John
Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™
Issue #33
Floor
Refinishing
“What steps would you recommend in refinishing an old
strip-wood (fir) floor in a high traffic area? I've already
prepped and scrubbed the floor with TSP. What kind of
poly-urethane should I use for a hard basketball court-like
finish, water or oil? This is my first attempt so I want to do it
right the first time. Many thanks.” -- Antiques Journal
reader, Bill, in
New London
,
Connecticut
What ever you do, test all of the materials and methods through
all of the steps to the end, in a small test area, keeping track
of materials and methods with written notes. Then judge the result
and if it is acceptable continue with the rest of the floor. If
not, do another test with changes.
I would not use polyurethane, and suggest that you may really not
want a basketball court finish. Basketball court finishes are
formulated for stable hardwoods and are particularly hard, almost
“brittle.” You may be thinking that it will be more durable,
but really it may not be suitable for your floor. For your old
softwood floor you need something more flexible. And a court
finish will be more difficult to renew when it does wear out. For
a high-traffic area I suggest an oil-based alkyd resin varnish
that will be easier to renew in the spots where it does take a lot
of wear. You might end up maintaining it every few years, but that
can be easier than refinishing the whole floor every several
years.
Some of the acrylic water-based varnishes might be good, but I
don't have enough experience with them to give you any advice. The
manufacturers change their formulas too often for me to figure out
how they really work.
“This is my first attempt so I want to do it right the first
time.”
That's a great goal, but you're not likely to achieve it on your
first try. If this is THE critical floor that must be done right
the first time, you really should finish at least 2 or 3 other
floors first so you know what you are doing on this one. Sorry,
there are no magic tricks that can substitute for authentic first
hand experience.
Boring Bugs
“There are signs of wood boring bugs in my timbers. The main
concern here in mid-coast
Maine
are carpenter ants and powder post beetles, not termites, and
whether the damage is old versus active. Certainly there have been
remnants of bugs, such as surface channels or tunnels, in areas of
large timbers with some bark left from the original milling. Since
it is in an isolated area and the timber is otherwise sound i have
assumed that the damage occurred long ago and is not an issue.
Given the many years and variety of ways wood can deteriorate, how
can you tell? Exposing the sheathing boards on a late 18th century
farmhouse revealed tunneling, sawdust etc. but an exterminator
suggested that there was no recent activity and to spray a nest if
it was discovered.” – a downeast Maine reader
I'm not sure how far downeast you are, but I, personally have
found active termites in
Brunswick
,
Maine
, four years ago. They seem to be moving a little further north
(and east along the coast) each year.
It is possible to determine if powder post beetles are active by
looking for piles or "streamers" of frass (like very
fine sawdust) coming out of their surface holes that are about
1/32" to 1/16" in diameter, although the frass may be
just sifting out of old holes. You can determine old holes from
new holes by marking out a section (perhaps 1' x 1') and marking
each hole with a pencil. Then check it again after a time (a
month, a year, five years, etc.) to see if there are new holes.
New holes indicate active infestation.
I often find active carpenter ants by listening for them with a
"mechanic's stethoscope." This device is just like the
doctor’s stethoscope, but instead of a cup at the end, it has a
long, thin metal rod. Auto mechanics use it to listen for parts
knocking inside a running engine. You can get one at most
automotive suppliers for about $20. When I use it for detecting
ants I place the end of the rod on a board or timber. I can easily
hear them chewing on the wood, sometimes 3 to 5 feet away from the
stethoscope. This is best done in the middle of the night when
they are more active and the ambient noise is less.
Learn more about working on your old home at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com
Contact Leeke directly for answers to your questions and
more information on techniques for restoring and maintaining your
historic building. Write to John Leeke, Preservation Consultant at
26 Higgins St.
,
Portland
ME
04103
, 207 773-2306; or by E-mail at johnleeke@HistoricHomeWorks.com
or visit his Internet Web Site at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com.
Live Video Conferences &
Replays:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/conf/vidconf.htm
Historic HomeWorks Forum:
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/
© John Leeke
|
