"257roberts" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

I have some new heart pine floors that I need to put a finish on. I
have used satin poly in the past, but wanted a finish with a warmer
look to it. Is there anything I could put under the poly to improve
the looks? The heart pine is new but real nice tight grain. I would
consider another product than poly, but the floors will receive a good
amount of traffic. Thanks in advance for your help.


Buttonlac. Warm look, good wear and easy repair.

Dyes are used to warm up waterbased finishes.

On 28 Jul 2003 07:38:54 -0700, (257roberts)
wrote:

I have some new heart pine floors that I need to put a finish on. I
have used satin poly in the past, but wanted a finish with a warmer
look to it.

Steve spaketh...

the looks? The heart pine is new but real nice tight grain. I would
consider another product than poly, but the floors will receive a good
amount of traffic. Thanks in advance for your help.

Buttonlac. Warm look, good wear and easy repair.

Not on a floor IMHO, too soft, not enough water resistance
--
McQualude

Not sure what "warm" means. A softer sheen maybe. Wax would work well on
heart pine, high maintenance. You need a finish designed for floors or you
will have real trouble.

MH

"McQualude" wrote in message
...
Steve spaketh...

the looks? The heart pine is new but real nice tight grain. I would
consider another product than poly, but the floors will receive a good
amount of traffic. Thanks in advance for your help.

Buttonlac. Warm look, good wear and easy repair.

Not on a floor IMHO, too soft, not enough water resistance
--
McQualude

"McQualude" wrote in message
...
Steve spaketh...

the looks? The heart pine is new but real nice tight grain. I
would
consider another product than poly, but the floors will receive a
good
amount of traffic. Thanks in advance for your help.

Buttonlac. Warm look, good wear and easy repair.

Not on a floor IMHO, too soft, not enough water resistance
--
McQualude


A whole bunch of kayak and canoe makers would disagree with you.

I have only book knowledge about most of these options, but I'll share my
thoughts anyway. The first idea that comes to my mind is tinting your poly
with one of the many powdered tints available (there are water-based,
oil-based, and alcohol-based; I think you would use oil-based if your poly
uses paint thinner as its solvent). Another thing that comes to mind is to
make a pass over the floor with one of these tints before the poly (with a
base that is not compatible with your poly so it doesn't redissolve). Note
that if you intend to use a water-base, a pass beforehand with water to
raise the grain with a light sanding after dry is recommended in what I've
read. My third thought it that if you used a phenolic varnish, I believe it
will yellow over time to give it warmth, and should be plenty hard enough.

P.S. From what I've read, shellac wouldn't be hard enough; it would be a big
surprise to me to find out it has fared well in a high wear area.

P.S. From what I've read, shellac wouldn't be hard enough; it would be
a big
surprise to me to find out it has fared well in a high wear area.


DAGS on shellac, floor, repair. Shellac was used for years and years
on floors. True, it's not as hard as poly, but it is much easier to fix
any scratches. Both will scratch -- the difference is that you can fix
shellac.

Steve spaketh...

Buttonlac. Warm look, good wear and easy repair.

Not on a floor IMHO, too soft, not enough water resistance

A whole bunch of kayak and canoe makers would disagree with you.

kayaks and canoes do not get the foot traffic that a floor does

I am surprised, of what I have read about boat building, I have never seen
buttonlac on any list of recommended sealants for watercraft, guess you
learn something new every day.
--
McQualude

Was used for years on flooring.

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 16:06:57 -0500, "The Man I Am"
wrote:

P.S. From what I've read, shellac wouldn't be hard enough; it would be a big
surprise to me to find out it has fared well in a high wear area.

"MSH" mnd@jaacom wrote in message ...
You're right, and it hasn't been used for years because there are much
better options.

Better options for the home owner or floor guy? With shellac, when it
started looking bad, you could clean it and put another coat on. With
poly, you have to sand it off and have it reapplied which is not a DIY
for most people.

I disagree. The DIYer can apply another coat of poly just about as easily as
a coat of shellac.

M Hamlin

"Steve" wrote in message
...
"MSH" mnd@jaacom wrote in message ...
You're right, and it hasn't been used for years because there are much
better options.

Better options for the home owner or floor guy? With shellac, when it
started looking bad, you could clean it and put another coat on. With
poly, you have to sand it off and have it reapplied which is not a DIY
for most people.

"MSH" mnd@jaacom wrote in message ...
I disagree. The DIYer can apply another coat of poly just about as
easily as
a coat of shellac.

M Hamlin


But they can't sand the floor down without leaving lots of ruts and
hills. Shellac partially dissolves the previous coat and chemically
bonds itself. Poly relies on a mechanical key and thus must be sanded
or screened before an additional coat can be applied.

Oil is an option, and wax would give about the same look while adding some
protection. What is the claimed density of that product?

Polyurethane does look like plastic if there is too much finish. If you saw
a bad water base, you saw a poor quality finish or poorly applied finish. An
outstanding water with a very low sheen is Bona Kemis Traffic or Basic
Coatings Street Shoe Matte. The best oil does not come in a very low
sheen(Fabulon Poly-Pro Satin).

The only way you will ever know is to apply some samples.

MH
"257roberts" wrote in message
om...
(257roberts) wrote in message
. com...
Hello,

I have some new heart pine floors that I need to put a finish on. I
have used satin poly in the past, but wanted a finish with a warmer
look to it. Is there anything I could put under the poly to improve
the looks? The heart pine is new but real nice tight grain. I would
consider another product than poly, but the floors will receive a good
amount of traffic. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks for all the replies, What I had in mind for a "warm finish"
was something not quite so shiny and "plastic looking" as polyurathane
looks sometimes. Would tung oil be an option? I wasn't going to use
waterbased, I have seen floors that didn't have too much traffic,
needed re-coating in a couple of years.

My personal taste means that almost every piece of furniture I see with a
plastic-y look gets two thumbs down. (At best one thumb down and one thumb
sideways). I am hyper aware of it. I used three coats of satin alkyd
varnish last year on an end table and it didn't look plastic-y. I assume
that a few coats of matte or satin poly wouldn't either. I would guess that
the plastic look comes almost entirely from using a glossy sheen. I would
be surprised if there was any realistic danger of you putting so many coats
on that the finish thickness affected the appearance.

Wouldn't a final coat of polished wax give it a glossy look regardless of
what is underneath? By the way, have you considered just looking at some
finished floors to see what you like?