Finishing meranti

[erm2706]

Hi everyone,

Maybe this should be in the 'home reno' thread but thought I'd try here ...

I'm replacing my skirting/architraves with new meranti (looked at ash but it was twice the price) however am unsure how best to finish it. The local paint shop suggested cabots - either an 'all in one' finish or a stain then clear finish.

Couple of problems/concerns I have with this -

1) I've used an 'all in one' varnish before on a small piece of furniture and whilst it came out alright, I found using this product more hassle than it's worth (too hard to maintain consistency in finish)

2) I'll have 60 odd metres of skirting (8 inch) and another 60 metres of architrave hence using a product which is very labour intensive (to ensure the finish looks reasonable) is not ideal.

Any suggestions for a good result that will enhance the look and protect the timber?

[Grant_33]

erm,

In my humble opinion....Forget all in one stains. As you say they are more trouble than they are worth.

You want a good pigmented stain (not a dye based stain as they look poor on meranti). I've found applying by rag and wiping off to be a bit messy but give the best results for a even finish. You can even play games darkening up bits that are too light that way.

Follow up with 2 or 3 coats of single pack polyurethane (turps based) - depending how much your paint supplier is cheating on solids. Do not try to put on really heavy coats to save time and numbers of coats! Rub back between coats with fine steel wool. With polyurethane this is generally always needed to prevent intercoat adhesion problems.

This type of finish can be sprayed or brushed. If you are brushing please dont use a discount store $2.00 brush....lash out and get a good long bristle brush - the difference will amaze you.

There are some water based polyurethanes on the market today which will work. Avoid water based acrylics as IMHO they are too soft for rough wear.

Last time I did some skirting boards and architraves I painted them before cutting and installation. Used a good quality sharp saw for cutting and had very little problems. Drove nails in and filled with an coloured nitrocellulose putty. I only had to touch up in a couple of spots with a thinned coat of PU but I found it a lot easier than painting once the timber was in place.

Grant

[Auld Bassoon]

Erm,

I've found Meranti to be very amenable to an oiled (eg Danish Oil) finish. This is easy to apply, and can be waxed afterwards.

I definitely agree that the all-in-one stains are an all-in-one stuff-up

However, as to its use for skirting boards and such, I'm not so sure as it is a very light and sfot timber that will mar very easily. Just pick up a small piece, see how light it is, and how easily you can put a dent in it with even modest pressure...

Cheers!

[soundman]

Just a word of warning.
Our house has meranti reveals and was finished with stain & estipol type poly about 15 yeras ago. It started to look shabby quite some time ago.
I am now in the process of stripping it all off and painting.

Timber skirts might seem a nice idea & all that but the clear finishes lack the durability of a good quality enamel paint particularly in areas where they are exposed to sun and cooking oil fall out.

It is also much harder to cut in paint on a wall to a clear finished skirt. Your cutting must be perfect on every coat.
With paint you only have to be fussy on the last coat.

If you want varnished skirts cool go ahead but be aware of the durability issues.
cheers

[Grant_33]

Just to disagree with soundman and confuse you entirely....

As I mentioned above I have recently renovated some rooms using Meranti skirting coated in clear polyurethane (satin).

In much of the rest of the house the previous owners painted the timber trim and stair rails etc in enamel (as a opaque beige colour). Having lived previously in an all timber house (meranti and western red) and now having this house with enamelled timber I find that the wearing of the enamel is far more obvious than the wearing of the clear.

To explain further - in the high wear areas (eg on the edges of stair rails, posts etc) the enamel wears and allows you to see the timber beneath (dark brown visible in the worn areas surrounded by beige). To my eye (and I am very picky when it comes to paint) this stands out like the proverbial canine's testicles. In my other house as the polyurethane became worn, ie the clear coating over the timber was worn away there was little difference in appearance unless you looked closely. From a couple of metres away it looked fine. Up really close you could see it. The timber was first stained and then painted - non of these all in one products.

I would agree with soundman that the poly started to look a abit shabby after 15 or so years BUT the enamel mentioned above started looking shabby after 3 or 4 years and at 5 years needs repainting badly!!

Hope this confuses you no end!!!!!

Regards
Grant

PS Yes sun will darken polyurethanes (well at least the single pack air dry types) but it can darken enamels too! By my experience (and imho) poly should have better resistance (or at least the same) to cooking oil than enamels. To let you in on an industry secret.....quite a few coloured brushing enamels that are around on the market today are based on polyuerthane type (urethane mod alkyds) rather than the traditional long oil alkyd that enamels used to be based on!!!!

[Dusty]

Hi everyone,

Maybe this should be in the 'home reno' thread but thought I'd try here ...

I'm replacing my skirting/architraves with new meranti (looked at ash but it was twice the price) however am unsure how best to finish it. The local paint shop suggested cabots - either an 'all in one' finish or a stain then clear finish.

Why stain it? Timbers like Meranti are used for their colour and hue, so in my book, just a clear finish of some kind will be wonderful. Try Wattyl's turps based Estapol in a satin finish. You won't be dissapointed.

