No matter what new floor coverings please us modern technologies production of building materials, probably none of them will ever be able to compare with natural wood. Natural beautiful texture, pleasant color, peculiar warmth of wood - this is for synthetics or composite materials is an unattainable level. It’s funny to remember, but just 30 years ago, wooden floors were perceived as something “retrograde,” and they were in a hurry to replace them with newfangled linoleum, without thinking at all about how much they were losing.

Of course, if in some utility room the floors are made of low-quality boards, then they can simply be painted. But hiding the beautiful texture of wood on the floors in living rooms– this is simply a “crime”. However, natural material is quite vulnerable and requires protection from external negative influences. There is a solution - varnishing the wooden floor.

• Firstly, the main “enemy” of almost any wood is moisture. Water is absorbed into the structure of the wood or, conversely, over time it actively evaporates, changing the geometric dimensions and shape of parts, leading to deformation general design. Typical examples are swelling wooden products or their drying out, in both cases ending in a violation of their integrity and fit. Varnish creates protective film, which does not allow such changes in the humidity of the material.
• Secondly, natural wood very often becomes a breeding ground for microflora, insects or rodents. Varnishing minimizes this danger.
• Thirdly, varnish coating increases the surface strength of wood. The floor surface becomes less vulnerable to mechanical, especially point and abrasive loads.
• Fourthly, the floor surface will not actively absorb dirt, and its maintenance will be significantly simplified.
• And fifthly, varnish not only does not hide the natural texture and color of the wood - it can even enhance the effect, favorably highlighting both the pattern of wood fibers and their natural shade. At the same time, the protective layer will preserve this decorative effect for a long time without any fading or abrasion of the surface.

What varnishes are used on wooden floors

From an amateurish point of view, it may seem that varnish for a wooden floor is some kind of single material used everywhere and with any type of coating. In fact, you can list at least a dozen different types varnish, not to mention specific brands and types.

First of all, they are divided into large groups - cooked on water based or using organic solvents.

Water-soluble ones are cleaner from an environmental point of view, they give much less unpleasant odor when drying, but it is believed that they are somewhat inferior to organic-based varnishes in terms of giving surface strength wooden floors.

According to the type of main binding component, varnishes for wooden floors are divided into the following types:

• Acrylic varnishes are produced exclusively on a water basis, have excellent spreadability, and are very convenient when performing work. The coating gains good elasticity. Disadvantage: the resulting transparent layer does not have very high strength properties. The price for such varnishes is quite affordable.

• Alkyd varnishes for wood are very different quick drying, are resistant to abrasion, but the impact strength is low due to insufficient elasticity.
• Oil varnishes are based on natural vegetable oils and resins. They are not used as a finishing coating - their purpose is limited to pre-coating wood.

• Polyurethane varnishes - according to many painters and finishers, are optimal choice. Available in both water and organic basis. They are distinguished by both high strength and elasticity of the resulting coating. There is, perhaps, only one drawback - water-soluble polyurethane varnishes are quite expensive, and organic-based ones emit a sharp, unpleasant odor when they harden for quite a long time.

• Epoxy varnishes are good in almost all respects (the only possible exception is insufficient elasticity). Big sign The downside to these materials is the difficulty of working with them. They are always two-component, which implies adherence to the technology for preparing the varnish immediately before application, and a short “life expectancy” of the finished solution.
• Polyurethane-acrylic varnishes are intended for mass use. Manufacturers have tried to combine the qualities of expensive PU materials with the low price of acrylic. To some extent this was possible, but the strength of such varnishes is, of course, lower.

• Urethane varnishes have good strength and ductility indicators and a low price. They are quite suitable for floors in rooms where heavy loads are not expected. Their advantage is that they do not “glue” adjacent floorboards or parquet; on the contrary, they are a kind of damper during thermal linear vibrations of parts.
• They have similar properties, but only greater mechanical strength. wood coverings with marked on them urethane-alkyd varnishes.
• A rare type of varnish is urea-formaldehyde. They are used infrequently in residential construction due to their low environmental qualities.
• Alcohol varnishes are good because, thanks to high speed Alcohol vapors harden very quickly and have excellent adhesion to any substrate. The coating they make is durable and has a characteristic shine. A characteristic feature is the possibility of applying a large number of layers as the old ones wear out, without losing the decorative effect. Everything spoils only them main drawback– they are very unstable to water.

