If you have an old house with soft pine floors, advice please.

[yy4me]

My kitchen floor is in need of some help. Throughout the 40 years we lived here, it has had a main refinishing after a 9 layer linoleum removal, and a second light refinish about 5 years ago. From a distance, it looks good. When you get into the kitchen and look at the floor, you can see all kinds of minute scratches. Some I'm sure from pebbles on shoes, most from the toenails of my daughters Yellow Lab.

I have searched on-line for ideas about how to touch this up and can find nothing that refers to 200 year old very soft pine. Do you think a coat of Butchers wax will take care of this? I can touch up the few dings with stain, no problem there and could put a buffing pad on the end of a drill to shine it up.

I cannot refinish the floor again, it is too difficult and I am no longer able to tackle these chores that were so easy years ago as we were restoring the house.

My husband may have known how but now it is up to me to keep this place looking decent.

Any guidance would be a great help.

Edit: Floor has 3 coats of Minwax Poly floor finish now.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

1. Do those scratches penetrate into the wood?

Look at floor wax for for those floors ,you find the wax at the same location you find the floor finish at home depot. The paint department where the stain and varnish/so fourth. Read the label, interesting details about the product, it has properties in it to fill those scratches. There is other cool stuff associated to pitting in the same location.I believe mimwax makes that product. Which is why it is kept in the the same place you find stain and varnish.

Using the stuff has almost the very same effect as re-coating the floor ! In fact you will sware! I suggest you apply it with a swiffer! Have plenty of pads. Good Luck ! And ask somebody in the store what knows something about it. Where theres a will there's a way !

I have a client who does her floor once a year with the stuff, she does it in her electric wheel chair,and her dog fallows her around when she does it, if you get my meaning !

Before I located that product, we were going to refinish the floor. I had already remodeled her kitchen and bath. Painted the place too, The mimwax floor wax for finished wood floors restores the finish.
So, with the money saved ,she put in a hot tub !

[yy4me]

2. Thanks for your help. The scratches penetrate only in a couple

of spots and I can stain them and let them dry before tackling this job. I am going tomorrow to buy supplies for repainting this old kitchen. Going from a barn red to a lighter beige and will have to prime and do 2 coats. The floor will be the last of the jobs. I am debating if I should get some of the new blue tape or just use masking for the places where the wood joins the plaster. I used to be good at free hand but no longer.

I have already washed the walls, filled a couple of dings in the wainscoting, have one spot where I will have to make a wedge. I think the old place has settled. I have a few funny gaps in the wood where there never were gaps before. Trim a shingle, sand it up, glue it in and sand flush. No biggie.

The floor was my main concern and your suggestion will be followed. The worst part of this job will be painting the radiator. UG!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

3. Since yer going to paint !

Cover the floor and windows around the radiator, maybe some drop plastic cabinets,so fourth. I found painting radiators, heat vents ,refigerators,stoves ,so fourth, Rustoleum paint in the spray can works well ! Limited colors for stoves and refers but you just might match or come close with the other spray paint. Although I have sprayed radiators with my compressor using latex, but at the owners request only ! The spray paint in a spray can will give you a perfect finish effect ! Although brush looks fine too. Heat tempered paint is best for those radiators.

Good luck to you with your project.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

4. Oh, and on tape

Blue painters tape is good if your going to leave it on for days or like 30 of those. There is also tan color painters tape that has a 7 day life span before the glue penetrates the paint and pulls it away when you remove the tape. The tan painters tape cost less than the blue tape . On larger painting projects I buy blue painters tape tan and regular old masking. Regular masking tape is ok in many places if you do not leave it on the wall or moldings very long. However do not use regular or production masking tape on windows, unless of course moisture becomes the quick release factor !

For example, I may use blue tape on the molding, than come back over it all with plastic using production masking tape over the blue tape . Blue tape is expensive compared to production masking tape, the production masking tape is also there so I do not get too carried away with the blue tape in areas where it is not required. So on the tape, mix it up a bit !And remember at the store if you say blue because yer painting, they will gladly sell you all blue because it is the most expensive,and what are the chances you will gladly buy too much? ! You mix it up ,they'll know you think smart !

