Liquid Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Liquid Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Back in the olden days hardwood floor refinishing was a nightmare. One would bring in the heavy sanders and start grinding away. It still has to be done in some cases, but I find out every day that people forget that they actually don't walk on a wood floor. They are walking on top of a clear finish that is on top of the wood floor!

CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Invisible is the Reason

Since clear finishes are just that - clear - you have a very hard time seeing them wear. Colored or patterned objects show wear quickly. The trouble with wood floors is that you want to avoid heavy sanding if at all possible. If you can do this, an average wood floor has an indefinite lifespan. Sanding a wood floor destroys it as each sanding removes wood fibers. You only want to sand a wood floor one time - that's it!

This floor sanding machine uses abrasive belts to sand the hardwood floors down to bare wood. The plastic hanging over the opening is to help control dust. PHOTO CREDIT: Roger R. Henthorn

Screening is the Alternative

Wood floor care professionals know that the way to avoid sanding is to apply another maintenance coat of finish before the current finish wears away. Before the new liquid finishes were developed, the method was simple. A refinisher would bring in a low speed buffing machine equipped with a special pad. This pad lightly scuffed up the finish. Dust was removed with a special vacuum and then the really good refinishers would wipe the floor with a rag soaked in mineral spirits to remove every trace of dust.

After the floor is wiped with the mineral spirits a fresh coat of urethane is applied. This method of avoiding pesky sanding is used by many professional refinishers even as I write this. But many pros are discovering that the dust free liquid products are just as good if not better. One thing is for sure. Anytime you can avoid creating dust of any type or amount you are miles ahead!

DIY Liquids

The new liquid systems are readily available. The average homeowner can get really good results using them. All too often, I see home improvement columns, TV shows, etc. that tell folks like you that this or that is easy to do. Well, the truth is many home improvement projects are hard to do and without lots of experience, it is impossible for an average person to get professional results.

Pouring the urethane on the floor. The wide applicator can be seen in the background. PHOTO CREDIT: Roger R. Henthorn

The liquid hardwood floor refinishing systems are different. The average person can get professional results! One of the hardest things to learn is how to NOT overwork the finish. I wish you could see how professionals apply urethane. They use a wide applicator much like a squeegee. They quickly apply the finish using back and forth sweeping motions across a floor. You can see lap marks, it almost always looks like they put too much urethane on, and it generally looks sloppy! The magical thing is that two hours later the floors look awesome. The reason why is simple. 90 to 95 percent of the volume of the liquid finish disappears into the air! As the finish dries, the finish levels itself and dries perfectly. You can only make a mistake if you leave a deep puddle in a spot.

Don't Run Out

Pay attention to the coverage amounts on the products. Don't get caught with not enough finish! If the label says 225 square feet of surface area and you have 220 square feet, you better think about buying more BEFORE you start. You can always take it back if you don't open it! But, if you get started, run out during the process and then try to run to the store to get more, you WILL have a lap mark where the first batch of finish dried while you were gone. You must maintain a wet edge as you apply the material. Be sure you are awake and alert as well. If you miss a spot it will stick out like a sore thumb!

Related Column: Hardwood Flooring Refinishing Tips

Column B334

Liquid Hardwood Refinishing Products

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Liquid Hardwood Refinishing Products

These new products must be good. Why? Because professional floor refinishing companies are using them. They see the advantage of a no dust alternative. What's more, if you don't screen a urethane finish correctly, you end up with very unsightly scratches. Here are two companies for you.

The products are so new there isn't much competition. But don't fear, I predict that within two years you will see no less than four to six different liquid refinishing systems.

BonaKemi USA, Inc.
2550 S. Parker Rd., Suite 600
Aurora, CO 80014
800-574-4674
www.bonakemi.com

This company makes a full line of professional urethane floor finishes. They have an impressive list of commercial and institutional locations that use their stuff. They have many local dealers who sell their products. If you have Web access, you can see if one is in your area. You may have a problem buying the actual refinishing system from them, but you will have no problem buying their excellent floor maintenance products. These are things you use to make sure your floor finish lasts for a very long time in between refinishing episodes.

