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    

Osmo Oil....Repair an Oiled Wooden Floor

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog...


This Blog is about how to accomplish a professional quality repair to a damaged area of an Oiled Wooden Floor.


In this case the floor in question was an Engineered Oak Strip floor, that had a quite bad black mark which had been made by over a period of time by the family pet.....a small dog...
The naughty pooch had marked out his area via a thick rug, and had made multiple deposits over a few weeks before the rug was lifted and the damage was revealed.

See the series of pictures below.

The first of these pictures show the damage quite clearly, the adjacent area needs to be masking taped off, then thoroughly sanded and properly prepared and Vacuumed, the oil, in this case Osmo Satin was sparingly applied with a Bona Oil cloth, and although the repaired area looked a little lighter than the surrounding area it blended in really well, certainly looked better than a black blotch that's for sure.

The sanding processes were carried out mainly with a Festool Rotex Detail Sander and sundry hand tools, we started with a 60 grit to remove the old residues, then an 80 grit, and finished off with a 120 grit.The masking tape was removed after the second coat of oil was applied.

Hope this helps....Thanks for reading.

Take a look at the main Woodfloor-Renovations Website Here

Parquet Flooring Repairs - How to fix loose blocks in my wood block floor

Hello and welcome to another WFR Blog post


This Blog is about another very frequently asked question that we have been asked numerous times.


The questions is:- "How Do I Fix the loose blocks in my Parquet Flooring ? "


I have already written a comprehensive guide on this subject on the 
Woodfloor-Renovations website, so to save a couple of hours in front of the computer I'll link you directly to the page on our site.


Let me know what you think of the review...Parquet Block Repairs


Thanks for reading

How Do I Fill the Gaps in my Hardwood Floor ?

Hello and Welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blog post.


This subject really is the one I get most correspondence about, its a fairly simple process really but if its done badly or you don't know what you are doing or what products you should use then things can go very wrong very quickly. 


This Blog is about Gap Filling your wood floor, it doesn't matter if you have a beautiful hardwood Oak Parquet Block floor or old softwood Pine Floorboards, the principles are the same as is the method for getting the job done. The Gap Filling part of the Sanding & Sealing process is carried out shortly before applying the first coat of seal to the floor so it really does need to be done correctly otherwise your floor could easily look a mess.


Two main components are needed for Gap Filling are some nice clean fine sanding dust from the floor/species you have been sanding, and the Filler itself.

 There are two distinct product types in the Filler market, Solvent Based Fillers v's Water-based Fillers, both have different properties and behave differently, for example the solvent based fillers have a quite pungent smell when used, and the Water-based fillers don't, with solvent based fillers you have a quite short working time whereas the water-based fillers have a  long open time.


I can tell you are leaning towards the water-based products already :-) but before you make up your mind read on.

 From a Professional standpoint I personally almost always use solvent based fillers, this is because a solvent based filler dries really quickly [10-15 mins] and most of the filling I do is for relatively small area's in respect of the overall job. I need the filler to go off quickly to be able to move onto the next phase of the operation which would be to properly Sand off any residues and to finish the preparation on the newly sanded floor.

The two above pictures are of the exact same area from a recently completed job, where the pictures clearly show the dramatic difference that applying filler can make, in the top pictures your eye's are drawn to the 'black gaps' that can be seen pretty much everywhere in that picture. In the lower picture you can clearly see the difference that the gap filling has made - believe me that particular floor took some gap filling :-(( 

Click on the link and you will be taken to the complete Gallery of that project - the before and after pictures are quite startling   Conwy Valley Pitch Pine Job

The main component of gap filling is the dust, make sure it's nice and clean and at least 80 grit and finer, meaning 120 grit dust is better again, mix the filler into the dust, to the consistency of a thickish custard, don't worry if you pour on too much filler and it goes very runny, simply add more dust and mix well.

