Anyone know about Urethane and Wood?

Sparkdaddy · 04-12-2007, 05:18 PM

Sorry that this isn't MC related but here it goes. I have a 1930's bungalow that had a front porch on it with oak flooring. It was really beat up, covered with nasty carpet, rotting and had to go. It also seemed to be original.

Well i ripped it up and had to rebuild the whole front porch, I layed down 3/4 ply and then put on new oak flooring, tongue and groove. The wood was unfinshed when I installed it and I applied a good coat of UV stain water proofer on it last fall. My question is, Since I installed the floor the wood shrank a little bit and there are some small seams that should be filled or covered to keep moisture out. Is there an outdoor urethane and or selaer for such a use? I scoured Home Depot and everthing they had said for indoor use only. I need something that can deal with temp changes and moisture and UV.?????

Thanks

Sal Paradise · 04-12-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPARKDADDY

Sorry that this isn't MC related but here it goes. I have a 1930's bungalow that had a front porch on it with oak flooring. It was really beat up, covered with nasty carpet, rotting and had to go. It also seemed to be original.

Well i ripped it up and had to rebuild the whole front porch, I layed down 3/4 ply and then put on new oak flooring, tongue and groove. The wood was unfinshed when I installed it and I applied a good coat of UV stain water proofer on it last fall. My question is, Since I installed the floor the wood shrank a little bit and there are some small seams that should be filled or covered to keep moisture out. Is there an outdoor urethane and or selaer for such a use? I scoured Home Depot and everthing they had said for indoor use only. I need something that can deal with temp changes and moisture and UV.?????

Thanks

I am currently doing indoor oak flooring. It is also unfinished, before I sand it I color automotive bondo to match and fill the cracks with it. In your case you would have to reseal it. However the finished product is really nice.

Sparkdaddy · 04-12-2007, 07:31 PM

I have a buddy who used bondo to put down tiles in his home. He owns a body shop so price wasn't a big deal. Apparently they will never be able to be replaced unless you use a jack hammer.

Still need a good outdoor sealer for wood though.

IrishFazerBoy · 04-12-2007, 07:50 PM

You need a SPAR Urethane. I have two kids and numerous nephews / nieces...so I use it indoors also! Home Depot, Lowes, or any good hardware store will carry it.

xtphreak · 04-12-2007, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrishFazerBoy

You need a SPAR Urethane. I have two kids and numerous nephews / nieces...so I use it indoors also! Home Depot, Lowes, or any good hardware store will carry it.

bingo!!!

give the man a kewpie doll

or go to a good boat store ... wooden boats have all the problems of wooden porches and then some

I deal with these folks, no affiliation just good folks
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,27948.htm

Sparkdaddy · 04-12-2007, 08:11 PM

F&*K! I don't know why I didn't think of that. You guys rock!

Thanks very much!

Poolside · 04-12-2007, 08:55 PM

There are 2-part outdoor and marine urethanes too. Dries right now and is much harder than the air dry coating.

greywolf · 04-12-2007, 09:32 PM

It's too bad you already replaced the floor. Oak is a poor choice for outdoor use. Ipe or one of the new wood/plastic composites would be a better choice.

ctp13 · 04-12-2007, 10:36 PM

IN the boat bz we used to use West Systm and it's equilivent but it sets up hard and somwhat brittle IT also adhears beter than the wood itself.

The thing used now is 3M 5200 Caulk Kind of spendy but is paintable comes in colors but only 2 and is flexable . this is a good thing as your deck has not stopped moving ! and it realy sticks.

also if you can, Paint the bottom ( if you did not in the first place ) since one sealed side does not stop moisture entering from the other.

IE fiberglassing just the outside of a wood hull is asking for disaster . Later usualy much later but it will come.

YMMV

Chuck

Boatman · 04-13-2007, 06:15 AM

I know you want to get the job done ASAP but you may want to wait until the weather turns humid. Depending on how wide these cracks are you may risk the buckling the decking by caulking it now when it's "dry". Did you use red oak or white oak? You may want to use a product called Smith Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer before applying any finish. CPES is like water and will penetrate deep into the wood to help stave off rot and make the wood more stable. It will also help adhere any finishes.