The Flectco Company
22 S. Center Street
Hickory, NC 28602
800-635-3286
www.flecto.com

This is a liquid system, Varathane Renewal, you can go out right now and purchase. I went to their website and used their handy store locator and found nine stores around my house that sell it. I urge you to visit their website and do the same.

The kit that I used contained enough product to refinish 225 square feet. Its retail value or suggested price is between $80 and $100.00. I would pay attention to store flyers and ads to see if you can catch it on sale!

Related Column: Liquid Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Column B334

Hardwood Flooring Refinishing Tips

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Liquid Hardwood Flooring Refinishing Tips

Using the new liquid refinishing systems is really simple. The biggest mistake you can make is trying to expect too much from the products. In other words, don't expect the floors to look perfect if they have deep scratches, bare wood spots, or places where the finish has worn completely through. If you have these conditions the floor will look much better when completed, but not perfect!

Clean the Floor First

If you want great results, you need to clean the floor before you start. This means you absolutely should vacuum the floor to remove all loose dirt, grit and dust. If there is other dirt, jelly, orange juice, soda pop, etc. still on the floor, that needs to be cleaned. Use a slightly damp mop and a light solution of soap and water to remove these things from the wood. Rinse with clear water and dry the floor immediately with old towels. Do NOT use lots of water! Once the floor is dry you can start the liquid makeover.

Step One

If you purchase the Varathane Renewal system, the first product you will use is simply a deglosser. This is a liquid product that removes the gloss or shine from your current finish. This step simply creates more surface area for bonding purposes. Keep in mind that no matter what finish you apply, it is simply a glue. Glues stick better to surfaces that are not slick and smooth. Why? These surfaces have less surface area. When you mechanically sand a surface the sandpaper scratches the material and creates lots of tiny grooves. Each groove increases the amount of surface area on the material being sanded. These grooves also are great places for the new material to grab onto.

Step Two

The Varathane Renewal system has a special chemical that is used to insure that the finish coat locks permanently to the final coat. The liquid is applied after the de-glosser is dried. Both step one and step two have drying times of 30 minutes or less. They are extremely easy to apply. If you can mop a floor, you can apply these products. Simply make sure you get every part of the floor covered.

Step Three - Finished!

The final step is the actual finish. You need to activate the finish with a small bottle of catalyst. You just squirt it into the gallon can and stir it up. Don't hesitate using the finish, as once mixed with the catalyst, it is similar to epoxy. The catalyst begins a non-reversible chemical reaction. If you don't use the finish, it will get hard in the can.

When you apply the finish, don't be too worried about streak lines or brush strokes. These imperfections in the wet finish will disappear as the finish dries. The key is to apply a uniform coat that is bubble free. You apply it with a lamb's wool applicator attached to a pole. Do not use a roller! It will leave bubbles! Use the applicator much like you would wipe a kitchen counter. Use wide sweeping back and forth strokes and don't keep going over the same place multiple times. Always apply it in the same direction as the wood strips are laid. If you have driven up a mountain road that cuts back and forth across the mountain you know what I mean. Just start at one end of the room and go from one wall to the opposite wall with one continuous non-stop stroke. Turn around and go back the other direction.

The liquid finish is simply poured in small amounts on the floor ahead of where you are working. Think of the applicator as a snow plow. You just push the finish ahead of you and make sure the applicator is angled so the excess flows onto the floor where you have yet to coat. Don't let the excess flow on to the part of the floor you just coated moments before. It is really simple and you will get the hang of it in no time.

Related Column: Liquid Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Column B334

Cleaning Brass

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Brass Polishing

Have you ever seen those television commercials where someone dips a tarnished silver spoon into a solution and it comes out perfect just seconds later? Do you really believe it is that simple to remove tarnish? Well, it isn't that easy to do it with brass.

Simple Chemistry

When brass is originally made, it is a solid metal and very hard. But chemically the brass at the surface is very unstable. The brass molecules need oxygen or some other similar ion to stabilize. When the oxygen grabs onto the polished brass, the chemical state changes and with it a color change. This is what tarnish is. The tarnish is actually a protective coating. Iron is no different. Rust is simply oxidized iron. In nature, the mineral hematite is actually oxidized iron or rust!

