This is the situation a reader went through the other day and asked us for help. The ash floor was too light for what he wanted and he decided to close the colour using an alkyd lacquer for the outside. For protection he then used a special hardening floor varnish from a different manufacturer than the lacquer. After the varnish dried he found that it peeled off. He wanted to know what he could do to fix the problem and what the wood could be stained with to make the floor varnish stick. Unfortunately, the solution was to start all over again by scraping the floor again and refinishing it with suitable products. Why did it all happen? Because the varnish and lacquer were not compatible.
Incompatibility between layers should be avoided so as not to end up having to start all the work from scratch
This is an issue I insist on time and time again. When you have to repaint the surface or we use finishing products that we don't know if we can overlap, we need to check their compatibility. The check is done in a more hidden area if refinishing, or on a separate piece of wood if finishing an item from scratch (as in the case of parquet above). It's a step that doesn't take much time, but saves us from many problems later.
In this case a varnish was used for staining, which is mainly recommended for outdoor use. The varnish contains, in addition to the stain, resin which protects the wood against water and sunlight. In order not to appear incompatibility between layers, the resin must be compatible, to match the one in the varnish. In this case it wasn't. And how will we know if they're compatible, you ask, because we're not all going to take chemistry classes before we paint a chair? By using materials from the same manufacturer, recommended to be used together, or by reading the product data sheet. Now it's very easy to find the data sheet for any product on the web. There you will find recommendations on how to use the product, how the wood should be applied and what can be applied over it.
How to stain wood so that it can be coated with any kind of varnish
When it comes to staining wood, things can be simplified. Simple stains can be used, those with only stain and water or stain and solvent. They are readily available in any DIY store or from wood varnish and paint dealers and contain no resins. Once completely dry, they can be coated with any kind of varnish, without any danger of incompatibility between coats.
The problem in this case may be uneven staining. Because there is no resin to regulate absorption, the uniformity of colour will depend directly on how well the wood has been prepared beforehand. Preparation means sanding with sandpaper of the right grain and stripping with a cloth to remove all fine wood dust. Last sanding for wood is recommended to be done with 180 to 220 grit sandpaper or medium abrasive sponge.
Staining the lake
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to get an even stain, the wood stains. Some wood species are more difficult to stain, such as fagul, poplar or spruce. In this case you can colour the lake. It is best to only colour the varnish used for the first coat because with each coat applied the colour darkens. Colouring is done using the simple stains we talked about above or colour concentrates which are also available in shops. Of course you have to take into account the nature of the solvent: in solvent-based varnishes you use solvent-based bath and in water-based ones, water-based bath.
If only one coat of coloured varnish is to be applied, it can be thinned down (more bath or dye and solvent can be added). Thanks to the resin, the varnish will penetrate the wood in a more controlled way and the stain will be uniform. After drying, the other coats of varnish can be applied without further precautions. If stain is used for all coats, the added varnish should not exceed 20% because the varnish will lose its consistency and more coats will be needed to achieve the desired coverage.
What is the solution in this situation?
In the case of frasinthe only solution was to remove the applied layers and scraping again. After exfoliation the wood was stained from the varnish and it was the only solution to restore its beauty. Next came sanding to get an even surface and staining with berry. There should be no problems because ash is a hardwood that stains beautifully. After drying you will be able to apply the floor varnish without any incompatibility problems.
What should we take away from this experience?
- Use the entire finishing system (stain, primer, varnish) from the same manufacturer
- Consult the technical data sheets (downloaded from the Internet if you do not have them from the supplier) and the instructions for use.
- Test product compatibility separately before use
If you've had similar experiences I'd love for you to share them with us. You can leave them in the space below. You can also leave your additions or questions there. I will certainly answer them.
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Hi,
This is exactly what I intend to do with the roof of my house, which is made of wood. After this winter, which in our area is never ending, I want to give life to wood again. Thank you very much for your recommendations, now I know what materials to buy and how to proceed. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Hello, on mine the lake has risen in places and either stopped drying in those vines or it has absorbed into the wood and bubbles have formed.
What can I do in this situation?
The lacquer used is from the same manufacturer.
Thanks for your time
Hello!
I think it was applied too thick and the air couldn't get out of the film. That explains the bubbles and raised lake, if the raised lake portions are not whitish. If they are whitish, there is a lack of adhesion which means the sanding was not done well.
If the varnish is too thick, the layer can be sanded until the bubbles are removed, after which another layer of varnish is applied. If there is a lack of adhesion, the varnish should be removed down to the wood and the finish re-applied. Take care when sanding the wood before applying varnish. It should not be done with paper finer than 180 and the wood should be sanded afterwards. And the first coat of varnish should be thinned more to get into the wood better.
All the best!
Hello. We have in the bedrooms triple finished hardwood flooring. After installation it was given with maintenance oil.. But 48 hours have already passed and the surface is still sticky.,
I think it was coated too thickly or the excess oil was not removed before it dried.. How could I fix it?
Hello!
I believe a linseed oil was used, not a special maintenance oil. If it doesn't dry even in the next few days it will have to be washed with turpentine or white spirit (petrosin, gas). Turpentine has a more pleasant smell, it is extracted from resin wood (from resin). It will be quite labour intensive and will involve smell inside. The smell of turpentine, in my opinion, is easier to bear. Solvents will not affect the initial coating. The factory made finish is very durable.
Wax is recommended for the maintenance of finished parquet. Oils are applied directly to the wood to absorb and protect it. To ensure maintenance, the oil must be specially formulated for this purpose, i.e. dry and filmy. If such a product has been used, either the application instructions have not been followed or the product has had a problem (out of warranty, manufacturing error).
All the best!
Hello!
I read your articles with great interest and find them very useful.
I have installed spruce wood in the house and would like some expert advice on how to protect the wood. What can we use? I don't want varnish, I'd like to darken it a bit with a bait or some oils. If you point me in the direction of a solution, I appreciate your help.
Hello!
Thanks for following us!
In this case, the best solution would be a special floor oil. It doesn't have the strength of floor varnish, but it is more resistant than other oils because it is specially formulated for such uses. Kreidezeit floor oil is one such oil that has the advantage that it is also natural, with no added chemicals. It is a blend of linseed oil and tung oil, the latter being responsible for the better scrub resistance needed for floors. Find here more information about it. For maintenance, you can use wax over oiled wood. The floor will take on a very pleasant silky sheen.
In terms of colour, the oil darkens the colour of the wood very slightly (the wood looks like it does when wet), but cannot be said to colour it. You have two possibilities: to lightly stain the oil (max.5%) so that the wood still shows or to stain the wood with the stain and then apply the oil. The oil can be stained with natural pigments, Kraidezeit pigments are a good and durable option (link here). For the stain, you can use simple solvent or water-based stains in the colour of your choice, available in DIY stores. After complete drying, even if they are water-based, they can be coated with oil.
Good luck!
Thank you very much for all the information you gave. We will go for the natural oil option. We wish you good health!