You can get any of the products mentioned above from, http://www.jamestowndistributors.com Much cheaper than any local marine mart.

Liamo · 04-13-2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrishFazerBoy

You need a SPAR Urethane. I have two kids and numerous nephews / nieces...so I use it indoors also! Home Depot, Lowes, or any good hardware store will carry it.

Hey IrishFazerBoy, what part of the Emerald Isle you from?

bergermeister · 04-13-2007, 09:17 AM

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't spar varnish too soft for a floor? works well on boats because under intense sun and heat it will flex. I don't know that it would hold up to the foot traffic.

the bottom line is that wood, especially solid, will expand and contract with moisture changes, mostly across its width. if you pack it too tightly to avoid gaps, you'll get buckling. a plywood/laminate (not the plastic stuff) is more dimensionally stable because it is glued together in layers with grain running 90 degrees to the layers above and below, but even that moves a bit.

I say embrace your "rustic" floor the way it is.

bergermeister · 04-13-2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greywolf

It's too bad you already replaced the floor. Oak is a poor choice for outdoor use. Ipe or one of the new wood/plastic composites would be a better choice.

actually white oak is fine for exterior use. ever see a wine barrel?

red oak, however, is less durable.

I like ipe, but it is hell on your tools because of its hardness.

WileyRufus · 04-13-2007, 10:00 AM

I've done my own maintenance on my sailboat (with lots of exterior teak) for the past 15 years, so I've got lots of experience with exterior wood and varnish. You can't stop the wood from expanding and contracting with the weather, so you need a varnish that will move with the wood. Polyurethane, unfortunately, will do that for a couple of years and then it begins to fail. Polyurethane will continue to out-gas forever, and it continually gets harder until the movement of the wood causes it to delaminate from the wood. Then it's a real pain to completely remove it and start over. The boats that have the best finish year to year are using a tung oil based marine spar varnish. You do have to put on several coats to build up a finish that can then take the abraision without getting down to bare wood. Then every few years (unless it's in direct sunlight) you just do light sanding and put on another coat. You can keep this going for many years without having to take it down again to bare wood. In the long run it's easier than dealing with the miracle products when they fail.

Sparkdaddy · 04-13-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greywolf

It's too bad you already replaced the floor. Oak is a poor choice for outdoor use. Ipe or one of the new wood/plastic composites would be a better choice.

I went with oak because thats what was originally there. Looking back on it I may have went a different route but oh well. It will be another rental soon I hope anyway. It looks pretty decent but I really want to get something on it soon to keep it from going south too fast. I like the caulk idea and agree that the surface stuff needs to expand and contract. Keep it coming and thanks for all the input so far.

04-12-2007, 05:18 PM	#1
Sparkdaddy ^OP aventurero Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Salida, Colorado Oddometer: 926	Anyone know about Urethane and Wood? Sorry that this isn't MC related but here it goes. I have a 1930's bungalow that had a front porch on it with oak flooring. It was really beat up, covered with nasty carpet, rotting and had to go. It also seemed to be original. Well i ripped it up and had to rebuild the whole front porch, I layed down 3/4 ply and then put on new oak flooring, tongue and groove. The wood was unfinshed when I installed it and I applied a good coat of UV stain water proofer on it last fall. My question is, Since I installed the floor the wood shrank a little bit and there are some small seams that should be filled or covered to keep moisture out. Is there an outdoor urethane and or selaer for such a use? I scoured Home Depot and everthing they had said for indoor use only. I need something that can deal with temp changes and moisture and UV.????? Thanks

04-12-2007, 08:55 PM	#7
Poolside Syndicated Joined: Apr 2003 Location: Long Beach, CA Oddometer: 11,286	There are 2-part outdoor and marine urethanes too. Dries right now and is much harder than the air dry coating. __________________ IICE Air Hotrod your GS Fuel Injection Tech Info Buy Order List

