best way to maintain wooden flooring?

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best way to maintain wooden flooring?

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moongoddess

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 673

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 06 9:01 pm Post subject: best way to maintain wooden flooring?

We're having the floors replaced downstairs. At the moment we have floorboards which we coated with two coats of Danish Oil when we put them down. We used that because I am particularly sensitive to harsh chemicals and didn't want to use a regular varnish.

Thing is, the floors don't look great anymore. They really absorb dirt (they are in high traffic areas - 1 just by the back door and 1 in the kitchen) and never look clean.

We are having floorboards again and I would really like to stick with the Danish Oil idea, but I also want something that is going to look nice and be serviceable in 6 months time.

Was I supposed to regularly add a coat of Danish Oil, or should I make some sort of wax? Should I use another product entirely (and what is ok for the environment *and* for our health?) What will be the best way to 'dress' the floor and maintain the appearance and durability?

TIA mg x

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 06 11:22 pm Post subject:
For high traffic areas you need loads more than two coats of Danish oil. I'd add a coat twice/week for about three weeks, then a coat/week for about another month.

moongoddess

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 673

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 06 8:33 am Post subject:
How embarrassing is that??!! Thanks Sean; I will take better care of the next one! mg x

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 06 9:01 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

I'd add a coat twice/week for about three weeks, then a coat/week for about another month.

How long does it take to dry before you can walk on it again, is it quite quick?

Is Danish oil the same stuff you use on wooden worktops? We were going to reoil the worktops at Christmas (racy urban tearaways that we are) but the stuff had gone all gunky in the tin...my point being maybe it doesn't keep so you might as well get a good coating on the floor before it becomes unusable anyway?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 06 9:35 am Post subject:
Same stuff. It dries pretty quickly, especially the first few coats.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 06 1:07 pm Post subject:
And it's quicker and easier to get an even thin coat if you use a cloth to apply it rather than a brush.

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