Selecting the right varnish for a particular room is a kind of indicator of the high qualifications of a real specialist. This takes into account much - intensity movement on the floor, temperature and humidity conditions (normal and critical), type and type of wood, the need for matte or glossy coating, the required decorative effect and much more. It is impossible to learn this simply by reading an article - it only comes with experience, so here are just a few recommendations for using varnishes for wooden floors:

• If floors are varnished in rooms with high humidity (for example, a kitchen or bathroom), then the choice should be made in favor of waterproof compounds - polyurethane, urethane-alkyd or urethane.
• When varnishing a wooden floor in a nursery or bedroom, considerations of environmental friendliness come to the fore. It is important that the varnish marking contains a special symbol “ EN 71.3". Usually these are polyurethane varnishes with a minimal drying period, and therefore release toxic fumes during this time.
• Floors in the hallway, living room, hall, steps and landings wooden stairs experience significant mechanical and abrasive loads. In addition to expensive polyurethane varnishes, epoxy compounds are quite suitable here.
• It can be quite slippery on the porch or at the entrance to the house in winter, and the risk of injury will be significantly reduced by urethane varnishes - they have a pronounced anti-slip effect.
• If the floors are varnished in a country house, in which winter period heating will not work, it is better to resort to urethane or urethane-alkyd compositions. They are not afraid of high humidity, and their high elasticity will prevent the varnished coating from collapsing due to thermal expansion of the wood.

How to properly varnish a wooden floor

Before you begin work on directly applying varnish to the surface of a wooden floor, you will need to perform several preparatory stages, without which the varnishing itself will simply become meaningless.

Preliminary preparation of the surface of a wooden floor

We will proceed from the assumptions that the floor surface is strong, smooth, and has no significant defects, that is, questions of any repairs do not arise. However, there is a lot of work to be done:

• Be sure to carefully inspect the entire surface to identify any obvious burrs or protruding fibers - all of this must be removed.
• Be sure to press the heads of nails or screws into the surface of the wood - they will quickly render the sandpaper unusable at the next stage of work.

• The small indentations remaining from the caps should be carefully filled with a special wood putty suitable for color tone to the common surface. It’s easy to make such a composition yourself - just mix wood glue or even varnish purchased for work with small sawdust. After puttying (you don’t have to do much leveling, the main thing is to ensure maximum density), you need to wait until the repair composition has completely dried.
• Perhaps the floor was treated earlier protective wax. If traces of such treatment remain, you will have to wash the surface with either a special product or white spirit.
• In case floors are made from coniferous species wood (for example, spruce or pine), and are distinguished by a pronounced resin content, it is necessary to treat with a rag generously moistened with gasoline - it dissolves the resin well.

When all the above steps have been completed, you can proceed to cleaning and sanding the floor surface.

Sanding the floor before applying varnish

Sanding a wooden floor before varnishing should never be neglected. In the best case scenario, the surface simply will not look beautiful and neat. Worse, if the varnish applied to an unsanded surface begins to peel off - and this is quite possible, since the surface layer of wood may have a lot of contaminants that cannot be removed otherwise than by sanding.

• So, the main tasks of this stage are to remove top layer along with dirt, faded wood texture, “get” to clean wood with its natural pattern, ideally level the surface so that the varnish spreads easily over it, without lingering on a rough or fleecy surface.

• For grinding (not to be confused with scraping) use tape, disk (orbital, eccentric) grinding machines.

Can also be used vibration , but performance indicators her lower.

For processing hard to reach places, for example, blind corners, will have to work manually too.