Frustration

If you want to get frustrated in a hurry, try restoring a heavily tarnished brass object by hand. Go ahead, buy any of the off the shelf products. Some will do a splendid job of quickly cutting through the tarnish. I know because I have tried it. The difference looks like night and day. The brass looks nice and bright. But look closer. It has tens of thousands of micro scratches. You can rub as hard as you want and add more compound but you are wasting your time. If you think you are going to produce a mirror like finish, forget about it.

To get a brass finish that is scratch free and the deep luster of true polished brass, you need to have mechanical help. You need spinning wheels equipped with buffing pads. You also need special jeweler's or metal polisher's rouge. Rouge is a polishing compound that lubricates and polishes the metal.

How much time do you think you will spend trying to get a brass object clean? Did you know that a professional can get a huge amount of brass cleaned and polished in less than an hour? If you value your time and want awesome results, get a quote from a pro. You might be surprised!

Clear Coatings

The standard clear coating used to slow the oxidation process for many years was clear lacquer. Some shops still use it today. Lacquer is tough to work with and does not stand up very well to outdoor environments. A better choice for clear coating is an industrial acrylic polyurethane. The trouble is, you will not find this material at any consumer paint store. It is often available only to businesses. Shucks!

Send It Away?

I know it sounds crazy, but I want you to consider packing your tarnished brass objects in a box and send them to a strange city. The objects will magically re-appear 14-21 days later and look like new. It is safe to ship your brass across the nation. There are reputable companies that will clean and polish it and send it back to you as if they were next door to your home. It will be hassle free.

One of the finest companies that does this work is based in my home town, Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is called Carlisle and Finch, Co. (www.brasspolishing.com) They have been in the brass polishing business for over 100 years so they know a little bit about the process.

There are other companies out there as well. You may be lucky and have one in your own city and not even know about it. Look in your Yellow Pages under "Metal Polishing". If there is no listing like that, get the business to business Yellow Pages. Every major metropolitan area has metal polishers, but I can't tell you if they are as good as Carlisle and Finch, and if they use the right clear coat. The decision is yours!

Companion Articles: Cleaning Brass the Professional Way, Brass Cleaning Companies, Brass Cleaning Tips, Cleaning Brass Products

Column B333

Brass Cleaning Tips

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Brass Cleaning Tips

Okay, so you are determined to clean your brass by yourself. Here are some things you need to know:

1. To get excellent results, you must first remove any old clear coating that is still present. It is probably there even though you think it has worn off. If your cleaning compound is not making much progress, consider testing a small amount of chemical paint stripper on the brass to cut through the clear coat.

2. To get the brass to shine, you must either chemically remove the oxygen ion that has created the tarnish, or you must mechanically remove a thin layer of metal to expose brass that has yet to oxidize. This is not as easy as it sounds. The off-the-shelf brass cleaning compounds are often just products that contain a mix of low powered chemicals and ultra fine abrasives that help you to cut through the metal.

3. Once the brass is clean, you will need to polish it. Keep in mind that the cleaners often leave behind thousands of micro-scratches in the metal. Your task - should you wish to accept it - is to somehow get rid of those scratches. Maybe you can do it with lots of rubbing and ultra fine polishing compounds.

4. If you are satisfied with the level of polish, then it is time to clean the brass. This step is important as it makes sure that all chemicals and rouge are removed from the brass. Professionals use industrial strength lacquer thinner. I don't know where you will find this. What's more lacquer thinner is highly flammable. It is very dangerous to work with. If you use regular lacquer thinner, be sure there are no open flames, pilots lights, etc. anywhere near you. You should also not work alone.

5. Once the brass is clean, it is time to clear coat it. The acrylic polyurethane, used by many of the professionals, can not be found at a paint store or home center. Don't waste your time looking for it! Keep in mind that clear lacquer is humidity sensitive. If the conditions are not just right, it will look a little murky when dry, not crystal clear. You can try regular urethane, but I will not guarantee the results. The professionals apply it with special spray equipment. It operates at high pressure and sprays a low volume of material. I doubt you will have access to this type of equipment. What's more, they spray a special tack coat and then come back with the final coat after five or 10 minutes has passed. Remember that these coatings cure over a period of days, not hours.

