Varnishing new floorboards to match old ones

[Yukster]

I varnished my pine floorboards about 10 years ago. The clear Ronseal varnish reacted with the wood to produce an nice Victorian pine finish (very similar to this one http://www.lassco.co.uk/typo3temp/e...032051185380189/LPN701_detail_large_thumb.JPG ). Some of my floorboards have been damaged so I recently sanded sections of my wooden floor. Unfortunately, the newly varnished floorboards looked a lot lighter in color (light pine wood color). It's the same floorboards in both cases.

I am assuming that I got a different color finish because I used different varnishes although both were clear Satin varnish for wooden floors. Ten years ago, I used a clear satin Ronseal varnish but it looked clear in the tin. I used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish (polyurethane based) this time round but the varnish looks milky in color.

Unfortunately, i don't know what varnish I used 10 years ago but I'm hoping that I can figure it out with your help. I'd like to get it to achieve a similar color finish when I varnish the newly sanded sections of my floor. I will be grateful for your advice.

 

[mointainwalker]

The newly-sanded wood will darken with exposure to light ( natural and artificial)

 

[Yukster]

The difference in color between the 10 year old varnished floorboards and the newly varnished ones cant be accounted for by the passage of time. The orange finish was apparent when the varnish was first applied 10 years ago.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I varnished my pine floorboards about 10 years ago. The clear Ronseal varnish reacted with the wood to produce an nice Victorian pine finish (very similar to this one http://www.lassco.co.uk/typo3temp/e...032051185380189/LPN701_detail_large_thumb.JPG ). Some of my floorboards have been damaged so I recently sanded sections of my wooden floor. Unfortunately, the newly varnished floorboards looked a lot lighter in color (light pine wood color). It's the same floorboards in both cases.

I am assuming that I got a different color finish because I used different varnishes although both were clear Satin varnish for wooden floors. Ten years ago, I used a clear satin Ronseal varnish but it looked clear in the tin. I used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish (polyurethane based) this time round but the varnish looks milky in color.

Unfortunately, i don't know what varnish I used 10 years ago but I'm hoping that I can figure it out with your help. I'd like to get it to achieve a similar color finish when I varnish the newly sanded sections of my floor. I will be grateful for your advice.

This is a possible explanation, based on my own experience:

There are solvent-based polyeurethane varnishes, and there are water-based ones. Ten years ago most popular floor varnishes were solvent-based. Now they are mostly water-based - the varnish appears milky white in the tin, and the tin says "Low VOC" and tells you to wash the brushes out with water. This includes Ronseal Diamond Hard.

It's the solvent-based polyeurethane varnish that turns old sanded pine the golden colour. Water-based varnish leaves it much paler.

I had the same issue as you; in the end I used Ronseal Ultra Tough Mattcoat (solvent-based polyeurethane, also in gloss and satin). It's not sold as a floor varnish but I've had no problems with it in that application.

If you think this is the explanation, you have possibly two options:

(i) re-sand the lighter area, and re-varnish with solvent-based varnish. The risk is that if you have pits in the floor, and the sander doesn't get to the bottom of them, the pits will end up highlighted in a lighter colour (don't ask me how I know...)

(ii) if the discrepancy isn't too obtrusive, leave it for the daylight gradually to darken the lighter timber, or put a rug over it.

Hope this helps
Richard

 

[Yukster]

I varnished my pine floorboards about 10 years ago. The clear Ronseal varnish reacted with the wood to produce an nice Victorian pine finish (very similar to this one http://www.lassco.co.uk/typo3temp/e...032051185380189/LPN701_detail_large_thumb.JPG ). Some of my floorboards have been damaged so I recently sanded sections of my wooden floor. Unfortunately, the newly varnished floorboards looked a lot lighter in color (light pine wood color). It's the same floorboards in both cases.

I am assuming that I got a different color finish because I used different varnishes although both were clear Satin varnish for wooden floors. Ten years ago, I used a clear satin Ronseal varnish but it looked clear in the tin. I used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish (polyurethane based) this time round but the varnish looks milky in color.

Unfortunately, i don't know what varnish I used 10 years ago but I'm hoping that I can figure it out with your help. I'd like to get it to achieve a similar color finish when I varnish the newly sanded sections of my floor. I will be grateful for your advice.

This is a possible explanation, based on my own experience:

There are solvent-based polyeurethane varnishes, and there are water-based ones. Ten years ago most popular floor varnishes were solvent-based. Now they are mostly water-based - the varnish appears milky white in the tin, and the tin says "Low VOC" and tells you to wash the brushes out with water. This includes Ronseal Diamond Hard.

It's the solvent-based polyeurethane varnish that turns old sanded pine the golden colour. Water-based varnish leaves it much paler.

I had the same issue as you; in the end I used Ronseal Ultra Tough Mattcoat (solvent-based polyeurethane, also in gloss and satin). It's not sold as a floor varnish but I've had no problems with it in that application.

If you think this is the explanation, you have possibly two options:

(i) re-sand the lighter area, and re-varnish with solvent-based varnish. The risk is that if you have pits in the floor, and the sander doesn't get to the bottom of them, the pits will end up highlighted in a lighter colour (don't ask me how I know...)

(ii) if the discrepancy isn't too obtrusive, leave it for the daylight gradually to darken the lighter timber, or put a rug over it.

Hope this helps
Richard

I think you're on to something. I'll try the solvent base Ronseal Ultra Tough varnish this evening. I really hope it works!

 

[geraldthehamster]

I varnished my pine floorboards about 10 years ago. The clear Ronseal varnish reacted with the wood to produce an nice Victorian pine finish (very similar to this one http://www.lassco.co.uk/typo3temp/e...032051185380189/LPN701_detail_large_thumb.JPG ). Some of my floorboards have been damaged so I recently sanded sections of my wooden floor. Unfortunately, the newly varnished floorboards looked a lot lighter in color (light pine wood color). It's the same floorboards in both cases.

