Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old. The wood
is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps, holes and all.

I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort of protection but
NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish - or have I
missed something about floor protection?

--
Mark BR

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

On 2008-06-04 08:30:07 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old. The wood
is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps, holes and all.

I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort of protection but
NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish - or have I
missed something about floor protection?

--
Mark BR

Is it hardwood or softwood?

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-06-04 08:30:07 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old.
The wood is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps,
holes and all. I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort
of
protection but NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish -
or have I missed something about floor protection?

--
Mark BR

Is it hardwood or softwood?

Soft wood - in some places very soft wood!

--
Mark BR

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

On 2008-06-04 10:03:05 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-06-04 08:30:07 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old.
The wood is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps,
holes and all. I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort
of
protection but NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish -
or have I missed something about floor protection?

--
Mark BR

Is it hardwood or softwood?

Soft wood - in some places very soft wood!

--
Mark BR

Stain won't protect it.

I'm completely with you on not wanting to create a gloss finish. Why
people want to make a natural wood look like plastic escapes me - they
might as well have laminate if they want that.

Staining of softwood can be a tricky business because different areas
may have different amounts of absorbency and reaction to the colour.
Certainly trying to make it look like something it isn't such as oak is
likely not to come out well - e.g. patchy and the wrong colour.

Something like Ronseal Hard Clear Floor Varnish is available in satin.
Rustins make a similar product.

These would darken the wood very slightly bu not impart much of a
change of colour.

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

On 4 Jun, 08:30, "Mark BR" wrote:

I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort of protection but
NOT a gloss finish.

There's only one varnish I'll use on floors - acid catalysed
formaldehyde. Rustin's Floorcoat or Liberon's. Not cheap, but far
quicker, super-rapid curing, extra-hard surface and fewer coats
overall (finished prices are comparable with good floor polys).

These come in gloss and semi-gloss. If you want it duller, go over it
with pumice on a polisher afterwards. This is always a better way to
dull down a varnish, rather than stuffing the liquid full of talc and
making the whole thickness translucent.

If you want it darker, stain the wood first and then apply a clear
varnish.

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-06-04 10:03:05 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-06-04 08:30:07 +0100, "Mark BR" said:

I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old.
The wood is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps,
holes and all. I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some
sort of
protection but NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish -
or have I missed something about floor protection?

--
Mark BR

Is it hardwood or softwood?

Soft wood - in some places very soft wood!

--
Mark BR

Stain won't protect it.

I'm completely with you on not wanting to create a gloss finish. Why
people want to make a natural wood look like plastic escapes me - they
might as well have laminate if they want that.

Staining of softwood can be a tricky business because different areas
may have different amounts of absorbency and reaction to the colour.
Certainly trying to make it look like something it isn't such as oak
is likely not to come out well - e.g. patchy and the wrong colour.

Something like Ronseal Hard Clear Floor Varnish is available in satin.
Rustins make a similar product.

These would darken the wood very slightly bu not impart much of a
change of colour.

There is no way I would obtain a none -patchy finish, the wood is very
variable in quality and colour even now. I don't want to pretend it is pine
or oak or what have you. I just want to protect it a bit, I suppose from a
spilt coffee or something. It is a second bedroom floor and the intention is
to make it look like an old place.

I'll look at the Satin varnishes.

Thanks

--
Mark BR

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

Mark BR wrote:
I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old. The wood
is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps, holes and all.

I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort of protection but
NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish - or have I
missed something about floor protection?


Have you considered wax? On its own or over a light oil? You don't have
to buff it up to a high sheen. Or even just oil?

Obviously provides a much lower level of protection that sound varnish
layers.
--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Stain or varnish wooden floor?
 

Rod wrote:
Mark BR wrote:
I have a very old wooden plank floor - probably over 100 years old.
The wood is just planks, nothing special but SWMBO likes it, bumps,
holes and all. I've sanded it to clean it up and want to give some sort
of
protection but NOT a gloss finish.

Can I just use a light stain or does it have to be floor varnish -
or have I missed something about floor protection?


Have you considered wax? On its own or over a light oil? You don't
have to buff it up to a high sheen. Or even just oil?

Obviously provides a much lower level of protection that sound varnish
layers.

No ............. I'll give it some thought as it sounds an interesting idea.

Thanks

--
Mark BR