Companion Articles: Cleaning Brass the Professional Way, Cleaning Brass, Brass Cleaning Companies, Cleaning Brass Products

Column B333

Brass Cleaning Companies

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Tim Carter

Professional Companies That Will Clean Your Brass

Here is a list of companies I found that will clean your brass objects and do exceptional work. They accept articles from out of state people all of the time. Sure, they probably do more work for local residents who live near them but they will clean, polish and clear coat your brass so it will look good for many, many years. The company that I have personal experience with is Carlisle and Finch, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. This company has true craftsman who work for them. I know because I met them! They know how to make brass objects shine. The acrylic polyurethane that they use is tough as nails. Send a photo or two of your brass object to Kurt Finch and tell him I said "Hello!" He will get back to you promptly with a quote. Visit their website listed below.

New Life Copper & Brass Maintenance
9984 Marine City Hwy
Casco, MI 48064-4108
586-725-3286

They don't use lacquer, but a proprietary secret coating which includes a UV inhibitor. The owner Ken Hancock says this can last 15 years outdoors.
Art Brass Plating
5516 3rd Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98108
800-828-3186
www.artbrassplating.com
This company has lots of experience and if the person who I talked to is correct, they use a special polyurethane to prevent tarnish.

Carlisle and Finch Company
4562 West Mitchell Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45232
513-681-6080
www.brasspolishing.com
You will not go wrong by sending your brass to this company. Your brass is in safe hands with Carlisle and Finch. The acrylic polyurethane they use is specially formulated for outdoor use. If your brass object will be kept indoors, expect it to look perfect for a very long time! If it is outdoors, it should be tarnish free for 10 years or more.
Brass and Copper Shop
13 South Carroll Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
301-663-4240
McBuffer's
1420 Dille Road Unit F
Euclid, OH 44117
800-975-8654
www.mcbuffers.com
They use a technique of baking on a lacquer coat after cleaning. They do beds and hardware from around the country. Lacquer is OK, but it is no substitute for the acrylic polyurethane!
The Shine Shop
PO Box J
Lakeside, Oregon 97449
877-759-3087
www.shineshop.com
They polish stuff from all over the USA, but have had no luck with clear finishes. They claim that once the object has a mirror finish, it takes much longer to tarnish. I don't subscribe to this thinking at all! Without a clear coating, the object WILL tarnish!

Companion Articles: Cleaning Brass the Professional Way, Cleaning Brass, Brass Cleaning Tips. Cleaning Brass Products

Column B333

Must Have Stockpiled Items

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Tim Carter

25 Must Have Stockpiled Items

Here is a list of items that you will never regret having around your home. Some items are inexpensive and some may set you back $100 or more. But when you need them, they will be invaluable. Try to store these items in a cool, dry place. If in a basement, make sure that they are on shelves above any flooding possibility.

Plans and Specifications - Save two sets of these! I can't begin to tell you how valuable plans are for future reference. These will save you thousands of dollars in the future!

Owner's Manuals, Parts Manuals & Instructions - Every appliance, fixture, and building material often comes with these printed materials. SAVE them! They will help you if you need a part, or if you hire an expert witness like me to defend you in court.

Circuit Breakers - I never thought that the Wadsworth company would go belly up. They did and I had to change panels because I couldn't get their breakers!

Roofing Material - Save any and all extra materials. Make sure you have at least 2 squares worth of material.

Window Hardware - Window hardware, springs, or weatherstripping pieces are easy to get now!

Central Vacuum - The parts for the wall outlets and other accessories may not be made in 10 years. Plan ahead now.

Exterio r Trim Parts - Some parts of your exterior trim may be specialty items. Those items that will get the most wear and tear should be kept in stock. Railings, pickets, handrails, etc.

Brick - This is a must. Save several hundred or an entire cube if you can.

