Refinishing a 115 year old painted pine floor
Q: I’m refinishing a 115 year old pine floor and getting a little desperate! I’ve already managed to sand and scrape off several generations of paint and reached the bare wood and my first coat of oil-based poly has dried.
However, I’m afraid I put it on a little too thick in places in one room and have several black stains appearing where there was only bare wood before (particularly around counter-sunk nail holes I didn’t dare try to fill.)
I now understand I should have used a sealer on my pine floors to produce a more uniform amber color, but at this stage I just hope to remove the black stains and put two more coats of poly down. I’ll be happy with a rustic look as long as it doesn’t appear I have tire tracks in my dining room!
A: Painted pine? I would have recommended you hire a professional for sure. To save some money, you may have jeopardized your health. Without doubt, the paint you removed would have contained lead.
I wouldn’t consider some black discolouration around counter sunk nail heads necessarily a blight on a floor like this. If it really bothers you, you can always “countersink” or recess the black spots and apply wood filler over top. You will need to buff with a fine abrasive between each coat, and remember: thin coats are best. Generally a spread rate of about 500 sq. ft. per gallon is recommended.
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