KellyPainting

Alright, I got a floor thats giving me problems.. small kitchen... and large living rm / dining rm L-shape... bid the job as kitchen sand poly 2 coats..
and scuff and 1 coat poly L-shaped floor.
We took the kitchen floor down to bare wood (there was no stain)
we then vacumed... tacked and rolled on a coat of benjamin moore oil poly with a candy striped roller.... scuffed the L-shaped floor and did the same.
The reason I used the Ben Moore was that I'm a painter and trust the quality of the product. We applied satin finish.
The Ben Moore stuff was like pudding.. even thicker... it left roller lines and ridges... along with small spots that look like fish eye's.. all over the floor... it did not level itself out like the can said.
We then rescuffed... and applied a second coat.... same thing happened.
We then went to another store and were told the Ben Moore stuff was crap... so we went with Zars... oil base satin.. stuff flowed great... just like water... it also leveled itself out perfect... but while I was rolling it (slowly..with the grain..without stopping from end to end) the roller... made by wooster for applying this exact type of product, left little bubbles everywhere.... I figured they would just level them self out..
Now the both floors have hundreds of little raised bubbles (not the kind that will pop) they are solid. kinda looks like a sex toy..if you know what I mean.... we waited 24 hours inbetween each coat. I'm planning on sanding the bubbles down and brushing the whole floor myself.. after waiting 3 days.. just to make sure it properly cures.

What the @#$% happened... this is causing me some cash now.....

sjm

Did you sand in between coats?I dont use anything but Min-wax oil base and only brush on 3 courses at a time.You can use a water base but it will need 4 coats and will lift the grain alot more after the 1st coat.Each 3 courses in between your brush should catch the bevel of the prior.1st sanding like 120 next 220 but has to be sanded in between.That varies some depending on condition of floors.Depending on the type of wood,the raise will differ Walnut the most maple least,But I always use a high end all natural bristle brush.Just did my personal home few months ago,they were in real bad shape now i make kids remove shoes before walking on them

Shoalsfugro

Here is a step list.

I like Duraseal or miniwax


resand to remove high spots.
Use lambs wool on flat instead of roller.
Use brush to cut edges
thin with 30% thinner for thin coats and flow.
turn air off to avoid dust.
lite scuff between coats and broom with towel with light thinner to remove dust.

Submerge your lamb in can wet until next use. rinse with thinner and apply second coat

AAPaint

Yikes...I leave wood floors to the wood floor guys.

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

Joewho

Don't use a roller.

Either get a lambswool applicator or a square paint pad that goes on a pole. Both are dragged rather than rolled. It's the standard way to do floors. It might seem a bit scary if you've never done floors, but it's the way to do it.

Use Quick Dry Poly. With the right applicators, you won't need to worry about it drying before you can get to it, if you are working it at a steady pace. With the applicators, you won't need to thin the product and you won't get nearly as much bubbling. There is more control over the thickness of each coat too. In other words, more user friendly.

Water base on floors tends to make a lot of bubbles, no matter how you apply it. You need practice to know where the bubbles are going to show up, and take care of them while it's wet. Like, corners.

Water based stays clear, oil tends to yellow with age. Water based goes on a lot thinner.
Bubbles are hard to spot after the floor is dry. You have to either run your hand over the whole floor or wait until it gets some wear. They always look good unitl they get used for a few days. Then any wear will bring them out like a sore thumb.

colin

Ditto a paint pad on a pole.

Having said that, I once seen an old guy who had a wooden floor to finish at 5 o'clock friday evening, 'gonna be a long night for you' we said, 'no it aint' he replied, emptied the entire can of poly on the floor, took a YARD BROOM and slopped it around and went home. Looked all right on monday

LennyV-NHSNOLA

And it's self leveling too so there's 1/4" thick in one corner and razor thin on the opposite side of the room.

Joewho

or a cupped floor.

boman47k

Colin, what are you calling a yardbroom? Here, I know it as a leaf rake.

LennyV-NHSNOLA

I presumed he was talking about a commercial floor broom that's about a yard wide. More like a dust mop head. I can't believe he used a hard bristled floor broom... did he?

KellyPainting

I started with ben moore... and a roller
then went to zars with a roller....
then zars with a sureline pad... not bad... good coat
then topcoat with minwax brushed on....
It was all oil satin finish....


Using the wrong poly............. cost: $1000
Using the wrong applicator........cost $1500
learning to do it right............... PRICELESS

Teetorbilt

We old guys call oil turning a patina or cast, it's included in the cost, no charge. Over time, it will antiquate the flooring and add value to a knowledgeble buyer. (getting to be fewer)

IMHO, the water-based finishes look just like the plastics that they are made out of. No character.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

metomeya

Man this is why I think Taunton's Finer Homebuilding is worth its weight in gold.

Kelly you should check out the January edition. Its feature article was woodfloor finishing secrets. It had some great info.