Brick Sand and a Mortar Bag - Save 3 or 4 five gallon buckets of the sand that was used for the brick mortar. The sand is a vital component to get a future color match if you need to tuckpoint! Save an empty mortar bag to help you get a future match.

Door Hardware - An extra lockset may come in handy one day, especially for those doors that get heavily used.

Light Fixtures - Some have special colored pieces of glass. Think you will find one when you accidentally break one? Think again!

Specialty Electrical Switches - If you have fancy dimmers and switches, what happens when the heavily used one breaks? These don't go bad sitting in a box.

Medicine Cabinet Light Hoods - That decorative piece of glass will not be found in 5 years!

Toilet Tank Lids - How many have you cracked because you tilted it up against a wall?

Cabinet Knobs - These will be harder to find than a needle in a haystack.

Ceramic Tile - It can change within a few months! Have plenty of tile and numerous pieces of each type of trim.

Faucet Parts - Faucet cartridges are inexpensive. Staple them to the inside of the cabinet.

Hardwood Flooring - Keep two or three extra bundles with assorted lengths. The grain will match perfectly.

Interior Wood Trim - Keep 100 lineal feet of each type.

Stair Parts - Stair railing spindles are maybe $5 each now. If you have to have two or three custom milled, it will cost you $150.

Vinyl Siding - It goes out of style! The siding on the house may fade so take a piece from the back to replace the cracked piece and then use the new stuff where it is least visible.

Built-In Appliance Parts - The clock/timer on my built-in oven is bad. I can't get the parts now! I wish I had a clock since I keep on burning things.

Sliding Door Hardware - Those rollers are not going to last forever. People constantly ask me where to get these parts.

Pocket Door and Shower Door Hardware - Any moving parts must be stockpiled. You will go crazy trying to find these in 15 years.

Column B329

Building Material Websites

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Tim Carter

Building Material Websites and Salvage Dealers

The following is just a small listing of places you can find some salvaged and architectural building materials. Certain items may be impossible to find. If you are building a new home, the $400 - 600 you spend to create your stockpile will be worth much more years from now. It will actually become a selling feature when you decide to move to another home. The buyers of your home will be amazed at how forward thinking you were! Look in your Yellow Pages for Architectural Antique dealers or Salvaged Building Materials.

Auction Websites:

www.ebay.com - this place is an enormous flea market. Be careful! Make sure you get the goods before you release all the money!

www.amazon.com - Snoop around, what you want may be on sale!

www.driftwoodsalvage.com/index.html - They have some interesting stuff!

Architectural Antiques:

Greg's Antiques - 513-241-5487; located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Greg's has old mantles, gas chandeliers, street lights, old iron gates, and much much more.......

Wooden Nickel Antiques - 513-241-2985; www.woodennickelantiques.net. Also located in Cincinnati, Ohio. You should see the awesome walnut fireplace mantle I bought from them. It has twisted rope pillars and is hand carved. They have all sorts of terra cotta trim, iron fencing, all sorts of unique, old stuff. They even have old glass! Yes, wavy, bubbled glass to match 100 year old windows!

Column B329

Stockpiling Building Materials

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Tim Carter

Stockpiling Building Materials

How much time have you wasted driving around your city or town looking for a stupid spare part? If you are like most people, you have spent lots of time doing this. Imagine if you or the previous homeowner had just spent an extra $50 to buy extra ceramic tile or that extra interior door lockset. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Well, you won't think so when you happen to have that handy part right there when you need it!

The Tamiami Trail

About 15 years ago, an older friend of mine told me this unbelievable story. There is a desolate road that cuts east/west across lower Florida. The Everglades swamp is on each edge of the road. You can go for 50 or 60 miles and there is absolutely nothing. I believe this road is US 41. It is often referred to as the Tamiami Trail.

Years ago, a friend of my friend, let's call him Mr. Jones, was driving across this road and came across a car that was broken down. The people were distraught as there was no help around and it was getting dark. The car simply stopped running for no apparent reason. It had plenty of gas.

