Have just finished reading of Zolton’s devastating problem,and then amongst his respondants,Joe Sullivan’s rough time with his floor.
What a couple of catastrophies!
Which started me thinking of an upcoming job to be done on my floors…
They are a mixture of what looks like a couple of hardwoods and some baltic pine,all finished with what I assume is a 2 pot system PU clear coating.This was discovered under some rather unispired carpeting,which upon removal revealed the main body of flooring marred by superficial scratches and evidence of paint droplets and small spills from some prior attempt at re-decorating.
I have decided to shellac finish over this because of the already well described benefits of shellac,but I have only little experience with it in these conditions.A numbers of questions come to mind,and with the enormous collective wisdom of you fellow Knotties,I would be grateful for your thoughts on these.
1. Is it possible to ‘lightly’ sand the surface to just remove paint and light scratches,then shellac? i.e.,will the shellac bond with such a synthetic medium?
2.Should I attempt to fill the 4 million staple holes, [the “-” shaped buggers] left after removing the underfelt,or will the shellac satisfactorily do this job itself? [Probably,I tell mesel’]
3.Must the entire existing finish be removed? 🙁
Any thoughts or observations most appreciated,
With thanks,
Robin.
Replies
Over the last year I removed my carpet and the layer of asphalt tile under that and the layer of tar type mastic under that and the layer of concrete under that to expose the 1926 vintage fir floor at the bottom.
I did not fill the staple holes etc. however I belt sanded down to bare wood and then used a random orbit 6" sander to get it to 120 grit.
I have probably six coats of 1lb shellac and six of 2lb.. I will probably do another 6 or 8 of 3lb.. It looks beautiful, has resisted spills of alchoholic beverages and the nails and random upchuckings of a dog and cats not to mention the tracked in grit on my shoes.
I can't say the shellac has filled all the holes yet but they are certainly not objectionable.
The coats dry fast and I am very pleased with the results.
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Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
~ Denis Diderot
If you do it my way a good respirator and hearing protection are a must and a good masseuse is a wonderful thing at my age.
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Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
~ Denis Diderot
D,
Thanks for your thoughts,you've done yours the hard way! I certainly wouldn't begrudge you a masseuse. "..at my age". Hmph.. Now that I think on that, that would allow me a masseuse and her daughter.... hmmmm!
:-)
R
Had I known what it would entail, I would have just replaced the carpet. I'm a renter.
I've been here 10 years and with luck will be here at least 10 more.
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Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot
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