How Many Coats of Primer Do I Apply on a Wooden Floor ?

Hello and Welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blogpost

The question asked today is: "How Many Coats of Primer Do I Apply on a Wooden Floor ? "

The person who asked this question didn't say what type of primer they were using, but whether or not the primer in question was a Solvent based primer, an Oil based primer or a water based primer you only EVER put on one coat.

Obviously the wood floor you are applying the primer to needs to be properly prepared before application, the primer seals the timber floor in readiness for the subsequent coats of finish which will be applied to the floor.

If you are using an oil based primer then you must only used an oil as the next coat.

If you are using a water based primer you must only apply a water based lacquer as the subsequent coats, never use an oil over a water based primer, it WILL fail - Oil and Water don't mix.

If you use a Solvent based primer the strong likelihood is that you can use either a Water Based finish or an Oil/Waxoil to finish your project.

If you are un sure of any of the information in this blog always read the product manufacturers instructions.

Hope this helps.

For more floor sanding and sealing information visit our website at Woodfloor-Renovations

Thanks for reading

Flooring Lacquer Complaints

Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blogpost.


Apologies for my poor output of late, but we have been extremely busy in the run up to Christmas...there just isn't enough hours in the day.


I've received some correspondence of late, where end users are making complaints about the flooring lacquers that they themselves have applied and are unhappy with the results, and because it obviously can't be their fault [the end users]...it must be the lacquer !!!!


What many end users just don't do, is to properly read through and understand the manufacturers instructions on how to apply the lacquer, one of the complaints I received was from a gentleman in the UK, who has prepared his parquet floor and applied the lacquer himself, in this case a Silk Matt finish.


The complaint was basically that the finish on the floor didn't look consistant and that it looked shiny at one end of the room and silk at the other...In my book this is a classic case of the lacquer not being shaken properly prior to being used.


Wood flooring lacquers are made up of many different components, and they need to be properly mixed together before being used, if the can of lacquer isn't shaken then the different components settle at the bottom of the can, and when you pour the product onto the floor to apply it, its just not mixed properly and the chances are the first part of your floor will look glossy, as the matting agents [some of the many components] are at the bottom of the can, unmixed...Its not rocket science is it.


As I have mentioned many times on this blog, read, understand and follow all the manufacturers instructions and you will have a pretty good chance of a successful outcome for your project...ignore or disregard the advice at your peril.


Another issue that was emailed in was from a lady who was asking if it was 'really necessary' to add the hardener into a high traffic lacquer.....the answer is a resounding YES IT IS...its a 2 component lacquer for a reason, you pour part B into part A, give it a shake up for 2 minutes and you are good to go...Now if you DON'T pour part B into part A and use the product, your floor will be good for nothing as it just won't go off without the hardener mixed in...You have been warned... :-)


Thanks for reading...Regards Gary


Checkout the Woodfloor Renovations Website

Parquet Flooring Repair and Restoration Cheshire

Another Woodfloor-Renovations Parquet Floor Restoration project, this one was in Cuddington, Cheshire.

In this video clip you can see the areas of blocks which we have just repaired [with the white masking tape on] and the other voided area which we were about to repair.

Check back to see the second video where you can see the completed project.

Thanks for viewing. 

My Wood Floor Looks Orange.....Why ?????

Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations blog post.


Today we'll talk about another question i've been asked many times, the [full] question is:- "I've got a Maple Strip Wood Floor and it looks almost Orange ? It was only sanded and finished 3 years ago...Do you know why my floor has gone that colour ?? "


I've seen countless wood floors that have turned orange in colour, usually only a couple of years after the floor has been refinished, the culprit is merciless in that it doesn't care what the species is, or whether the floor is Parquet Block or Strip Flooring, the end result will always be the same...in that the floor turns Orange in colour.


The guilty party is almost certainly a floor seal called 'Bourneseal' this product was used very widely in the floor sanding industry for many years as a flooring lacquer, and is still available today, but is no-where near as popular with flooring contractors as it once was.


I don't know the technical details as to why Bourneseal turns wooden floors an orangey colour, the lady who sent in the question mentioned that the floor seal had looked clear for at least two years and then started to slowly turn orange during the third year.


If you want the floor to look clear again i'm afraid the only thing you can do is to have it fully Sanded off and Re-Sealed, as far as i know there is no other way, but if you do have the floor fully sanded make sure your contractor uses a modern non yellowing seal from a reputable manufacturer such as Bona, Junckers or Lobadur...


There are many other Lacquers out there from excellent manufacturers, which will do the job very well, but as I use lacquers very regularly from Junckers, Lobadur [lecol here in the UK] and Bona, I know these products work extremely well and WILL NOT even go yellow, never mind orange.


Hope that helps, thanks for reading.


Regards Gary

Bona Novia...Is it any Good ??

Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blog Post.

This post is about an enquiry I received a few weeks ago, the person was wondering because this product was at the cheaper end of the flooring lacquer scale that it may not be up to much.

The direct enquiry was "Bona Novia...Is it any good ??" 

The quick answer to this question is YES, it is a good product, in my humble opinion a VERY good product.

Bona Novia is positioned at the 'Budget Sensitive' end of the market, or in easy to understand language the cheaper end, just because the product is relatively cheap by comparison doesn't mean it isn't any good, quite the opposite really.

Novia is from the mighty Bona stable, a Swedish company renowned for it's high quality products for several decades.