Good luck !

[Warpy]

5. That's patina

and old pine floors are supposed to develop it over time. Every scratch and ding adds to it.

However, the Minwax section of the local hardware store should give you some ideas. If you want to stain the light scratches, do it. However, wax over varnish isn't really the answer. The best thing to do is a very light sanding followed by a coat or two of varnish. The sanding doesn't have to be done all at once, but the varnishing does. Just make sure everybody including the dogs clears off during the drying time.

All the sanding is meant to accomplish is reducing the gloss so that a new layer of varnish will stick. You can do a square foot at a time if you have to. In other words, you're not going down to bare wood, just making it so you can revarnish on top of what's there.

The dings and depressions should be part of the floor for the rest of its life, though.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

6. The stain and varnish

section of yer local hardware store has what yer might call floor finish restorer by minwax ! It's what yer might call a high tec polish ! You won't find that particular product in the same location at home depot ,hardware store example, as cleaning supplies floor wax such as pledge and such, because minwax is a floor finish restoration product,ALTHOUGH it is applied in the same way you apply floor wax. You simply clean the floor, do yer touch up prep work and than apply the floor restore a floor finish product.

I believe she mentioned she would not want to go to the expense of refinishing her floor.

Even though all you got to do is get down on yer knees with a sander or go rent a commercial sander ,sand vacuum than apply the finish ,yadda yadda and the fumes. Crying out loud warppy. !

Oh and I forgot to mention the tack cloths, I always get down there with tack cloths to get up all the fine particles before I apply the floor finish. But If i were to use the restore a floor finish, I might be inclined to push the tack cloth around the floor with the swiffer !Better than on yer knees.

But if minwax restore a floor finish will do it up good, hay why not right! I mean if you can recommend the minwax section of yer local hardware store, than you can also recommend to try minwax restore a floor finish at a cost of between 10 and 15 bucks! consider'en it just might save a little wear and tear on the old body ! Not to mention it is a very cool product !

Check out the min wax web site ,google it warppy than check out the properties in that product ! Hell call ther 800 number and talk to a tec specialist ! That's how I did it long before the internet ! The old 800 numbers !By the way warppy, nobody uses google on the job !

[Warpy]

7. Light sanding for re application of varnish doesn't require a sander

and water based poly doesn't send you running from fumes.

This is one I've actually done.

I vaguely remembered Minwax had come out with a restoration product, but I'm not familiar with it.

However, my advice about the dings and dents stands. It's patina.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

8. No warppy it doesn't require a sander

Just a sanding block some sand paper and getting down on yer knees on the floor.

On the job warppy, we sit down with the client at the kitchen table and talk about every little thing. Listening and understanding just how things are is all and important. There is always the budget, but ,there are or can be other factors to consider. On the job, it's not just the know how to part, but the best way there is to solve the problem ,or reach the goal all things taken into consideration. Here is a lesson fer yer, did yer ever hear the one about the cat having nine lives? How bout this one, there's different ways to skin a cat? And in those old houses, you just got to know all the ways.

She just isn't able to tackle such a project, getting down there on her knees with a sanding block to scratch sand her floor.
But minwax has a product just for that situation, and it works. The right tool for the right job. With that stuff ,when the floor dries it looks better than it does wet ! Sure, there are always dark spots ! So what !

[yy4me]

9. Went to HD yesterday with my handy little list. I got Kilz for primer

as I am going over a barn red with a beige. Using Behr paint as I have had good luck with it in the past (and I already own it). I also picked up a bottle of the Minwax floor reviver.It seems to be just what I need go give a more uniform low luster to the floor. All the dings, nail holes from the old linoleum, other irregularities are still and will remain but maybe the doggie toe nail scratches will blend in.

I found it curious that HD sold masking in only 8 roll bundles. I guess one or 2 rolls would not be a large enough sale.

I bought 2 1" rolls of the blue stuff. I'm a pretty good painter but there are a few areas that but the plaster above the wainscoting that I will tape.

