How Was Shellac Applied To Hardwood Floors

Some shellac manufacturers recommend using it as a protective coat on non wood items.

How was shellac applied to hardwood floors.

If you clean wood floors with the same harsh chemicals as you do laminate floors or tile you can strip away the sealant and damage the wood. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the film to dry then dip and dab again over a wider area. This method allows you to get three or four coats of finish on the floor in five hours. Apply shellac to main body of the floor using a lambs wool applicator following the grain of the wood.

Finished hardwood floors add value and appeal to the home. Fine furniture items can be greatly enhanced with shellac. Shellac naturally dries to with an. It s not compatible with more modern finishes such as polyurethane so only refinish shellac with wax or another coating of shellac.

You need to know how to take care of them though. Wearing latex gloves dip the cloth in the shellac tap it against the palm of your gloved hand to remove any excess then quickly dab on a thin layer with one or two short strokes no more. Form a clean cloth into a smooth fist size ball. Lap marks can also be avoided by thinning the shellac with denatured alcohol down to a 2 pound cut rather than its standard 3 pound cut.

The most popular way to apply it is with a bristle brush or a cotton rag. You can apply shellac in a number of ways. Floor wax is usually not recommended for soft or hardwood floors but that is because most new installations are finished with urethane which requires no wax or additional finish. Some woodworkers like to do the wipe on method for polyurethane since it gives the projects a hand rubbed look that tends to provide a unique finish for their prized pieces.

Avoid excessive brushing or wiping with the applicator. Apply it with a natural bristle brush or with a cotton rag. Houses built before 1970 may have hardwood floors finished with shellac and you can maintain and refinish them with another coating of shellac. Apply shellac to 2 or 3 board widths at a time laying the product down in a smooth even brushing motion.

Made from denatured alcohol mixed with secretions of the lac bug an insect found in asia shellac has been used to seal and finish wood for hundreds of years. To avoid lap marks shellac should be applied quickly with a lambswool applicator or brush. Shellac is available in most home centers as a liquid in a can.