Finishing New England White Pine Floors ... Do I need to apply a conditioner?

keegs · Dec 25, 2015

I'm putting down new New England white pine flooring in the upstairs bedrooms and hallway in our summer house. This is new construction. We're not looking to stain it but to just let it darken naturally over time. I do want to seal it though. I'm looking at water base poly and plan to put down 4 or 5 coats.

My question is, do I need to apply a conditioner to the new wood if I'm just using a sealer?

TIA>>>

DuckSlayer1017 · Dec 25, 2015

I've never had any luck with conditioner. I would just sand and then apply the poly.

Luke'sScreenName · Dec 25, 2015

I think the answer is no, conditioner is not necessary in your scenario. I will say that Tung oil is a much more aesthetically appealing finish but a real PITA at first (but easier to revitalize later on)

zmansmac · Dec 26, 2015

Being a woodworker for over 35 years I can tell you that the single basic reason a conditioner is used is to ensure that a stain is more evenly absorbed on the face of certain woods like cherry and the end grain of most woods. White pine is a soft wood that also falls into this category. But since you only intend to put a clear finish on the flooring and not stain it first you will not need to apply a conditioner. Water based poly will give you a clearer finish than oil based, is low VCO and is easier to clean up but comes with more effort. Any water based finish will raise the grain of the wood. More so on softer woods, like white pine. I would sand the floor til you get the surface the way you want then take an old spray bottle filled with water and heavily mist it. After the wood dries you will see and feel how much the grain raised and you will need to sand again. Then you are ready to apply your first coat of poly. This will raise the grain again but not nearly as much. The idea of doing it this way is that bare wood is much easier and quicker to sand than a poly finish. I know you're probably thinking that if I have to sand the first coat of poly anyway why should I bother with the water mist and sand step. I can tell you from experience that it will take you longer to sand and get a smooth finish on that first coat if you didn't. You will need to lightly sand after each subsequent coat because of dust nibs but that will go quickly, and this will result in a beautiful, durable finish. I would use 220 grit on the bare floor and the first poly coat and then 320 grit on coats after that. Polyurethane, either oil or water based, is the best finish protection to apply to a wood floor. Other finishes, like tung oil, are best used on furniture. Good luck; post a couple of pics when you're done.

Luke'sScreenName · Dec 26, 2015

Ohhh. Those last ones are fighting words!

unch:

keegs · Dec 26, 2015

Thanks all.... I'll post pics when done.

zmansmac · Dec 27, 2015

Luke, step outside and we can settle this; you'll just have to wait til I get over there.

Seriously though, one of the biggest reasons for forums like this is to express our opinions and impart our experiences. And that is just what I've done. Like all members of this forum I never intentionally intend to offend anyone or tell them that they are wrong. We are all entitled to our opinions based on our experiences. I'm not saying that tung oil can't be used as a flooring finish, just that it's not necessarily the best choice. I realize that this subject is a bit off topic for a tractor forum so I suggest that keegs, yourself and anyone else interested search some other trade forums like woodworking or home DIY and you'll find that I am not in the minority with this opinion.

scott_vt · Dec 27, 2015

Good Morning Keegs,

ZMANSMAC spelled it out perfectly. The only time I ever used conditioner was when trying to get uniform stain coloring in woods where pitch sometimes prevents this !

The only thing I might add is to tack cloth the floor or vacuum after lightly sanding between coats. Good Luck ! Post some pics !

Luke'sScreenName · Dec 27, 2015

zmansmac said:
Luke, step outside and we can settle this; you'll just have to wait til I get over there. Seriously though, one of the biggest reasons for forums like this is to express our opinions and impart our experiences. And that is just what I've done. Like all members of this forum I never intentionally intend to offend anyone or tell them that they are wrong. We are all entitled to our opinions based on our experiences. I'm not saying that tung oil can't be used as a flooring finish, just that it's not necessarily the best choice. I realize that this subject is a bit off topic for a tractor forum so I suggest that keegs, yourself and anyone else interested search some other trade forums like woodworking or home DIY and you'll find that I am not in the minority with this opinion.

That was completely tounge-in-cheek! I even put in the silly emotico.

Sorry to give you the wrong impression.
I'm new to the whole online forum thing and a bit of a sarcastic smart-*****. Don't seem to mix well.

keegs · Dec 27, 2015

scott_vt said:
Good Morning Keegs,

ZMANSMAC spelled it out perfectly. The only time I ever used conditioner was when trying to get uniform stain coloring in woods where pitch sometimes prevents this !

The only thing I might add is to tack cloth the floor or vacuum after lightly sanding between coats. Good Luck ! Post some pics !

Will do Scotty... I'll be starting next week if the materials arrive on schedule. Got some good tips here on how to approach it.

Cheers.. CK