When properly mixed you basically scrape the mixture into the gaps, somewhat similar to grouting tiles. I would advise using as wide a scraper as possible as gap filling can be a very time consuming and tedious job if all you have to use is a 4" wallpaper scraper.

As soon as you apply the filler mixture to the area you are filling, make sure you scrape off as much of the residues as possible, as when the filler dries, it dries hard and can be difficult to remove if thick residues have been left on the floor to dry.

Remember - Solvent based fillers have an approximate 10-15 minute working time, while the water based fillers have a much longer open time, and can be as much as an hour or more before it is properly dry depending on how wide the gaps are...the wider the gaps the longer the drying time and that refers to both filler types.

Hope this article helps - Good Luck with your project.

Using a Primer and How Many Coats ?

Welcome to another WFR Blog Post


This post is a question I've been asked several times, and although not earth shatteringly important its still nice to know the correct way to do things....knowledge is power....


The question in point is "Do I need to use a Wood Floor Primer before I use Bona Mega "


The very short answer is YES, use a Primer before applying subsequent coats of Bona Mega or any other Lacquer product, but as usual with Floor Sanding related issues things are not quite what they seem....


**Remember**....you only ever apply 1 COAT of flooring primer, wait for it to properly dry, then add the subsequent coats of Floor Lacquer to your floor.


There are many primers out there in the world of Floor Sanding, but if you are applying Bona Mega as your top coats then you should use the correct primer from the same manufacturer....in this case Bona....the primer being Bona Prime.


There are a number of different Primers in the Bona stable, i would advise doing your homework and finding out which Primer will best suit your projects needs before parting with your hard earned cash....


Have a look at The Bona Website for all the technical info on their excellent range of Flooring Lacquers and related products.


Thanks for Reading......Regards Gary

Bona Mega.....How Many Coats??

Welcome to another WFR Blog post.


Another Flooring Lacquer related question i've been asked many times is:- "Should I use more than 3 coats of Bona Mega ?"


There is no hard and fast rule as to how many coats of Flooring Lacquer can be used on your project, you can have as many coats as you like, there is nothing stopping you applying 10 coats of lacquer to your wood floor if you want, but you have to weigh up 2 main variables....TIME & COST......Obviously the more coats you apply to your wood floor the more its going to cost that's Math 101....The Time variable is the another issue to consider. 


If say your project is a busy Hallway that leads to your upstairs living space or Bedrooms/Bathroom , adding coat after coat will put these spaces out of commission for a relatively long space of time and can make things difficult if you have family living in the house/area whilst you are undertaking the renovation works.....its just something to consider and bear in mind.

Most self respecting Professional Floor Sanding Companies will apply 3 coats of a good quality flooring lacquer to any given project...in this case a Hallway, the 3 coat system is pretty much the standard for domestic situations in the Floor Sanding Industry, for commercial situations a 4 coat system with a High Traffic finish is normally standard and used extensively throughout the industry.


If in doubt ask a Professional.

Wood Floor....Rough To The Touch

Not too long ago I had an email from a lady who had recently Sanded & Refinished a Wooden Floor at her home....She had put a fair bit of detail into the email about the processes she had employed in her DIY Floor Sanding attempt.

The room was her lounge, and the material of the floor in question was original pine floorboards which had been hidden under carpets for many years. She had used hire shop floor sanding machinery and had been shown [briefly] how to use the equipment. The room was approx 15m2 in size and the Sanding part of the project took her 2 days. The hire machinery consisted of a Main Sanding Machine and an Edger machine.

She had stopped sanding the floor at the 60 grit stage as in her own words she said 'the floor didn't feel too bad' the Edging had been completed to the 40 grit level, and she didn't sand right into the corners as she didn't know how to...The area had been Vacuumed twice before the lacquer was applied.
 

Two coats of a good quality water based Lacquer [Bona Resident] were applied with a paint pad, and the floor was not 'cut back' after the first coat of lacquer had been applied.....The lady was not too happy with the overall finish and asked what i thought the reason for the rough finish/appearance might be.


