made a couple of snobby remarks about the oil
spots, but within a year she had oiled the whole carpet. It's been
trouble-free ever since.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd

I agree with almost everything you have said. We have an old home, and
over the years I have refinished almost all of the hardwood floors, one
or two rooms at a time (a better plan would have been to do the whole
house before moving in). The first room I put polyurethane on, and it
has not held up well at all. That was perhaps 25 years ago and maybe
more modern polyurethanes last better, but still that room will have to
be redone. I did use a waterbased urethane on the stairs, as it was
recommended as lasting and not being slippery, and it has held up well
for about five years. In the remaining rooms I used the Duraseal
penetrating finish, which comes in different hues, and it has worked
really well. I initially got it because the place I rented the sander
also sold this finish. That place is now out of business, and it is
hard to find the Duraseal products (I think they like to sell to the
trade, rather than the public), but if you can find that product it is
really worth the search, and the penetrating finish seems to last and
look good. They do recommend waxing for additional protection and looks.

Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. wrote:

Sorry but I missed the original post on this subject.

I'm chiming in only because of the diversity of responses I have seen
to whatever the original question was.

I have also seen a comment or two by those in the wood floor industry
that actually made me cringe when I read them.

There are only two basic types of floor finishes and all finishes fall
under these two categories.

They are, Surface finishes, and Penetrating finishes.

Almost all of the finishes in use today fall under the Surface Finish
category and include everything from wax to the newer polyurethane
finishes. Shellac, Varnish, Lacquer, etc. are all surface finishes.

Surface finishes are just that, a thin film protectant OVER the wood
surface, that will wear off, flake off, peel off, become thin, and
sometimes even crackle or alligator if applied too heavily.

The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.

Back when I was a youngster (and before), most commercial building
with hardwood floors used nothing but penetrating type oils, because
they clean up easily and do not wear off to the point the wood becomes
quickly damaged in high traffic areas.
Oiled floors have a more rustic appearance to them than glossy
finished floors, but oil floors can be buffed to a nice satin finish
if one wants to put that much work into them.

My first two houses used the conventional Surface Finish techniques.
I had to be very careful to protect this wood finish, especially
around my desk and other high use areas. Even polyurethane will wear
off very quickly if you spend much time sitting at a desk in a home
office.
Even with continual monthly waxing, raising 4 kids, 5 dogs and a
managerie of other animals, surface finishes were an expensive
nightmare to keep up.

Before I moved into an older but modern home, the first thing I did
was have that nice new surface finish sanded off and had all of the
floors heavily oiled with tung oil. Then about once every three years
after that, we would deep clean the floors and apply another coat of
tung oil onto them while the kids were away at camp or elsewhere.

After the second treatment of oil, we could then simply mop our floors
like they were linoleum or vinyl without fear of ever hurting them.
An animal may use a throw rug as a waste station and it would go
unnoticed, yet when discovered, there was NEVER a black mark left
behind as evidence of their watering the carpet.

Some times the old ways are better!
I will NEVER have a bothersome surface finished floor again. An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!

TTUL
Gary


--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

I agree with almost everything you have said. We have an old home, and
over the years I have refinished almost all of the hardwood floors, one
or two rooms at a time (a better plan would have been to do the whole
house before moving in). The first room I put polyurethane on, and it
has not held up well at all. That was perhaps 25 years ago and maybe
more modern polyurethanes last better, but still that room will have to
be redone. I did use a waterbased urethane on the stairs, as it was
recommended as lasting and not being slippery, and it has held up well
for about five years. In the remaining rooms I used the Duraseal
penetrating finish, which comes in different hues, and it has worked
really well. I initially got it because the place I rented the sander
also sold this finish. That place is now out of business, and it is
hard to find the Duraseal products (I think they like to sell to the
trade, rather than the public), but if you can find that product it is
really worth the search, and the penetrating finish seems to last and
look good. They do recommend waxing for additional protection and looks.

Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. wrote:

Sorry but I missed the original post on this subject.

I'm chiming in only because of the diversity of responses I have seen
to whatever the original question was.

I have also seen a comment or two by those in the wood floor industry
that actually made me cringe when I read them.

There are only two basic types of floor finishes and all finishes fall
under these two categories.

They are, Surface finishes, and Penetrating finishes.

Almost all of the finishes in use today fall under the Surface Finish
category and include everything from wax to the newer polyurethane
finishes. Shellac, Varnish, Lacquer, etc. are all surface finishes.

Surface finishes are just that, a thin film protectant OVER the wood
surface, that will wear off, flake off, peel off, become thin, and
sometimes even crackle or alligator if applied too heavily.

The other type of finish is a penetrant, such as good quality
penetrating oil or tung oil. These types of finishes are absorbed
into the wood and actually make the wood harder.

Back when I was a youngster (and before), most commercial building
with hardwood floors used nothing but penetrating type oils, because
they clean up easily and do not wear off to the point the wood becomes
quickly damaged in high traffic areas.
Oiled floors have a more rustic appearance to them than glossy
finished floors, but oil floors can be buffed to a nice satin finish
if one wants to put that much work into them.

