Do you have any do's or don'ts about using tung oil on new white oak floors?

I'm not sure I'd choose a Tung oil...

It's pro's would be;
Easy to patch and blend touch ups later.
Nice color.
Easy to apply evenly.

Con's would be;
NOT as waterproof as a urethane-modified finish.
Softer than a urethane finish.

Oh, and here is a definite;
GOOD VENTILATION!!!

I've never finished a whole floor, but on other wood projects, I've used "Urethane modified oil finish". Dries faster, and it's a lot tougher.

Whatever you do, don't skimp on the sanding.
Sand.
Dampen slightly and allow to dry.
Sand again.
Sand with next finer grit.
Use a good filler/conditioner.
Finish sand (and don't settle for less than perfect!)
Apply finish according to directions, buffing or wet-sanding between coats.


Oh, and instructions from anyone who's done wood floors, or directions from a wood floor contractor, trump mine 100% of the time.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

how about tung oil on external wood doors - old, somewhat ornate wood that has to deal with some weather - wind, some rain, slightly protected by a porch. the wood is dark.

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I was thinking the watertightness and hardness of white oak itself might make up for not using urathane. I was wanting an old look without the distress and cracks. I'm planning on 6" white oak right now.

I have a few feet of red and white oak and a small bottle of tung oil, so I'll do some experimenting.

Thanks for the help so far.

I did the front door threshold with it.
(mostly because it is supposed to be more resistant to water)
It took a lot of coats.
It took forever to "dry".
( I probably picked the worst three weekends of that Summer to do it.)
It was supposed to be a weekend project, but it took forever to dry.

I don't think it is turning yellow any faster than the spar varnish I coated the door with.
( If its yellowing, I'm not noticing it )

I'm not so sure I'd do a floor with it.
I'd want something that would 'dry' faster.

billb raises another point against unmodified tung oil...
Once you pass the second coat, it takes a LONG time to fully harden. I did a rifle stock at a customers request, and he wanted 5 coats of tung oil on it. (Why 5, I don't know...but the customer gets what the customer wants..). It took me 8 or 9 months until I had 5 coats on it and the last coat was dry enough to handle.

Last time I ever used pure tung oil (without drying agents in it).

Sure is a nice color on lighter color walnuts though.

incognegro;
For water resistance and weatherproofing on outdoor woodwork, I'd still be inclined to go with some kind of urethane. Maybe a urethane modified varnish, or a straight polyurethane.
Surface prep could be a bastage, though. You want to get any old finish OFF, but I'm guessing you want to keep the age patina/color?
That smells like a lot of hand-work to me.


Again, these are all based on my limited experience....
I have more experience using wood finishes on smaller pieces that outdoor trim or floorrs and such though.

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Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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Eureka, CA

There is a tung oil product that floor finishers use that has a drying agent called Waterlox. I don't know where to find it. I barely found tung oil.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2006 10:14PM by Dennis S.