• Primary cleaning is carried out with sandpaper with a grain size of about 60 ÷ 80 units. This will help remove dirt and possible remnants of old coatings.
• After the initial cleaning, it is necessary to remove all sawdust and vacuum the surface - this is done after each stage of grinding, so that all possible defects are visually noticeable.
• Sandpaper is changed to a less gritty one (120 - 180) and carry out secondary cleaning. The wood must fully acquire its characteristic color and texture. The floor becomes smooth, without the slightest steps or holes. All putty areas are leveled with the main coating.
• After cleaning, it makes sense to apply an antiseptic impregnating composition to the surface. This is not a mandatory measure, but it is still better to protect the wooden floor from the possible appearance of colonies of microorganisms.
• When the antiseptic composition has completely dried (about a day), final sanding of the surface is carried out using fine sandpaper with a grain size of up to 400.
• The floor will be ready for application of paints and varnishes after thorough cleaning, down to the smallest specks of dust (they can really ruin the look varnished surface). It is clear that you cannot do without a vacuum cleaner, but in addition to this, you can also do light wet cleaning. It is best to use microfiber as a rag - it will never produce any lint or dust.

• You can add a small amount of detergent to warm water. However, caution should be exercised here - some types of wood, for example oak or chestnut, may “react inappropriately” to the soap solution. It is best to try on a small fragment of the surface on an inconspicuous area of ​​the floor.
• After wet cleaning, the floor is wiped down clean water, is wiped dry, and as it dries completely, you can move on to the next steps.

Primer and floors and applying layers of varnish

1. Work on applying paint and varnish coatings should be carried out with respiratory protection (respirator) and skin (gloves, special clothing). Knee pads will be a useful attribute, and it is better to wear shoe covers on your shoes. You should have a clean rag on hand - it can quickly remove any dust found on a wooden surface.

• The optimal temperature of the floor surface and air in the room is from 10 to 25 ºС. The room should be ventilated, but at the same time a pronounced draft should not be created.
• You should think through the work plan in advance - so as to leave yourself escape routes from the premises. If a wooden interfloor staircase is to be varnished, it is better carry out work step by step, one step at a time.
• Before applying primer and varnish, you should conduct a small experiment on an inconspicuous area. floors - like wood will react to the compositions used.

2. In order for the varnish to adhere well and evenly, the floor surface must first be primed.

• Nitrovarnish may be suitable as a primer. However, it is quite possible to get by with the varnish that was purchased for the finishing coat, but only by diluting it approximately with a base solvent.
• However, there may be certain nuances in this matter. So, some types of wood will require a special approach - you should find out about this in advance. For example, oak may darken from exposure to polyurethane compounds, which means a special primer with barrier properties will be required. A special technology is used for beech - so that water-soluble compounds do not disturb the structure of the wood, a primer is needed that will not cause adjacent floorboards (slats) to stick together.
• There are wood species whose chemical composition will prevent the normal hardening of a particular varnish. To neutralize the action essential oils, also use a special cutting primer specifically designed for these purposes.
• The primer is applied with a wide brush (about 100 mm) with a thickness of 10 to 50 mm, only along the wood fibers. It is important to ensure that no section of the floor is left unprimed.

When working with varnish, be sure to protect your respiratory system.

• The varnish can be applied with a brush (the same as for priming) or with a roller. When working with a brush, arc-shaped movements are made so that each pass intersects with the already applied varnish. The varnish is applied crosswise with a roller - first it is applied across the floorboards. required quantity material, and then along – its uniform distribution over the surface. Each pass of the roller should cover the already treated area by ¼ of its width.

• Excessive use of varnish is not recommended; such a coating sometimes looks very ugly.
• After applying the first layer, the floor is left to dry. There is no need to rush here - each subsequent layer is applied exclusively to a completely dry surface.
• In order for the varnished floor to become truly beautiful and uniform, each applied layer (except for the finishing layer) must be subjected to additional sanding.

This must be done manually sandpaper 220 grit– 400, or use grinding equipment, but with great care. Such processing will remove hairiness, possible small ripples and etc.

