One last problem (I think) before I charge into refinishing my old pine kitchen floor. The floor is about 80 years old and in one or two areas of it there are brown tending to black marks the size of quarters.
Looks to be old spike nails tacked into the tongue. The discoloration is around the spike and almost appears to be eating at the wood surface some kind of reaction going on... so there is a depression forming around the nail.
I guess I could drive the spike down with a punch and use a filler and screw it from the basement....
Any thoughts? Is there anything to neutralize or return the colour, any recommendations on a quality filler that can handle traffic...
Thanks for the guidance....

Doug:
First off, are those square nails? If so, DO NOT try to sink them and fill!!! That old floor has become an antique and you must treat it as such. The square nail heads (IF they are square) should be ever-so-slightly sunk so your sander doesn't hit them and they should be left alone. It's "character". Even if they're round, I'd handle them the same way!

Now for the dark spots: the iron in the nail has created a dye by mixing/oxidizing over the years with the chemistry of the wood. As a result, you now have a dye impregnated throughout the wood and you WILL NOT get that out. Please, don't even try. Some may suggest bleaching, but why ruin that beautiful "character"! You have a naturally aged "distressing" or character which many people actually pay for to have me put into their new floors!! Don't try to make it look new!

Hope I wasn't off base on my lecturing you! I tend to ramble!
Charlie

Nice stuff Charlie! Good to see you around

Thanks for the comments. Yes it's the old square nails in the house. Unfortunately its a samll area where the discolouration is happening rather than equally distributed over the floor.... I'll take your guidance and keep it as a feature.
I appreciate the help.
Doug

Doug:
If I may . . . I strongly recommend using Waterlox Tung Oil Original Sealer. The first two coats penetrate for beauty and some structural strengthening. Then put two top-coats of a good oil-based poly, if you don't mind using oil-based.
You will be pleased with the beauty (patina) that tung oil sealer will give you.
www.waterlox.com
Take care.
Charlie

P.S. You weren't going to stain the pine, were you?

Yes... actually I am using Waterlox... bit of a challenge getting it up here in Canada... but I managed... Also had to overcome my wife's fixation on varathane...
I'm looking forward to the results.
I was going to mix a bit of Minwax stain in the first coat of oil to get a bit of a reddening effect to reduce the contrast of the oak kitchen cabinets with the pine floor. The staining worked effectively last time I did the floor with Verathane and offset the yellow tinge of the pine and the verathane finish.... but I'd appreciate your thoughts on the need to stain with the oil....

Doug:
Whether you put stain in the finish for "toning" purposes or not would be a personal choice. Without seeing your situation, you'd know best.
What I can help you with is this: the MAXIMUM amount of stain to mix with the Waterlox would be 1 part stain to 4 parts Waterlox Original Sealer. With this proportion, 2 coats of colored sealer is about the same as 1 coat of directly applied stain WITHOUT the sealer. So, you might want to start with a conservative ratio of stain/waterlox.
One more thing. You can easily put 1-2 coats of sealer onto the floor. Wait about a day, then start building with 2 top-coats of oil-modified poly.
I do that sometimes for the durability issue, if there is one. Otherwise, you can put all four coats in Tung oil. On pine, by the way, I always use a minimum of 4 coats. Some like a fifth coat.
Charlie

Thanks for the guidance.
I am going with 4 coats of Waterlox oil.
I didn't understand the ratio info.... does adding stain to the Waterlox reduce the coverage capability?
One last question if I might... I'm renting the large square rotary sander to take down the old finish.... The rental shop recommends 30 grit followed by 60 grit then finish with 80 grit..... Would it improve the finish if I went to 120 grit for the final pass?
Thanks again for all the help.
Regards
Doug

Doug:
I've never used that type of sander for the final sanding. (Is it a Square-Buff?) But with other machines and procedures, 120 would probably be the smoothest I'd go. Perhaps someone who is more experienced with this type of machine could post a better response.

If you're just "tinting" the Waterlox with stain, I don't think it will change the coverage rate significantly. Just figure 500 square feet per gallon no matter what you do. You'll do just fine.
Charlie

That is where DIY go wrong, thinking 120 is better then 80 or 100.

You start running into suface tension problems.

????????????? Run that by me again? Are you refering to finish bonding problems due to the floors being sanded too fine?

One final item in preparation for applying Waterlox to my floors.... I finally located a lambskin floor finishing kit...... but it's light on instructions... Will one lambskin handle application of 3 coats of the regular waterlox and the finishing coat of satin Waterlox? Is there anything I should do with the lambskin between coats? like a rinse in mineral spirits or something?...

I got a Varathane Floor Finisher for oil based finishes.... looks similar but not real lambswool... and a lot cheaper... are the results similar or is the real thing the way to go?...

I appreciate the guidance.

Thanks
Doug

Doug:
I don't know that you'll find a great difference between real or fake lambswool. I can use either. Just make sure that you beat the crap out of them before putting them onto the block.
Waterlox is fool proof. What I mean, you can use the lambswool for the first 2-3 coats before changing to a new one on the final coat. Here's what I do. I apply the first coat. I leave the wool on the block, unscrew it from the handle and place it in a DOUBLED 1 gallon zip-lock baggie. (Double baggie because the air seems to SOMETIMES get into a single and starts hardening the finish). Next day, take it out and use it just as it is. You may get 3 coats out of it before you decide to go with a fresh one. Definitely on the last coat I like a fresh because you'll see that your lambswool picks up alot of "debris" as you use it on the first 2-3 coats.

Put 4 coats on pine. Some may put 5 on, but I never have.
You can practically "mop" it on without worrying about what it will look like. And first two coats merely soak in. The build beauty doesn't come out until you start the third coat. And wait til you put the final coat on!
The only buffing is a maroon pad with abrasive strips (if you buff at all) on the penetrating coats (either one of coats 1 and 2). But I usually vacuum between every coat . . . if it needs it.
Wheeeew! I got long winded again!!
Charlie-

Thanks for the guidance..... I appreciate it... I'm really looking forward to the results.
Do you just do one coat a day? Is 6 hour dry time between coats not the guideline?
Regards
Doug

Doug:

Here in Arizona, I can re-coat in about 5-6 hours on a hot, dry day. But if you're in a high humidity area, I'd let it dry overnight . . . atleast 12 hours. After the first coat or two, you'll get the feel for it.

Charlie