I have an old cast iron radiator in the kitchen that took me ages to clean up. I could not find any information on the primer or paint can to indicate whether I could use the Behr and Kilz on it. Both are Latex.

I hope so because it would make life easier. Anyone know?

I think I might start the project today. It is supposed to hit almost 60 degrees and I will be able to crack the windows a bit. Lets see, wainscoting, 4 doors, 3 both sides, frames, chair rail and a couple of corner beams. If these old bones hold up, I should be done in a couple of weeks. I can't do too much in one day. Sanding where needed, washing already done.

Now I have to find a resource for plain low drop ceiling lights. I need one for the kitchen and I have a very low ceiling so the drop has to be minimal. Have looked for years but most that I have seen are either a kings ransom or not appropriate.

Thanks for all the advice.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

10. Type into search

painting cast iron radiators radiant heat. Using automotive spray paint was a good idea I noticed. What I do remember from my younger days painting those first old cars! ,using automotive paint in a spray can is, you can take a sample of the color you like ,the automotive paint store, where they sell paint to shops ,they can mix you up a quart and put it in spray cans ! It cost a little more, but in the old days it was far cheaper than paying to have yer car painted, because that costed more than the car was worth !

Seriously though, you will find a wealth of ideas, there are links to this old house web site in the same search. I used a netscape search engine.

As I contractor I cannot recommend that you paint it. However if it were me, I most likely would ! I would think if you were to use latex, do not apply multiple coats.

Anywhoo, type into search painting cast iron radiators and I am sure you will find what you are looking for in good advice !

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

11. By the way !

What kind of drop ceiling do you have? Is it sheet rock or is it a acoustical drop ceiling? I am thinking recessed can lights or extreme flush mount. Had any rewiring done over the years?

[yy4me]

12. Your advice has been great and I will search about the radiator.

The ceiling is plaster over whatever that sheetrock stuff was that was used 40 years ago when we bought this old house. There is a 8" drop fixture in the middle of the room now and it is that fixture I wish to change. Recessed light would not work in this house. New wiring was done when we bought the house. It is that white cable looking stuff. I don't know what it is called. The wiring comes into a box that is recessed and the current light attached to that. What I need is a light that would look appropriate in a 200 year old house and that will disperse the light better than the current one.

I think a simple black ot brass low drop fixture would be good but I can't seen to find one that doesn't look cheap. Some of the stuff at HD is just plain discount store appearance. I don't have a lot to spend on this, I just have to find the right light.

You'd be proud of me. The 2 coats of Kilz on the wood are done. I will wait until tomorrow to start the painting. There is only 1 coat of primer on the radiator. It is interesting to try and paint behind a radiator with a brush.

I didn't even open the painters tape. Got a pretty steady painting hand, its the back that does me in. The first coat of primer looked like a first grader did it. Second coat looks great.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

13. Don't know how good the HD is

in your area. Most of them have a pretty good selection of lighting. Do you have a Lowe's close by? Go through your yellow pages in the phone book, look up lighting supply stores or suppliers. Also you can do a inter net search., lighting. You may even try searching discount lighting.

Antique replications are in abundance and not so costly really. You would be surprised what you can find at a price you can agree with.

Now about HD, sometimes you see something in the store that doesn't seem to be right, than you get it home ,and it's perfect. What you do is open the box carefully and hold it up there, or have somebody hold it up so you can see how it looks, and if it simply looks terrible, box it back up and return it. No big deal. People spend thousands and thousands of dollars on remodels, and HD's return desk is always busy, they will take it back, no questions asked. Or simply tell them it just isn't the right thing.You can take four home and return three. People do that all the time! I know I do ! Better than making multiple trips, I don't have time for that!

Search lighting fixtures on the internet to get some ideas on whats out there, you may find a local lighting store carries it or something similar.

Keep up the good work,and yes you can do it !

[Grey]

14. For dents that go through the finish try

using a damp cloth and a steam iron. The steam from the damp cloth will 'plump' the wood and the dent will vanish.
I did this on a chair the neighbours dog chewed on and got most of the dents out, the rest are not noticeable.