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Varnishing timber floors has become a very popular flooring
option for home owners. Vastly cheaper than carpeting and tiling, the
varnished timber floor also looks fantastic.
Reduced dust and ease of cleaning are also added benefits. Be careful
though, wooden floors are colder than carpeted floors and harsher on
those who prefer bare feet around the home.
NB: Totara and Matai requires the first coat to be waterbased e.g.
Resene
Aquaclear.
Surface preparation:
Remove all
carpets, carpet tacks and rails, mats, lino, tiles, and other unwanted
objects attached to the flooring surface you wish to paint/varnish.
- Remove all moss and mould:
Thoroughly clean down to remove all loosely adhered material. Treat
areas of mould infestation with Resene
Moss & Mould Killer, correctly diluted with clean water. Leave
for up to forty eight hours to achieve full kill. For heavy infestations
further application may be needed. Wash thoroughly with clean water
to remove all residue.
- Clean Surfaces:
Thoroughly wash down with detergent and water to remove all dirt,
dust, grease, mould residue, and other contaminants. Rinse thoroughly
with clean water. Allow to dry.
- Sand Surfaces:
Commercial sand (always along the grain), to remove minor imperfections
and any loose surface fibres. Remove dust.
Your timber floors are now ready for varnishing/painting.
Varnishing:
- Apply three coats of Resene Aquaclear
at approximately 12 square metres per litre depending on surface porosity.
- For a really tough, hard wearing finish apply three coats of Resene
Polythane at approximately 8-12 square metres per litre depending
on surface porosity. Lightly sand between coats to ensure good intercoat
adhesion.
- For a stained finish (excluding Totara and Matai) use Resene
Waterborne Colorwood, reduced if necessary to the desired colour
with Waterborne Colorwood Reducing Base. For a natural finish, the
colour of the timber is enhanced by the application of Waterborne
Colorwood Reducing Base first.
- Follow this with the three coats of Resene Aquaclear.
- Follow label instructions at all times.
Painting wooden floors:
Apply one coat of Resene
Quick Dry Acrylic Primer Undercoat at approximately 12 square metres
per litre. Follow this with two coats of either Resene
Enamacryl gloss waterbased enamel or Resene
Lustacryl semi-gloss waterbased enamel, depending on the desired
gloss level.
Follow label instructions at all times.
NB. If staining is evident after the application of Resene Quick
Dry Acrylic Primer Undercoat, apply a further coat of Resene
Enamel Undercoat, applied at the spreading rate of 12 square metres
per litre.
Cleaning up:
Cleaning up waterbased paints is different to solventbased paints
- click here for detailed instructions
on clean up.
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