I am assuming that I got a different color finish because I used different varnishes although both were clear Satin varnish for wooden floors. Ten years ago, I used a clear satin Ronseal varnish but it looked clear in the tin. I used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish (polyurethane based) this time round but the varnish looks milky in color.

Unfortunately, i don't know what varnish I used 10 years ago but I'm hoping that I can figure it out with your help. I'd like to get it to achieve a similar color finish when I varnish the newly sanded sections of my floor. I will be grateful for your advice.

This is a possible explanation, based on my own experience:

There are solvent-based polyeurethane varnishes, and there are water-based ones. Ten years ago most popular floor varnishes were solvent-based. Now they are mostly water-based - the varnish appears milky white in the tin, and the tin says "Low VOC" and tells you to wash the brushes out with water. This includes Ronseal Diamond Hard.

It's the solvent-based polyeurethane varnish that turns old sanded pine the golden colour. Water-based varnish leaves it much paler.

I had the same issue as you; in the end I used Ronseal Ultra Tough Mattcoat (solvent-based polyeurethane, also in gloss and satin). It's not sold as a floor varnish but I've had no problems with it in that application.

If you think this is the explanation, you have possibly two options:

(i) re-sand the lighter area, and re-varnish with solvent-based varnish. The risk is that if you have pits in the floor, and the sander doesn't get to the bottom of them, the pits will end up highlighted in a lighter colour (don't ask me how I know...)

(ii) if the discrepancy isn't too obtrusive, leave it for the daylight gradually to darken the lighter timber, or put a rug over it.

Hope this helps
Richard

I think you're on to something. I'll try the solvent base Ronseal Ultra Tough varnish this evening. I really hope it works!

This assumes you're not talking about varnishing *new* floorboards - as in newly bought and newly laid. Your subject line suggests you are, but the text of your post suggests you're not. New floorboards will stay pretty pale whatever you varnish them with.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Yukster]

My post is a bit unclear. I guess I was doing a bit of both so your comment is helpful. I have floorboards in my bathroom which I am thinking of replacing with slate tiles over a chipboard or something like that.

So I can sand the floorboards from my bathroom and use them rather than some of the new floorboards so I'll end up with all old (possibly Victorian) floorboards and no new ones.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Why, if there are only two members replying to each others replies, do you both quote the whole post again?
Just put your comment beneath the original answer without quoting, makes reading and following the thread easier for everyone.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Why, if there are only two members replying to each others replies, do you both quote the whole post again?
Just put your comment beneath the original answer without quoting, makes reading and following the thread easier for everyone.

It's a fair point, but why clutter up the thread further with comments about the style of it?

Cheers
Richard

 

[geraldthehamster]

My post is a bit unclear. I guess I was doing a bit of both so your comment is helpful. I have floorboards in my bathroom which I am thinking of replacing with slate tiles over a chipboard or something like that.

So I can sand the floorboards from my bathroom and use them rather than some of the new floorboards so I'll end up with all old (possibly Victorian) floorboards and no new ones.

You can. I've done plenty of that, and the advantage is that you can sand them out in the garden, and not get dust all over your house.

I haven't done tiles over a wooden floor myself, but I believe that plywood is a better base than chipboard, especially in a bathroom.

I meant to add, on the topic of solvent-based varnish, and in case it wasn't completely clear from what I said before - if you've already varnished with water-based, you will need to sand that off, back to bare wood, before applying the solvent-based, or you won't get the effect you're after.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Yukster]

I think you're on to something. I'll try the solvent base Ronseal Ultra Tough varnish this evening. I really hope it works![/quote]

 

[Yukster]

(i) re-sand the lighter area, and re-varnish with solvent-based varnish. The risk is that if you have pits in the floor, and the sander doesn't get to the bottom of them, the pits will end up highlighted in a lighter colour (don't ask me how I know...)
Richard

I just applied the Ronseal Ultra Tough satin varnish and as you predicted, the dips came out lighter. But what also happened is that parts of the floorboard that was sanded more than the rest on the floorboards (this happened on a damaged floorboard used for testing so i over sanded parts of it) came out lighter as well. Should I wait for the varnish to dry and sand the light bits more to get an even golden color finish?

 

[geraldthehamster]

I just applied the Ronseal Ultra Tough satin varnish and as you predicted, the dips came out lighter. But what also happened is that parts of the floorboard that was sanded more than the rest on the floorboards (this happened on a damaged floorboard used for testing so i over sanded parts of it) came out lighter as well. Should I wait for the varnish to dry and sand the light bits more to get an even golden color finish?

Are we talking about floorboards you'd previously varnished with water-based varnish, or freshly sanded floorboards?

If you mean previously varnished boards, then you needed to sand the pits out because otherwise they still have water-based varnish in them, sealing the surface, and the solvent-based can't penetrate the wood. The water-based varnish will have penetrated the wood to some extent, which might account for the variegated effect if you have sanded some parts deeper.

If you mean newly sanded boards, then I'd expect any pits left to be darker, because you won't have sanded off the greyer aged surface of the timber.

You really need to sand the wood flat before you start, and if there are any gouges so deep to make this impractical, sand those locally by hand.

I really preferred your idea of starting afresh with boards taken from the bathroom, rather than re-sanding boards already varnished, because it avoids the need to remove previous varnish.

Concerning re-sanding, the only sanding you want to be doing once you've applied the first coat of your chosen varnish is de-nibbing between coats with a fine paper (120 grit or finer), to achieve a smooth surface. I used 3 coats.

Cheers
Richard
(excess quoting removed for the benefit of the other chap)