Hello-

I was speaking with a sales rep’ at Carlisle's today, and he suggested that I put tung oil on my floors instead of poly. I've done a little reading and it seems that the benefits are 1) a more natural looking floor, and 2) I can 'spruce' the floors up myself. The downsides are that they'll need to be spruced up more often, and, I suspect, many installers won't want to do the job. I've played with some of the polymerized linseed oil products (Tried and True) and I have to admit that I love the color. Comments anyone?

Thanks for your time.

Paul

Best oil around for floors is Waterlox.

The "oil/wax" finish is natural and elegant in appearance, like a fine piece of furniture. I'm not familier with brand names, like Marco, but the appearance is much more desireable......... In my opinion.

Best oil around for floors is Waterlox.


What type/brand of stain would best be used with Waterlox? Waterlox says that you can use up to 1 qt per gallon on the initial coat.

Like the look of natural wood and not the "plastic" look.

Thanks

sawdust

As for staining and Waterlox. You can use any type of stain... we do however, recommend using an old-fashioned oil-based stain that DOES NOT contain urethane. Minwax, Zar and Duraseal are all adequate choices.

There are 2 basic methods for adding color to the wood surface:

1. Staining before finishing with Waterlox Original finishes. You may stain the floor following the manufacturer’s directions for cure time or wait 72 hours, whichever is longer, before applying coats of Waterlox Original finishes.

2. Adding stain to your first coat of Waterlox Original finishes.
You can also add stain to your first coat of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish (up to a ratio of 4:1 Waterlox/stain. This method of staining eliminates a separate step and provides a smooth, even color change even on soft woods like pine which normally become blotchy. Simply brush on the mixture and let it dry, wiping off is not required.

Hope this answers your question with out turning into TOO much of a commercial!

David Zarzour
Waterlox Coatings Corp
dzarzour@waterlox.com

As for staining and Waterlox. You can use any type of stain... we do however, recommend using an old-fashioned oil-based stain that DOES NOT contain urethane. Minwax, Zar and Duraseal are all adequate choices.

Thanks for the reply David.
I'll go with the Minwax since I already have it.

Sawdust

Would the Waterlox stuff be suitable for a high traffic area on 80 year old pine floors? (after the floors have been sanded....) Would it stand up to the scratching of the dog's nails? and how frequently do you need to recoat?
Thanks for the help.
Regards
Doug

Scratches from dog's nail will show so get the satin. Typically, high traffic areas will need another coat in a couple of years. But it is easy to do. Just clean the floor well and apply the Waterlox with a Padco pad. Buffing not required.

Thanks for the guidance.... closing in on using Waterlox over the Poly approach but my wife has some concerns....
It's a kichen area and she likes to keep the floor clean by damp mopping with soapy water... is this doable with the Waterlox?
There are some gaps along the length of the tongue and groove boards. Is there a recommended filler that can be colour matched to pine and will last in the cracks?
Will the Waterlox retain a bit of a shine over time.
Thanks for any help.
Regards
Doug

Using lots of water and harsh cleaners is not the best choice for ANY finished wood floor including Waterlox. That is not to say that you have to baby the floor. We recommend using a vacuum, broom, or damp mop or a Swiffer on the surface as needed. For dirty areas or annual spring cleaning we recommend one of the cleaners made for finished wood floors (we make one, and there are lots of others by Bruce, Bonkemi, etc.)

As for fillers, anything will work. There are many tinted fillers out there.

Basic wear and use aside, Yes Waterlox will retain its shine for years

David Zarzour
Waterlox

Hi, I have done 3 hardwood floors so far and I love Gymseal which is a tung oil/poly mix. At my old house I used it is the living room - I believe I had 4 coats on it. It was a oak floor about 90 years old. It had a beautiful patina and this product goes right into the wood and makes it glow. The modern finishes especially water-based are dull and remind me of a plastic bag laid on the floor. This finish looks like a diamond because the light enters the grain and sparkles thru the top. Anyone who looks at these floors are amazed at how beautiful they are! I will NEVER use a waterbased product on a floor or anywhere else. After 8 years we moved and the floor looked as good as it did the first year it was done. That is after 4 kids, animals and the main traffic pattern going thru it. I cleaned it with Murphy's Oil and a damp rag. Otherwise, all I did was dust mop and broom it and it looked great!!!! I am doing my Maple kitchen right now and using the same product. Good luck on your project!

gimmesomeshelter:

Everything everyone has said about Waterlox brand tung oil is absolutely true!
Just wanted to add one thing that might be an interesting piece of tidbit;
Carlisle has their own brand of tung oil. Guess who manufactures it?
Yep . . . Waterlox. But in all fairness to Carlisle, they feel strongly that Waterlox is THE brand worthy of being used on their floors. My hats off to them for having Waterlox on their team.

Charlie

gimmesomeshelter:

Everything everyone has said about Waterlox brand tung oil is absolutely true!
Just wanted to add one thing that might be an interesting piece of tidbit;
Carlisle has their own brand of tung oil. Guess who manufactures it?
Yep . . . Waterlox. But in all fairness to Carlisle, they feel strongly that Waterlox is THE brand worthy of being used on their floors. My hats off to them for having Waterlox on their team.

Charlie