Sealing solid hardwood near exterior doors


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Old 12-07-13, 12:58 PM
J
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Sealing solid hardwood near exterior doors

So, I've installed Solid Hardwood [Cognac Oak by Trillium] in my upstairs [living room/kitchen and main hall]. We had planned to just use rugs in the main entry way [comes right in onto the hardwood] to combat snow and rain getting on the hardwood. Now that we are into winter I'm more concerned than ever that this isn't enough and that over time we will damage the hardwood with moisture. [I have kids 4 and 6 who intend well but NEVER keep their snowy boots on the rugs]

I've been thinking of putting a top coat/sealer over the area of the entrance and wondering if anyone has done this or has experience/recommendations on if I should or shouldn't do this?

I'd planned to tape off an area ~ 5' x 7' right at the entrance [entrance is in the corner of the living room, there is a closet which I would give the same treatment in this corner]. I'd tape it in so it has rounded corners etc and then use scotch-bite to rough up the surface. After which I'd seal the surface w/ a satin finish, clear sealer.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Am I going to regret doing this for some reason?

Thnx in advance!
 
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Old 12-07-13, 02:31 PM
M
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Welcome to the forums!

I'd probably wipe it down with a liquid deglosser after sanding. It will both help to remove the sanding dust and soften the factory finish [helps your poly to bond] If the poly's sheen is close to the factory's it shouldn't show at the wood joints. Where you tape across the boards - that will likely show a sheen difference.

Do you plan to use oil base of water based poly?
 
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Old 12-07-13, 03:01 PM
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Thanks for replying Mark.

Wiping the sanded area down w/ a tack cloth had been part of the plan. I'm not sure I follow what a liquid deglosser even is? I'm hoping the finish will be relatively close [I'd have to test it to know for sure]

The two products that I have access to locally are:

Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane | Canadian Tire

or

Minwax Helmsman Varnish, 946 mL | Canadian Tire

or

Minwax Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane | Canadian Tire

or

Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane | Canadian Tire

I'm not sure which is the preferred one to use?

Is there any other things that might be negative about doing this [that come to mind for you]? The flooring I have is hand scraped so it's not super flat [big divots in places]. Is it better to use an oil based finish? Is there any kind of 'typical' finish that comes on pre-finished flooring? [Ie they all use Oil or a poly or?] I worry that if I pick the wrong 'type' and don't remove all the prior finish [I wasn't intending to; rather I was just going to 'rough it up'] that my new finish will start flaking off etc [not stick properly to the old finish].

Thanks for your help!

Jerryflyguy
 
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Old 12-08-13, 03:29 AM
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Of the 4 options, I'd use the 1st one. Oil base coatings almost always have better adhesion properties than their water based counterpart. Sanding always helps to promote adhesion. Helmsman's is formulated for exterior use and as such has a slightly softer finish [so it can better withstand the elements]. I've not used any of the oil modified poly but it might work well. I'm not familiar with your 4th option

One of the better know brands of liquid deglosser is 'liquid sandpaper' Basically it is a hot thinner that cleans and slightly melts the existing solvent based finish. Applying a coating before the 'soften' coating 'hardens' back up also helps with adhesion.
 
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Old 12-08-13, 09:22 AM
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I can't tell from reading what you've written so far but if this is raw wood, I would put three coats of polyurethane on it - everywhere.
 
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Old 12-08-13, 11:44 AM
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Mitch, I think he has prefinished hardwood but wants extra protection ..... hopefully he'll correct me if I'm wrong as that does change things.
 
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Old 12-08-13, 04:14 PM
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Thanks for the replies guys. The hardwood I'm coating is a pre-finished Cognac Oak Hardwood [hand scraped] by Trillium. It's been installed for 6 months and now w/ the winter I'm thinking that in the entrance area, I'd like to improve the sealing of the joints and some of the factory divots in the surface. I'd sure hate to damage it after spending the money and time I spent on getting it in there..

I'm thinking I'll buy a small quart of the stuff and do a test on a pc of scrap hardwood and see how it sticks to the original finish. I'll prep it the same as I'd planned for the whole floor and just see how it works out..

I really appreciate the help guys!
 
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Old 12-09-13, 04:43 AM
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Between sanding, deglosser and using an oil base poly, I don't think you'll have any adhesion issues - BUT applying any coating to a test piece is always a good idea!
 
 

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