Osmo Polyx and hall floor renovation

Participant · 2 Sep 2018 at 07:34

Hi all

We have the following floorboards in our hall, which I assume are possibly the original c. 1960 boards, but either way I want to do something with them when we decorate the hall stairs and landing, as they're looking a bit tired.

I'm looking for opinions on whether to refurbish or replace them (recognising that this is somewhat a matter of taste).

If I refurbished, what's the process? Belt sand with the grain then some kind of oil? What oil would be suitable for a natural finish that highlights the grain? Osmo top oil?

If replace, would solid oak be a good option, or are engineered boards the way to go? If I replace them I want something that looks top quality as I can throw some budget at this.

Thanks a lot.

Participant · 2 Sep 2018 at 16:24

Cheers, I've decided to keep the original floor, put down filler, then treat using Osmo PolyX oil (probably the 3032 satin one).

Participant · 9 Sep 2018 at 12:45

Does anyone know what wood those boards are likely to be? Beech perhaps? Reason is that I want to fill the gaps and I need to by the right type of filler.

Participant · 10 Sep 2018 at 21:12

ANDARIAL said:
Higher res pic of a board would help

Will do tomorrow, thanks.

Participant · 15 Sep 2018 at 13:51

ANDARIAL said:
Higher res pic of a board would help

Do these make it any clearer?

If anyone knows what type of wood this is, it would be much appreciated.

Participant · 16 Sep 2018 at 12:23

Thanks both. Here's another pic close up where the lacquer finishes:

Not sure if that helps.

ANDARIAL said:
Can you tell if it is a hardwood?
try poking a nail/screwdriver into it
had a look in one of my wood books,I would say oak or possibly ash maybe but doesn`t match the grain
sorry not certain

I tried poking it with a nail and it made a bump / dent, but it was pretty firm and I had to press hard.

jpaul said:
Are some of the gaps too small for filler ? could end up looking a bit naff,
would you almost pick a black filler if you were able to fill very accurately.

Maybe a clear filler just for insulation purposes / to stop draughts? Apparently they're designed to mix with sawdust but where I'm meant to get the right sawdust from, I have no idea.

Participant · 16 Sep 2018 at 12:59

And another...

Participant · 29 Dec 2018 at 09:12

Hi all

I'm about to start renovating my hall floor as it has some nasty shiny brown varnish on it. This will involve sanding it back with a belt sander and then oiling it.

Osmo Polyx is my chosen oil but it comes in a variety of finishes. Does anyone have any opinion or experience as to what the best option would be for a hall floor, or is it purely a matter of taste?

Polyx comes in matt, semi matt, satin, and gloss.

I want it to look modern and 'dramatic', but not sure if satin or gloss is a bad idea in a high traffic area.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Participant · 29 Dec 2018 at 10:53

Enough procrastination - have ordered #3065 - semi matt.

Results tbc! Now just need to find 12 hours where my children won't be jumping all over the floor.

Participant · 30 Dec 2018 at 16:18

Today I belt-sanded the hallway floor, pending two coats of Osmo Polyx semi matt when it arrives next week.

Before / during:

After passes with 40, 60, 80, and 120 grit with the belt sander and by hand at edges and corners:

It had a nasty shiny varnish type thing on it, which I'm glad to see the back of.

Participant · 1 Jan 2019 at 16:38

I'm now thinking it looks like pine?

Participant · 1 Jan 2019 at 17:13

@ANDARIAL

My wife said 'they're just floorboards aren't they?'. So I guess they're from the floorboard tree then :rolleyes:

.

Participant · 1 Jan 2019 at 18:14

ANDARIAL said:
Still can`t decide what wood it is!
Do you know if it is hard or soft wood?

Really not sure and don't know how to check. I assume it's soft wood, but that's only because they tend to be cheaper and I can't imagine anyone having invested in premium boards, based on what I know of the house.

I can make tiny dents if I press very hard with my finger nails, but not sure if that proves anything. I can also say they were pretty tough to sand, even with a belt sander @ 40 grit.

I might post on a carpentry forum (if such things exist) to see if there are any views.

Participant · 1 Jan 2019 at 20:01

Jonnybmac said:
Are you sanding right back to get rid of all the dents or just removing the clear coat?

The latter, partly because it was difficult and very dusty, but partly also because of what @Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said.

Participant · 2 Jan 2019 at 11:34

The semi matt Osmo Polyx arrived this morning and I've done a test application:

Obviously it's gone very dark as it's wet, but it immediately highlighted the grain.

New brushed aluminium threshold bar has been ordered from eBay for the joint between the entrance mat and the floorboards.

Participant · 2 Jan 2019 at 11:53

Could a kind passing mod please merge this thread with https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/osmo-polyx-and-hall-floor-renovation.18841592/?

Participant · 2 Jan 2019 at 11:54

topgun06 said:
I've used the Osmo Polyx oil on both my front room and stairs. Loved the results. I think I went with semi-matt too.

Good to hear, thanks!

Participant · 4 Jan 2019 at 22:30

1st coat down this evening. Still wet.

Participant · 5 Jan 2019 at 11:37

First coat dry. Looks nice, but a little streaky. Hoping second coat evens it up.

Participant · 6 Jan 2019 at 11:46

Second and final coat down and dry. Threshold bars replaced and furniture back. All done apart from a dust and hoover.

I think it looks a lot better than the previous varnish stuff. The pics don't really do it justice.

eviled said:
looks great, don't they recommend a light hand sand before final coat on the tin, to reduced streaks?

It doesn't mention it as far as I could see, but I did a light 150 grit sand before the second coat anyway. Here's the tin if anyone's interested: