Help/advice on old pitch pine floorboards-sanding/varnishing

[Caroline666]

We have just laid reclaimed pitch pine floorboards on to concrete floor using Laybond L16 woodbond. Can we sand it with a big industrial sander or will the glue not withstand the heavy duty sanding? If not what should we use? A handheld sander?
We also need to seal it (I think with polyurethane varnish-matte ideally?) but i'm not sure what colour they would be after sanding or how effective staining before varnish would be, or if we want to stain them at all?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[mac391]

Did you check if the subfloor needed a DPM (damproof membrane) before you laid the new floor ?

If the house doesn't have a membrane and there is moisture in the concrete sub floor you might just have some trouble with the floor moving too much and loosing contact with the adhesive !!!... It will happen fairly quickly and will be visible by the floorboards cupping, i.e raised edges.

Assuming you have checked this before fixing,, yes the floor surface is sandable with heavy duty floor sanders, you might also want an edging sander all with varying grades of paper, from coarse to very fine, depending on condition...

The finish is enterely up to you, a clear matt or satin urethane would be my choice on pitch pine... Always test a patch first while you still have the sanders !!

 

[geraldthehamster]

We have just laid reclaimed pitch pine floorboards on to concrete floor using Laybond L16 woodbond. Can we sand it with a big industrial sander or will the glue not withstand the heavy duty sanding? If not what should we use? A handheld sander?
We also need to seal it (I think with polyurethane varnish-matte ideally?) but i'm not sure what colour they would be after sanding or how effective staining before varnish would be, or if we want to stain them at all?

Any help is appreciated!

I laid pitch pine boards in our bedroom, but they were new boards re-sawn from old beams, so may not be the same as you have. They only needed a very light sanding once down (done with a belt sander).

I used Ronseal Mattcoat polyurethane varnish and am happy with the finish. It even sealed some of the more resinous bits that I thought it might not. It didn't affect the colour very much, but my timber was already quite dark. The same varnish used on old pine tends to give it the golden effect, that you either like or you don't.

I installed some old pine boards elsehwere in the house, and sanded them in the garden, with a belt sander, before fitting. Takes longer but is much less unpleasant. I appreciate that doesn't help you with your job!

Cheers
Richard