04-12-2007, 09:32 PM	#8
greywolf Unpaved road avoider Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Evanston IL Oddometer: 890	It's too bad you already replaced the floor. Oak is a poor choice for outdoor use. Ipe or one of the new wood/plastic composites would be a better choice. __________________ Pat in order of ownership 1971 Honda CB350, 2 1973 Honda CB500s, one was stolen, 1974 Can-Am 175 TNT, 1978 Yamaha XS11, 1978 Honda CX500, 1975 BMW R90S, 1983 BMW R65LS, 2005 Suzuki DL650 totaled, 2007 Suzuki DL650A, 2012 Suzuki DL650A

04-13-2007, 06:15 AM	#10
Boatman Ride more, BS less! Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Petersburg, NY and Woodbridge, VA Oddometer: 8,406	I know you want to get the job done ASAP but you may want to wait until the weather turns humid. Depending on how wide these cracks are you may risk the buckling the decking by caulking it now when it's "dry". Did you use red oak or white oak? You may want to use a product called Smith Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer before applying any finish. CPES is like water and will penetrate deep into the wood to help stave off rot and make the wood more stable. It will also help adhere any finishes. You can get any of the products mentioned above from, http://www.jamestowndistributors.com Much cheaper than any local marine mart. __________________ 08 KTM 950 SE, 04 KTM 950 ADV, 10 Husaberg FE390, 66 Kawasaki B8S Super 150 Hi/low beam conversions for: Trail Tech, Baja Designs

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: .
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

04-12-2007, 07:31 PM	#3
Sparkdaddy ^OP aventurero Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Salida, Colorado Oddometer: 926	I have a buddy who used bondo to put down tiles in his home. He owns a body shop so price wasn't a big deal. Apparently they will never be able to be replaced unless you use a jack hammer. Still need a good outdoor sealer for wood though.

04-12-2007, 07:50 PM	#4
IrishFazerBoy Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Oddometer: 31	You need a SPAR Urethane. I have two kids and numerous nephews / nieces...so I use it indoors also! Home Depot, Lowes, or any good hardware store will carry it.

04-12-2007, 08:11 PM	#6
Sparkdaddy ^OP aventurero Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Salida, Colorado Oddometer: 926	F&*K! I don't know why I didn't think of that. You guys rock! Thanks very much!

04-12-2007, 10:36 PM	#9
ctp13 Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2006 Oddometer: 255	IN the boat bz we used to use West Systm and it's equilivent but it sets up hard and somwhat brittle IT also adhears beter than the wood itself. The thing used now is 3M 5200 Caulk Kind of spendy but is paintable comes in colors but only 2 and is flexable . this is a good thing as your deck has not stopped moving ! and it realy sticks. also if you can, Paint the bottom ( if you did not in the first place ) since one sealed side does not stop moisture entering from the other. IE fiberglassing just the outside of a wood hull is asking for disaster . Later usualy much later but it will come. YMMV Chuck

04-13-2007, 09:17 AM	#12
bergermeister housin' Joined: Jan 2006 Location: oc, ca Oddometer: 1,637	correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't spar varnish too soft for a floor? works well on boats because under intense sun and heat it will flex. I don't know that it would hold up to the foot traffic. the bottom line is that wood, especially solid, will expand and contract with moisture changes, mostly across its width. if you pack it too tightly to avoid gaps, you'll get buckling. a plywood/laminate (not the plastic stuff) is more dimensionally stable because it is glued together in layers with grain running 90 degrees to the layers above and below, but even that moves a bit. I say embrace your "rustic" floor the way it is.

04-13-2007, 10:00 AM	#14
WileyRufus Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Chicago Oddometer: 32	I've done my own maintenance on my sailboat (with lots of exterior teak) for the past 15 years, so I've got lots of experience with exterior wood and varnish. You can't stop the wood from expanding and contracting with the weather, so you need a varnish that will move with the wood. Polyurethane, unfortunately, will do that for a couple of years and then it begins to fail. Polyurethane will continue to out-gas forever, and it continually gets harder until the movement of the wood causes it to delaminate from the wood. Then it's a real pain to completely remove it and start over. The boats that have the best finish year to year are using a tung oil based marine spar varnish. You do have to put on several coats to build up a finish that can then take the abraision without getting down to bare wood. Then every few years (unless it's in direct sunlight) you just do light sanding and put on another coat. You can keep this going for many years without having to take it down again to bare wood. In the long run it's easier than dealing with the miracle products when they fail.