floor sanding issue

[LeonieB]

HI Dusty
Thank you for all your help.

What coating did you use for the pictures you posted?

Also, we did samples on a section of our floor insitu, so it was the same batch of timber. We compared water-based polyurethane with treatex and the treatex was a much richer red color and the polyurethane was a brown color. That is one reason why we went for the treatex.

We noticed a similar thing with testing lots of other timber samples. Maybe you were referring to solvent-based polyurethane?

We have noticed a similar color change issue with the slab we coated with treatex (its a window seat). An offcut went a beautiful deep red, but the real thing has gone brown, with a tinge of red. They were coated the same, so I dont understand this.

Thanks LeonieB

[scooter]

Leonie, to upload pics follow what BigCal said above, ie. keep images under 100kb, resize them to around 800x600 so they display OK.

Can do the image editing, resizing, compressing etc in a free program like Irfanview, or similar.


Cheers.....................Sean

[ian]

Also, we did samples on a section of our floor insitu, so it was the same batch of timber. We compared water-based polyurethane with treatex and the treatex was a much richer red color and the polyurethane was a brown color. That is one reason why we went for the treatex.

We noticed a similar thing with testing lots of other timber samples. Maybe you were referring to solvent-based polyurethane?

We have noticed a similar color change issue with the slab we coated with treatex (its a window seat). An offcut went a beautiful deep red, but the real thing has gone brown, with a tinge of red. They were coated the same, so I dont understand this.

Leonie
the differences you are seeing could be related to how and how finely the sample was sanded compared to how the floor and slab were sanded.

It's fairly common for the degree of sanding to affect the colour timber goes when a finish is applied.


ian

[Dusty]

As Ian has suggested, the colour variation could in part be due to the amount of stock removal being different between samples and actual floor.

The floors in the above photo's have been coated with polyurethane. The first coat being a fast drying seal, the second coat is two pack polyurethane and the final coal was a low sheen (matt) polyurethane.

I very rarely use anything other than polyurethane.

Here are some other pictures of red type floors similar to what your doing. The gloss ones are the first coats with the Matt ones being the final finish. The timber is Red Ironbark.
This is two coats of 2 pac polyurethane, followed by a single pac low-sheen polyurethane.

Is this the sort of colour & depth you were hoping for?

[LeonieB]

Hi Dusty
Once again beautiful work! Was it a water based or solvent based polyurethane you used? Can you tell us the brand and the particular product? We are looking for something to use on our bottom floor.

Also do you have any contacts with good floor sanders in Brisbane? We are looking for someone to do the bottom floor, sand and coat.

Thanks
LeonieB

[LeonieB]

HI
One more thing - how hard is it to use a polivac if you have not used one before? My husband is considering this for the cutback on the mezzanine that I have discussed previously in this thread. He has sanded about four floors before, but not with a polivac.

However someone said that without railings on the mezzanine it may be a bit dangerous - the machine may try to drive off the edge.

On balance would it produce a much better between coat sanding result than hand sanding or an orbital sander?

Thanks for any thoughts
LeonieB

[Dusty]

Hi Dusty
Once again beautiful work! Was it a water based or solvent based polyurethane you used? Can you tell us the brand and the particular product? We are looking for something to use on our bottom floor.

Also do you have any contacts with good floor sanders in Brisbane? We are looking for someone to do the bottom floor, sand and coat.

Thanks
LeonieB

Solvent based. Polycure AK/BK 2 Pac. Polycure Lo-sheen single pac.

I don't know any one in Brisbane, and I mean not one person, let alone a sander.

If your husband has never used a Polivac, now, (while your half way through a cut back) is NOT the time to start practicing and learning.

Stick with the slow and steady hand sand for this Treatex product.

[BigCal]

Great looking floor in those pics dusty, man you do some great work!

[LeonieB]

HI Dusty
Just a few more questions:
DO you mean hand sand with a block or with a 150 ml handheld orbital sander?

I should add that my husband is very handy and has built our whole house and has sanded and coated four floors previously, but without a polivac.

What is the issue with the polivac - lack of skill causing sanding lines etc, badly balanced hire machine or dangerous in terms of driving off the unrailing-ed edge? Or something else?

DO you think satin treatex might disguise any roller marks and sanding marks better than matt, or show them up even more because of the contrast in sheen?
When you said you leaned towards satin, I wasnt sure of your reasoning.

What technique do you use to apply the treatex - firstly, the step back technique ie apply with roller, then step back and feather it in to the previous section, or secondly, apply onto one section, then apply onto the next section in a forward direction, then roll over the lot in one big roll? Or doesn't this matter a great deal?

Is a Sabco Swish extra going to do the same job as a swiffer? - couldn't get the swiffer.

Thanks for your help
LeonieB

[Extracare]

Leonie

The putty problem is a known issue with treatex. We always go 3 shades dark ( and then think we should have gone 4!!!). A texta will do a great job.

Most of your sanding marks will not disappear under a second coat unfortunately - as Dusty has pointed out - the attention to detail is essential when using the hard wax.

Between coats we usually use a worn screen or a red pad on a polivac - the sanding is all done BEFORE coating. Hubby could try using a red pad on the polivac as it wont try to escape from him and he can move it much slower without taking too much coating off.

As for roller marks - roll the coating out at 45 degrees across a run of 5 boards then run the roller down the full length of the boards to smooth the surface.

Apply the treatex sparingly.

Good luck.

Advice for others - use a treatex recommended sander and get him to complete the whole job - that way he is responsible for the final finish.

[glock40sw]

G'day Leonie.
In Brisbane, Contact D.R. Main Floors.
They are in the book.
They are members of the TFFAQ and also ATFA.

Try them.