Wood stain or wax or....

robatwork

Hi,

I am sanding down a bedroom floor - ie. floorboards - and would like some advice on how to treat it afterwards.

The finish I am going for is a natural or oak shade. I am leaning towards something low sheen, natural as possible so not a shiny varnish.

Opinions welcome on if I should be looking at stains, varnish, oil or wax. Doesn't have to be extra hard wearing as it's a bedroom, but I don't want to be doing it every year either.

Any brands to go for or avoid?


Rob

Tall_Tone

Hi Rob
In a bedroom you can get away with almost any type of finish.
Try to avoid staining as this is the most difficult part to get even.

I tend to prefer lacquer products (Bona Mega is one I use most of the time and it comes in 4 sheens from Glossy to extra matt)
I prefer lacquer as being waterbased it tends to be less smelly and dries fairly quickly. Very low levels of maintenance, just wipe with a damp microfibre cloth occasionally.

If you want to go down the route of Hardwax Oil go with Osmo Polyx oil. In a bedroom it will perform very well. As this is a drying oil it has a VOC level of just under 50% so not the choice if you are going green. More maintenance required than a lacquer, although in a bedroom that will be minimal.

Hope this helps

TT

robatwork

Thanks Tone,

I am fortunate in that I can leave the house empty for a few days after putting this down so the smell isn't a concern.

I found that Osmo oil recommended lots of times, and also found this which is its cheaper "equivalent"
http://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/wood-finishes/wood-oils/hard-wax-oil.htm

I have ruled out stain so will just be using a clear/natural finish.

What in your mind is the disadvatange of a varnish something like:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/professional-varnish-clear-satin-25l/invt/170757

Opinions most welcome
thanks

leveller2911

Hi Rob, be aware that any waterbased product will raise the grain of the timber (especially pines,softwoods) and will appear rough to the touch.

On the plus side waterbased will dry quicker and low odour.

Tall_Tone

On a money saving site I should say go for the cheapest, but for the extra couple of quid, go for the Osmo. The Fiddies "equivalent" is much thinner which personally I don't like and the overall build it gives i feel will allow the Osmo to last longer.

Again the Bona Mega is not the cheapest, but it is in my opinion as someone who uses them on a daily basis the best for the money. I have not used the Wickes one, but the difference in cost, for a job that will take you a few days to do, when you have hired sanders, bought sanding papers, brushes or rollers etc is around £60 for a 5 litre container v's 2 of the Wickes 2.5 litre costing £48
http://www.ambiencehardwoodflooring.com/Bona-Products/Bona-Wood-Floor-Lacquers-and-Oils/Bona-Mega-Matt-5Ltr/prod_2551.html
8-10m2 per litre of lacquer and you will need 3 coats. Don't bother with a primer in this situation.

Yes Leveller2911 waterbased does raise the grain, but a very fine abrasive (around a 240 grit) rubbed over the surface takes that off very quickly.

TT

ABN

Osmo every time.

It “pops (highlights)” the grain to really enhance the appearance of wood which as far as I’m aware any water based equivalent doesn’t.

Also any damage/scratches can be repaired locally easily without having to redo the whole floor.

If you want to extend the new flooring at a later date say into the hall you just have to wax the new wood to get a seamless join.