My first two houses used the conventional Surface Finish techniques.
I had to be very careful to protect this wood finish, especially
around my desk and other high use areas. Even polyurethane will wear
off very quickly if you spend much time sitting at a desk in a home
office.
Even with continual monthly waxing, raising 4 kids, 5 dogs and a
managerie of other animals, surface finishes were an expensive
nightmare to keep up.

Before I moved into an older but modern home, the first thing I did
was have that nice new surface finish sanded off and had all of the
floors heavily oiled with tung oil. Then about once every three years
after that, we would deep clean the floors and apply another coat of
tung oil onto them while the kids were away at camp or elsewhere.

After the second treatment of oil, we could then simply mop our floors
like they were linoleum or vinyl without fear of ever hurting them.
An animal may use a throw rug as a waste station and it would go
unnoticed, yet when discovered, there was NEVER a black mark left
behind as evidence of their watering the carpet.

Some times the old ways are better!
I will NEVER have a bothersome surface finished floor again. An oiled
floor is the only way to go, if you want a maintenance free, easy care
floor, that looks great year in and year out. Even at the most used
door in the house!

TTUL
Gary


--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

Hi Dawn

Tung oil as been around for centuries, it is an oil that dries like
Danish Oil or Linseed Oil.
An example of a non-drying oil would be Lemon Oil.
For floor finishing, you only want to use an oil that dries.

Today you can get penetrating oils, like Tung Oil, in almost every
shade imaginable and perfectly clear non-yellowing as well.


New floors require sanding and cleaning before being sealed with a
penetrating oil, TSP is good for this.
But the deep cleaning I was referring to was doing a really bang up
cleaning job on the floor before reoiling, so as not to harded dirt
into the new finish.
I usually use mineral spirits on the whole floor, and sometimes
turpentine or paint thinner in the main walk areas to get them really
clean. Then I follow up with a rinse of hot water and mild dish
detergent like Ivory. In fact, that's what we use for everyday
cleaning of the floors, is dish detergent and hot water.

Because penetrating oils do dry, you can build them up and get a
glossy shine, but it doesn't look as natural as the normal satin
finish.

TTUL
Gary

Hi Baron

Pine and fir, softwoods, were the most common flooring material used
in pre 1900's buildings, warehouses, stores, shops and saloons.

Unfinished pine or fir for that matter will not last very long in a
high traffic area. But oiled wood lasts for centuries without much
wear if it is maintained properly by reoiling every year in these
instances.

Whether it is technically correct to say, it makes the wood harder,
may be a misstatement.

The oil fills the pores of the wood, dries and as such, makes MORE
surface to have to wear away.

So perhaps it literally does not make the wood itself harder, but it
does fill in the pores making the wood less susceptable to wear and
damage.

A sponge soaked in cement and allowed to cure will wear a lot longer
than the original sponge, who's properties never physically changed.
But I would rather be hit with a regular sponge, than one impregnated
with concrete, because the impact would be much harder on my old bean.

TTUL
Gary

Hi Bill

Duraseal is still around, great stuff!
They make an excellent penetrating oil also, which is the brand I used
on my last house, initially for the first two coats, then switched to
Waterlox for the last coat and subsequent touch ups.

TTUL
Gary

Thank you so much for the great advice you provided, Gary. I've printed every
message you posted to this thread. An oiled floor would go much better with the
style and character of our house than a surface finished floor. Many of my guests
like the "rustic" look of this floor, discolorations and all, and have been
telling me to leave it alone but I will go ahead and follow your advice. I like
the feel and appearance of oiled floors and am sure they fair better in dry
weather conditions. Thanks again.

Also, many thanks to Holly, William Brown and Phisherman.

Your Welcome!

TTUL
Gary


Turandot verbositized:

Thank you so much for the great advice you provided, Gary. I've printed every
message you posted to this thread. An oiled floor would go much better with the
style and character of our house than a surface finished floor. Many of my guests
like the "rustic" look of this floor, discolorations and all, and have been
telling me to leave it alone but I will go ahead and follow your advice. I like
the feel and appearance of oiled floors and am sure they fair better in dry
weather conditions. Thanks again.

Also, many thanks to Holly, William Brown and Phisherman.

Your welcome, this was a helpful thread for me, too. We're thinking about
tung oil for our aging hardwood, too.
-Holly

Turandot wrote in message
...
Thank you so much for the great advice you provided, Gary. I've printed
every
message you posted to this thread. An oiled floor would go much better
with the
style and character of our house than a surface finished floor. Many of my
guests
like the "rustic" look of this floor, discolorations and all, and have
been
telling me to leave it alone but I will go ahead and follow your advice. I
like
the feel and appearance of oiled floors and am sure they fair better in
dry
weather conditions. Thanks again.

Also, many thanks to Holly, William Brown and Phisherman.