First of all i have to say that the level of equipment she had used would in my opinion be nowhere near good enough to achieve a professional quality standard of finish, also as a minimum the floor should of been sanded to a 120 grit with the HT7 sanding machine that was used, and the Edging should of been done to 80 grit as a minimum. The corners should of course of been properly sanded and then the whole floor should of been buffed to a smooth 120 grit level with a quality buffing machine such as the Bona Buffer. 


In short I feel that there had been no-where near enough preparation work done before the coats of lacquer had been applied, when a floor is sanded using coarse grit levels, the grain of the wood is opened [widely] and the subsequent passes with the intermediate and fine sandpapers will help to close the grain back up, the process with the buffing machine then helps complete the job....In this case the grain of the wood had not been sufficiently closed before the lacquer was applied, hence the grain 'popping' heavily leaving the material feeling rough to the touch and visually looking poor as well.


I would say that without question the Lacquer had nothing whatsoever to do with the floor ending up feeling and looking rather poor, if the correct amount of preparation work would have been carried out the overall finish would likely of been a lot better......But if you want a professional quality finish....Use a Professional


As i say to alot of clients both prospective and actual....' its all in the prep '


Thanks for reading....


   

From Behind The Machine....Our first post

Hello and welcome to the Woodfloor-Renovations first ever blog post...

Over the coming months I'll be commenting on many Floor Sanding related topics, such as Gap Filling, or whether to use Lacquer or Oil as your floor seal of choice, I'll also be giving you an insight as to my perspective on the trials and tribulations of a professional Floor Sander. 


I'll be trying to answer questions sent in via email on Wood Floor Sanding topics, so if you have any issue's with your project or are just wondering 'How do I' do this or that....email me or ask through the Blog and I'll try and answer the question.

The question I'm most asked is 'should I use Lacquer or Oil on my wooden floor ?'

Its a reasonable question, unfortunately there isn't a straightforward answer....it's mainly down to personal preferences but there are many things to bear in mind before making the decision on which Seal to use on your project.



An Oiled finish can give a greater depth of colour to the floor, while a lacquered finish may leave the floor slightly more pale in appearance, but this can be entirely dependant on wood species... Normally 2 coats of Flooring Oil are applied to a properly prepared wood floor, while most professional Floor Sanding Companies will apply 3 coats of Lacquer as standard. Under normal traffic conditions, an oiled finish should last between 12-18 months before needing more coats of Oil to be applied, whereas Lacquer should last between 3-5 years before needing attention.

These timings are approximate and depend on a number of variables, such as :-the Cleaning regime employed by the home-owner, the volume of traffic in the home, and the type of shoes that go over the floor......


Both Lacquers and Oils are available in different sheen levels, with Lacquers the sheen levels are usually:- Extra Matt, Matt, Satin, Semi Gloss and Gloss, while Oiled Finishes usually come in:- Matt & Satin finishes.


It is highly recommended to always use the proper wood floor cleaning products from the manufacturer of the Lacquer or Oil you have applied to your floor....Why?? i hear you ask.

The answer is quite simple.....the Lacquer/Oil manufacturers wood floor cleaning products are designed to work specifically with the Seal you have just applied to your wooden floor, their usually easy to follow instructions make cleaning your beautiful newly Sanded & Finished Floor quick and very easy, these products are normally cheap and readily available.   


Do a Google search for:-wood floor cleaning kits / you will get many results and varying prices, one of the best cleaning kits on the market is from Bona, and is cunningly named The Bona Wood Floor Cleaning Kit....the kit comes complete with a wide mop, extension pole and the cleaning solution all in the box, expect to pay between £20 - £25 for the kit, now i know this is quite alot of money but bear in mind that the material head of the mop is machine washable and the 1 litre of cleaning solution will last many months before a refill is needed.


Thanks for Reading.....