Mr. Jones evidently was very soft spoken. He rarely said much. He stopped to help and asked what was the trouble. The driver of the disabled car told Mr. Jones how the car mysteriously stopped running. The hood of the car was already open and without saying a word Mr. Jones reached in and disconnected all of the spark plugs from the distributor cap, removed the cap and threw it as far as he could into the swamp. The owners of the car nearly passed out.

Mr. Jones then calmly walked back to his car, popped the trunk and opened a box. Inside this box was a new distributor cap. He installed it, reconnected the wires and the broken down car came to life!

To appreciate this story you need to realize that there are many, many different styles and types of distributor caps! How did this man happen to have the right one? He had the same model car and he happened to know that this particular cap was prone to cracking when the car was driven in hot climates. Needless to say, he was prepared!

Cheap Insurance

Why waste an entire afternoon trying to find faucet parts when you can get them at the same time you buy the original faucet? Think about the most heavily used doors, drawers, etc. in your house. Sooner or later those mechanical parts are going to fail. Often it only costs a little bit of money to have that spare part hanging around.

Non-Perishable

When you stockpile parts and materials, choose things that don't spoil. For example, don't buy extra paint! It can go bad in the can. Not only that, colors can fade over time. Some materials like bags of cement and mortar also go bad even if stored in a cool dry place. You want to buy things like tile, and shingles and other objects that simply don't spoil.

If you do decide to stockpile wood, store it flat in a cool dry place so that it does not warp and twist. You need to use common sense.

Extra Toilets?

Do you have a modern low flush toilet that just doesn't seem to work? I'll bet you wish you had one of those wonderful 3.5 gallon models that were abundant just 10 years ago! Who would have thought to buy an extra toilet to have around? Not even I would have done that, but you can bet that I treat all of my 15 year old toilets with great respect and care since I can't get replacement bowls or tanks now! Who would have thought about toilets!

Avoid the Temptation

Your husband or wife will think you are nuts for stockpiling building materials. They will make fun of you, just like I made fun of my mom for saving 40 one gallon jugs of water in the basement in old Clorox bottles. It was a huge family joke. But we didn't laugh when the water main broke and were without water! Mom's water saved us and got us through the crisis.

Your spare building parts will make you look like a very wise person when the time comes....and we both know it will!

Column B329

Interior Doors & Period Hardware

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Tim Carter

Custom Interior Doors & Period Hardware

The following is a listing of companies that can produce beautiful doors and distinctive hardware to make those doors look like a million bucks. I purchased my doors from the Canadian company Byrcon Wood Products. They worked with me to produce the special raised molding that surrounds the raised panels.

My doors look like they were taken from a 125 year old mansion. They were awesome. I purchased my door hardware from two different sources: the locksets were purchased from Nostalgic Warehouse and the solid brass square hinges with chimney top finials came from Stanley.

Solid Wood Door Companies

Byrcon Wood Products
905-988-1011
www.wood-doors.com
These guys made my doors. If you are going to paint your doors, go with the MDF raised panels to eliminate shrinking and swelling. I loved working with this company and there were no surprises.
Madawaska Doors
800-263-2358
www.madawaska-doors.com
They will make anything you want. This is also a first class company. They may be more expensive than Byrcon, but make sure you are comparing apples to apples.
Renaissance Old World Door Co.
888-736-2497
www.carving.com
This company makes some interesting doors. They make new doors but distress them to look as if they are 100 or 200 years old!

Period Hardware Companies

Acorn Mfg. Co.
800-835-0121
www. acornmfg.com
This company makes forged iron type hardware. It is first quality and looks like the stuff you would see in a castle or an English Tudor home.

Antique Hardware
800-422-9982
www.antiquehardware.com
This is a clearing house for all sorts of antique reproduction materials. Door locksets are NOT their specialty.
Eugenina's Authentic Hardware
800-337-1677
www.eugeniaantiquehardware.com
This company sells real antique stuff, not reproductions. If you are a purist, 'tis the place.
Nostalgic Warehouse
800-522-7336
www.nostalgicwarehouse.com
Want to see what my wife and I used? Look at the Egg and Dart lockset. The full mortise lock is awesome.

Column B328