[SustainableTompkins] Advice on refinishing pine floors

[Margaret McCasland]

The main DIY factor I can think of is lead abatement; If the current floors
are painted, they should check the paint for lead before doing anything.

I owned a downtown house built around 1880. We found several kinds of wood
under the ghastly 1970's wall-to-wall. The wide pine planks in most rooms
were actually a sub-floor, covered by linoleum "rugs" (nearly room size,
with a rug-like pattern on them). Only the outside bits of the floor were
painted). While linoleum is another topic, the "rugs" were a great idea. Two
rooms still had them when I bought the house; they had lasted close to a
hundred years--albeit with signs of wear.
The living room had "hardwood" floors, added in the 20th c. The eat-in
kitchen had "southern pine" floors, which may be what Wendy's friend has.
This is MUCH harder than pine boards, but not as hard as maple or oak. I had
it quasi-professionally sanded and polyurethaned, along with the hardwood
floor in the living room. The finish lasted in the living room for a LONG
time (15+ years), but started wearing off in the dining room--which also
needed more frequent washing--after 3-4 years. Never did figure out what to
do there . . . I guess I was hoping I could afford to replace it with a true
hardwood "someday."

In a previous home--a 19th c farmhouse--we simply oiled the wide planks in
the kitchen.  They were gorgeous! We needed to re-oil 1-2 times a year--we
washed it frequently--but it looked better every time.

Oils like tung and linseed can be "natural" or not (see the GREAT SewGreen
thread on the topic of sandwich wraps). If they want a natural wood look,
they could consider "Tried and True" wood finishes (from Trumansburg).

I have not found any low VOC floor finishes (paints or "varnishes"). However
I can think of 2 options:  using truly natural oils (eg, Tried and True) for
"bare" wood, as noted above; also Home Green Home sells a polyurethane
(Safeguard) that seals itself and any VOCs in the finish below so they don't
off-gas. So if sanding and then using polyurethane is the only option, then
Safeguard may be worth using as the final coat. I don't know if it can be
used to seal paint, but I think the same company makes a paint sealer.

I have painted many floors with enamel floor paints.  In most places, it
worked sort of well, but the paint does wear off eventually. In other
places, the "under layer" was not prepared correctly and the paint didn't
stay well at all.  And one of the failed jobs was done by a professional.
 Since then, someone speculated that maybe the floor had been waxed.  Which
still implies the painter didn't prep properly.

Good luck!

Margaret

On Mon, May 26, 2008 at 8:36 AM, Wendy Skinner <ws at twcny.rr.com> wrote:

> A friend has purchased a 100-year-old home downtown and discovered, under a
> few layers of carpeting and tile, the original tongue-and-groove pine or fir
> planking, which was painted. She would like advice on whether it is possible
> for her and her husband to refinish these floors DIY, or whether they should
> hire professional help. They want to preserve the original floors as well as
> they can.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Wendy
> 277-7611
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