I can speak with a little authority on this because in October 2008 I was invited, along with around 25 other Wood Flooring professionals from the UK on a 2 day visit to the Bona HQ in Sweden...

At this time Bona Novia was just about to come to the market, and we were lucky enough to be given a tour of the Bona laboratory where all the formulations are made. It gave us all a fantastic insight into the thoroughness and incredible amount of work that goes into producing a wood flooring lacquer like Bona Novia.

Now I might just be a little biased when it comes to Bona Novia, but after seeing first hand what goes into that product that's hardly surprising news...

I personally have used Bona Novia on many many projects and have nothing but high praise for the product, from a professional perspective its very easy to apply to wooden floors, looks fantastic and has good wear characteristics and given its relatively low price point its good news for the end user of this product.

I have written a more comprehensive product review of Bona Novia which is available for viewing at the Woodfloor-Renovations Website

Hope this helps - Thanks for reading

    

Lacquer Sheen Level....Can I Change Between Coats?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog Post.


Today's question isn't something that I get asked too often, but its a fairly straightforward answer so we'll go with the flow.

The question is "Can I Change the Sheen level of the Lacquer Between Coats ?"

Short answer is YES, but there are of course some proviso's.....In this instance our DIYer has applied 2 coats of Junckers Strong Gloss lacquer onto his Maple Strip flooring and has decided its too shiny.

What I have recommended he do is as follows.....The floor surface in the room will need to be 'Cut Back' which in layman's terms is a light abrading of the lacquer surface, with say a 120 or 150 grit level sanding screen or abrasive, this 'Keys' the surface of the lacquer in readiness to accept the following coats of seal. Then obviously vacuum the surface thoroughly and then tack cloth to remove any fine particles of dust and debris.


You are now ready to apply the next coat of lacquer, in our friends case he was going to use Junckers Strong Matt finish, You really must use products from the same manufacturer when you are applying a different sheen level, they are basically the same products with different levels of matting agents in them, so the chances of the intercoat adhesion failing is remote if the correct procedures are carried out.

Its also not a bad idea to use a new roller to apply the next coat of seal, either that or make sure that the roller or applicator you used to apply the previous coats has been properly washed out.

Hope that helps....Thanks for Reading.

Floor Lacquer Sheen level....Which one should I choose ?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog Post.


Today's wise words are all about one of the fundamental choices clients need to make at the initial contractor site visit stage of the Wood Floor Sanding and Sealing process.


The question being "What lacquer sheen level should I choose ?"  


There really is no textbook answer here, every client has slightly different needs and their project is a little different to everyone else's project....Some people like a very flat Matt finish to their wood floors, some people like a satin or semi gloss finish, and a few people like a high gloss finish, bear in mind all the finishes will look great but its about choosing the look which will best suit the individual clients needs.


Semi Gloss or Satin [they are virtually both the same]  is the finish we apply most of, in percentage terms we will use approx 80% semi gloss, 10% matt or ultra matt and around 10% gloss on our projects, semi gloss is not too shiny nor too flat and is the ideal finish for many clients.


Ultra Matt is becoming increasingly popular, the sheen level of this product is around 9% so it is very matt in appearance and if you didn't know any better you would think it's an oiled finish...but you have the ease of maintainance of a lacquer and the aesthetic appearance of Oil, it's win-win for many clients these days.


Gloss finishes aren't for everyone here in the UK, but in the US gloss finishes are huge and most refinished wood floors will have a Gloss finish. Up until a couple of years ago I didn't really like Gloss, but I did a project where the client specified a high gloss finish and the finished article looked absolutely tremendous....so I changed my mind.


In summary I would advise doing your homework before you specify a lacquered finish with your contractor, ask to see some of your contractors finished projects via a portfolio or on their website, or ask them to do a small test area for you so you can see for yourself how a particular sheen level will work in your particular environment, don't be afraid to ask.....if they want your business chances are they will do it for you without any problem.


hope this helps......Thanks for reading.


We have multiple wood floor sanding galleries on our website with many different species of wood and lacquer finishes available for you to peruse.....check us out :-)

Bona Traffic or Junckers HP Sport....Whats the Difference ??

Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blogpost.


Today's Blog is a question I've been asked many times, and the subject matter concerns the 2 heavyweight champions of the High Traffic Flooring Lacquer market here in the UK, Bona Traffic & Junckers HP Sport.


The question is ...."What's the Difference ??"

Firstly these giants of the Floor Lacquer world are both superb products, and if you are contemplating using a high traffic finish for your wood flooring project you could do alot worse than use either of them, and if you apply them properly you will have a hard wearing, great looking durable finish that will last you for many years.


Trying to choose between Bona Traffic & Junckers HP Sport is a bit like picking a favourite horse, both are really really good but which one to go for.....do you favour Shergar or Red Rum ??....The analogy is a horse racing one but I'm sure you get the meaning....


Both these lacquers have enviable reputations in the Floor Sanding and Sealing world, they set the standards and others follow, the manufacturers  Bona & Junckers are both excellent companies with great product ranges and really good technical departments who will answer any questions you have about their Lacquers and oils.


Expect to pay somewhere between £70-£90 for a 5 litre can of these 2 component lacquers, typically the Junckers HP Sport is around £10 per 5L can cheaper than Bona Traffic, shop around online for a good deal.


Remember to properly read and follow the manufacturers instructions before you use any of these products.


For more flooring product reviews checkout our Product Review Pages at the Woodfloor-Renovations Product Review Page