Now, funnily enough I've spent the best part of this week repairing a damaged Meranti floor and believe me this stuff is as rare as rocking horse in flooring. Here take a look. I'll be finishing it with two pack gloss.

[erm2706]

Confused? ... hell no, it's as clear as mud!

The original floorboards were painted with enamel and the constant chipping/marking of the paintwork (as well as my preference for a traditional timber appearance in an older style house 80yrs+) led me down the path of not painting again. I also figured if I (or someone else later) decided paint was the way to go, it's easier to go from timber to paint than visa versa.

My intention is to finish the timber then cut to size and fix, with walls being completely painted first. I'll at least avoid the worry of cutting in until the first repaint. The reason it was suggested to me to stain before a clear top coat was to provide consistency in colour with the meranti ranging from quite dark pink to nearly white (all on the once piece of timber!)

Never having been exposed to many of the various oils/finishes on the market, I thought it best seek expert assistance on what the best approaches are. I'm basically looking for a satin/low sheen finish but what I should do to get to that point I've no idea.

PS I ordered the Polishers Handbook a week or two back but haven't seen hide nor hair of it yet ...

[RETIRED]

PS I ordered the Polishers Handbook a week or two back but haven't seen hide nor hair of it yet ...

Neil and Pauline have been moving so I would suggest that is the reason for the delay.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Another option for a finish is tung oil... (It seems I'm becoming one of it's more vocal proponents. ) The first couple of coats will give you a low-sheen finish, with a bit of care and light sanding you can work it into a satin. It's a good idea to try it on some scrap before making up your mind as any type of finish needs a bit of practice to master.

Like poly, the more coats the glossier it will appear. Poly is generally more durable, although that's becoming less of a concern as most modern tung oil
finishes have a poly content to improve durability and speed curing time.

The main reason I suggest this is ease of maintenance. Poly can be painful to touch up, but with tung it's just a light sand and another coat...

BTW, I agree with Dusty. Why stain it? To me, the variations in the colour are part of the appeal.

[erm2706]

I've done a search of the forums for tung oil and got ... well ... more confused (difficult to believe but true!)

Is tung oil the same as Danish Oil and what brands are best? Will use of tung/danish oil darken the wood (I'm not adverse to this)?

Thanks for your ongoing help with this guys!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've done a search of the forums for tung oil and got ... well ... more confused (difficult to believe but true!)

Is tung oil the same as Danish Oil and what brands are best? Will use of tung/danish oil darken the wood (I'm not adverse to this)?

Sorry, my fault. I actually meant Danish but I'm so used to tung that... [sigh]

But yes, they're more or less the same. Danish is basically a tung oil with additives, usually including some poly. 'Tis a bit more durable and cures quicker than pure tung oil, which is becoming increasingly harder to find nowadays. Also, most stuff sold as tung in Bunnies, etc. are actually a danish anyway.

For furniture and turnings I prefer Rustin's Danish Oil but for large areas that'd be prohibitively expensive and it isn't stocked by mainstream stores anyway. Cabot's is alright and I'm currently using Interpol(?) on the flooring & cabinetry in a kitchen. I can't speak for other brands as I haven't tried 'em, although I believe the major difference is just some are darker than others.

And yes, they darken the wood... but not much more than plain wetting 'em down does. I prefer to say it "brings out the colour."

[Waldo]

'm currently using Interpol(?) on the flooring & cabinetry in a kitchen

G'day Skew CiDAMN!,

Strueth, what's the floor done to be in trouble with Interpol? Think the stain you meant is Estapol? If you knew how many blanks I have day, then you'd be forgiven for thinking I was an 80 year old man.

Eg. rang Etheridge Ford a while ago to ask them when they did a service on my XR to check the fan belts. I couldn't think of the word, after about 10 seconds of ers and ums I told the guy, "It's the rubber band thingy, you know the whatchmacallit", he knew what I meant but he must of thought, "here comes a guy who doesn't know squat, we can can sell him 4 new tyres while he's here"

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Strueth, what's the floor done to be in trouble with Interpol? Think the stain you meant is Estapol? If you knew how many blanks I have day, then you'd be forgiven for thinking I was an 80 year old man.

I'm sure the brand is Inter-something. Intergrain? Dagnabbit! I'll remember it first thing Monday morning, of course.

Eg. rang Etheridge Ford a while ago to ask them when they did a service on my XR to check the fan belts. I couldn't think of the word, after about 10 seconds of ers and ums I told the guy, "It's the rubber band thingy, you know the whatchmacallit", he knew what I meant but he must of thought, "here comes a guy who doesn't know squat, we can can sell him 4 new tyres while he's here"

That's when you pay them with the rubber-bouncy-thingy.

[erm2706]

Thanks guys.

I've done a whip round the hardware stores and it looks like it's either Cabots or Organoil for Danish Oil.

Me thinks it's time to start testing some off-cuts ....

Thnaks again

[conwood]

I now use a l ot of Sikkens products. Their oils, as are other manufacturers have varying levels of stain in them. Easy to apply, and easy to re-apply and spruce up in the future.

Things always look nice for the first few months, but keeping them nice is another matter.

Try some off cuts first.

cheers,
conwood