08.27.09
Cabin finish
This is from an e-mail sent to the Great Lakes States manager and reprinted by permission:
Hello
I was given your website from Fred Dorrance who has done wood floors for me in Maryland. I have a cabin outside of Atlanta MI and I am putting in maple hardwood floors in. I asked Fred about the best finish and he suggested several coats of some type of emulsifier and then a couple coats of street shoe. He said that this finish is difficult to apply and we would need a contractor who does this to apply the finish. My brother wants to use Fabulon but it gets quite dark and I would like to preserve the lighter color but still have a floor what will hold up with sand and water and high traffic. What do you think? Thanks for your time. Susan F.
Administrator said,
August 27, 2009 at 11:05 am
The Dorrance Co. was an excellent choice for a contractor on your previous floors and their recommendation was a very good one.
If your primary concern is preserving the light natural color of your maple floors then water-based products are perfect.
The Fabulon recommended by your brother is an excellent product but will amber or “darken” as all oil-based products do.
The Emulsion recommended by Dorrance will be considerably lighter but as they told you can be difficult to work with as it dries very quickly.
If you need a quality contractor that is VERY familiar with these products I know a couple up in your area and will happily refer them to you.
There is also another water-based sealer that will keep the maple even lighter called Commercial Catalyzed Sealer.
This product is completely opaque.(you can see it’s appearance if you dampen a cloth and wipe a piece of the maple with it). As for the Street Shoe finish recommended by Dorrance that is one of the very best finishes available. It is extremely durable and cures to final hardness as fast as than anything on the market. It is also available in a variety of sheens to suit your taste.
Thank you for your inquiry and feel free to contact me if you want those names for the contractors I know.
Best Regards,
Mike Hoy
Julian said,
August 28, 2009 at 12:44 pm
hi mike
some of the products you mentioned sound like what we need too. we now live close to grand rapids and repair homes and resell them. we have always out sourced our hardwood floor sanding and finishing or we have covered it up with carpet. do you think this is something we, my wife and son and i can do ourselves. it will save us a lot of time and money.
oh, i like your must have tools post.
thanks
j
mike said,
September 4, 2009 at 8:30 am
Julian refinishing wood floors is a lot of work to do it right.If you want we can help with equipment selections to suit your needs or I would be happy to recommend a couple of qualified contractors in the Grand Rapids area. Please let me know how I can help.
The easiest way to contact me is through the Hastings office @ 269-945-4100 or 1-800-767-8953.