----- Original Message -----
From: Lawrence Kestenbaum <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 12:15 AM
Subject: Wood floor finishing


> She asks -- should I polyurethane the floor?  Why or why not?
If not,
> what other finishing or sealing options are there?
>
larry,

we rehabbed a 1920's house with oak flooring downstairs, and some
kind of cedar or pine flooring upstairs...
the whole house was wood flooring of some sort

the previous owner had been infirm and during a nursing home
stay,
no one was checking the house, and a pipe broke and water ran
for days before it was noticed, causing lots of damage

that, coupled with years of leaky fixtures, spills, etc, combined
to make the
floors mottled and faded and stained and everything else you can
imagine  ;)
they were really nasty looking and dirty and ... well you can
imagine....

we sanded them down, bleached the worst dark spots and boundary
lines,
(wet rugs had stained themselves into the floor in several spots)
and after several bleachings, I then commenced to blend minwax
stain to various
shades and apply them here and there to the new spots where I'd
replaced rotted
pieces, and to the boundaries of the various stains/borders...
it was very successful
we now have blended, natural looking vari-shaded wood floors...
and the minwax conditioned the wood, made it smooth and satiny
feeling also....

after that, I applied two coats of polyurethane sanding sealer,
and two coats of
slightly tinted polyurethane to the whole house....
the poly has held up really well all over the house for 8 years
now, with heavy
traffic from a tenant with four kids and a dog   ;)

the only exception is in the entry area that has been used most
frequently
where we did start to have some hazing and scratching after 5
years
I think in retrospect, that I would have put 3 or maybe even 4
coats of poly
over the sanding sealer in that downstairs living area
but in general, I've been really pleased with the results

I used graham products, other than the minwax stains, and I have
had really good
luck with graham finishes in general, so that might be a factor
too....
since a floor is going to take a lot more abuse than a piece of
furniture, for instance,
using a real high quality product would probably be more
cost-effective in the long run...

(I have oiled wood floors at home, and if I could sand them I'd
poly them, but they've
already been done down to the nail heads, so sanding is not an
option -- and the
upkeep is tedious-- only oil soaps to wash, and yearly waxings,
and the use of
solvent based cleaners like bruce's that I don't like breathing
or using....)

I wouldn't EVEN claim to be any kind of an expert on this
subject, so take this for what it
is, just a recounting of my personal (limited) experience with
this ....   ;)

deb


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