How To Finish Pine Plank Floors

In the north tight grained old growth eastern white pine is still going strong in many homes.

How to finish pine plank floors.

Pine is a softwood so an old pine floor is usually distressed which is part of its charm. Pine can serve as a beautiful softwood flooring in any home whether you ve just installed it yourself or had it professionally done. To finish a pine floor which is basically plywood that is purchased and finished from large sheets you need to use stain varnish or oil. You need more than one or two coats.

Most floor finishers use polyurethane to coat floors because it s one of the hardest finish materials available and it provides good dent protection for pine. The most natural but least water resistant film finish is shellac. Pine floor planking is in the category of a soft wood whereas most wood floors are commonly referred to as hardwood. Stain it or leave it natural and topcoat it with an oil or varnish.

Often referred to as pumpkin pine because it has aged to a warm amber color this wide board flat sawn flooring was left natural and maintained by regular. Pine is a common material that was used in flooring in the early 1900s. I show the changes repairs and talk a. However unlike hardwood floors pine floors do not come pre finished.

When the finish gets dull you can restore it by a screen and recoat. There is a significant difference in hard and soft wood as. You can buy heart pine flooring in a variety of widths and grades. For the best results clean the floor first with a duster or vacuum to remove any lingering dirt or debris.

Although in my opinion 4 coats of satin polyurethane makes the very best finish for a pine floor there are many alternatives. Unlike hardwood flooring though softwood does not come pre finished. The flooring installation and finish process for video haters. We chose yellow pine unfinished flooring from lumber liquidators sand floors with an orbital sander rented locally.

This process is detailed in this post. Four things to look for in heart pine flooring. For you purposes at least 5 6 coats of shellac can be brushed or rolled on to a well sanded pine floor. The earliest wood floors usually softwoods such as pine were often never finished.

The pine will develop a slightly darker patina with age and exposure to light. If you want to refinish sanding pine floors is easier than sanding hardwood. Most people prefer a clear oil finish. It was cheap and readily available so safe to say it s everywhere.