Finishing Floorboards

[Misty123]

Hi all

Can anyone reccomend how we should finish our newly laid floorboards?  Do we stain them first then clear varnish or is there a stain & varnish product like we have in the UK?  We looked in Brico but they don't have the same sort of range that we have in the UK and I am totally confused about what we should do.

Also, are we allowed to take varnish in tins on a flight?

Thanks for any advice.

 

 

 

 

[Chris Head]

That's a big subject Misty, what's the timber? What room is it? As a rule you will only get out of timber what you put into it. If it's a cheap softwood floor that you slap a tinned stain/varnish on it will always look like its had a stain/varnish slapped on. If it's Oak/Chestnut and you apply a tinned product then you might ruin it. Any more info? Chris

[Deimos]

Also, what sort of use (e.g. a quite bedroom, stairs, etc.), what sort of environment (i.e. lived-in occasionally (e.g. Central heating for 4 weeks per winter, damp winters, hot dry summers, etc.). Better Bricos have a good range of products (better than the UK), but what you use depends on both wood and use.

What sort of finish are you looking for, what sort of maintenance can you do (e.g. if you are living permanently in the house its not a problem but for 2 weeks holiday per year then you need something more maintenance free. Do you have dogs (with claws), etc.

Ian

[Misty123]

Wow!  Never realised there was so much to this!  Glad I asked question now.  Its a holiday home and its the whole of the first floor which comprises living room and two bedrooms (there is a bathroom but we are going to tile that).  The floorboards came from Brico so it probably is a cheap pine - it came in click together packs and its sanded but not treated/varnished.  The people we bought the place off had already don two thirds in it so we had to complete it.  We have already soaked it, and the rest of the new beams in the house with anti-termite stuff a couple of times.  I was hoping to get like a honey colour in the end as its quite 'yellow' at present.  We have no pets/dogs and I imagine that it will be quite light wear ie. no kitchen on that floor and the living room is like a second living room with a terrace off so it won't be used for dining etc.  I think its important to get all the rooms the same colour as the landing leads into the other rooms and it would look odd I think to have one room one colour another a different colour etc. 

Thanks for any further help on this

Misty

 

[zeb]

Well we've got pine floorboarding upstairs in bedrroms, landing and mezzanine. After experimenting I found that the best product for staining them (I wanted a darker wax stain) is Professionel Huile-Cire by Blanchan. It comes in a square tin, cost around 73 euros and goes miles! It also comes in various shades - I think I got our tin at Castarama and there was a colour chart on the display stand. Easy to apply, I used good wide paintbrush and brushed the oil along around 5 planks at a time. Takes hours to dry properly but looks really good (and quite authentic Chris!). You could always put a clear varnish over the top to protect it. Or, if you want the pine look, just use varnish (vernis) as you would in the UK. Good luck.

[Chris Head]

Pine's not my thing but good luck Misty. Glad you got somerhing that worked for you Zeb! Chris

[Liz]

[quote]Hi all Can anyone reccomend how we should finish our newly laid floorboards? Do we stain them first then clear varnish or is there a stain & varnish product like we have in the UK? We looked in...[/quote]

You could try vitrificateur parquet which is a (usually polyurethane) varnish specially for floors.  You can get transparent or tinted and in gloss, satin and wax (cire) effects.  We used transparent 'cire' on average quality, light coloured floor boards and were very pleased with the effect.  The trick with this is not to expect to be able to put down one coat or even 2 (it might have worked on Changing Rooms but it doesn't in practice!) but at least 3, sanding between coats.  There are lots of different makes widely available in the DIY shops.

Liz (29)

[Jacks]

I would also like some info on floorboards, we have a new chestnut floor in the main bedroom and a new oak floor in the lounge and don't know which products are the best. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Dave&Olive]

hi

        cannot believe " THE POOL GUY" has not licked this with his tongue yet!!!!

                         dave