• After each grinding, the surface is dusted and lightly washed with clean water.
• The number of layers applied depends on the type of wood and the specific type of room. Usually limited to 3 layers, but sometimes even 5 ÷ 7 are required.
• The main direction of movement of the brush with each subsequent application can be changed to perpendicular, but taking into account the fact that when applying the finishing layer it should be from the main light source (window) to the exit.
• After finishing varnishing finishing layer, the floor is left to dry for the period specified by the varnish manufacturer. During this period, it is necessary to completely eliminate the possibility of dust or water getting on the surface.
• If, after the drying period, the floor remains slightly sticky, this can be eliminated by wiping the surface with a mild soap solution - ordinary kitchen utensils are well suited for this purpose. detergents for dishes.

The “sticky” effect of a completely dry floor can be eliminated with a light soap solution

• Complete drying of the surface will be achieved in about a week. Now everything is ready - the floor has received reliable protection, the expected decorative effect and is completely ready for full use.

Video: example of varnishing work on a wooden floor

If you decide to choose a floor varnish, then you need to familiarize yourself with several of its varieties. The surface in question undergoes significant daily mechanical stress. That is why, without varnish, the base will quickly lose its original appearance and will require repairs. But after the surface is varnished, it will look great and will begin to cope with its tasks perfectly.

Selection criteria

As the most important criteria when choosing a varnish they act functional purpose rooms and expected loads. If the premises are not visited by a huge number of people every day, and those who live in the apartment use soft slippers, you should opt for a composition that involves minimal loads. Whereas for the corridor and kitchen it would be preferable to choose a varnish that can maximally protect the floor surface from all kinds of loads and dirt. If we are talking about a restaurant, bar or any other room that is visited by many people every day, it is best to purchase an oil impregnation or a special water-repellent composition that will be able to preserve the surface for a long time.

Types of varnishes

If you have to choose a varnish for the floor, then you need to familiarize yourself with the varieties of such products. Thus, the mixture may have a certain fluidity, viscosity, and also require the use of a certain application method. It is important to distinguish between mixtures and chemical composition. They can be water-soluble, urethane-alkyd, primer, polyurethane, as well as those made on a water or anhydrous basis. It is important to decide what preferences you have regarding the appearance of the surface after the varnish has dried. Thus, you can choose a specific shade or composition that has transparent texture. For lovers/non-lovers of shine, manufacturers offer silky-matte, glossy, semi-matte, semi-gloss, and matte compositions for sale.

Primer varnishes

When choosing a floor varnish, you may prefer a primer. Such mixtures include finishing coatings, which can increase the quality of adhesion. They are used to improve the appearance of varnish. Their main purpose is to form a perfectly even shade, reduce the adhesive effect of the composition on the side joints, and also isolate the natural oils of certain types of wood. Primer mixtures are used to prevent interaction of the base of the dies with the introductory residue.

Features of using primer varnish

If you choose a primer varnish for the floor, then before applying it you need to make sure that it is compatible with the decorative coating. Otherwise, you can get the effect of forming stains, which will be quite difficult to get rid of.

If we are talking about water-based varnish, then a primer with the same composition should be applied under it. The described mixtures tend to reduce material costs during formation decorative covering, because the base acquires the quality of reducing penetration. The drying period is very short. This is due to the fact that among the ingredients there are solvents that quickly evaporate from the base. After application, the composition should be left for a period of 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Water-soluble varnishes

If you choose an inexpensive varnish for a wooden floor, it is best to purchase a water-soluble one. It has optimal quality. It contains tiny particles of water, solvents and emulsifiers. After complete evaporation of water and solvent, the varnish is as durable as possible. There are three types of water-based varnishes on sale. The first does not contain solvents, the second contains them within 5%, while the third has the mentioned components in an amount of 15%. Each variety has certain characteristics. If there is a need to improve parquet board or parquet, then you should choose just such a composition. But you need to take into account the fact that the mixture penetrates well between the dies, which can cause squeaking.

Disadvantages of water-based varnishes

When purchasing water-based varnish for a wooden floor, you should pay attention not only to its environmental friendliness and low cost, but also to some disadvantages. Among them, we can highlight insignificant wear resistance. All water-soluble classical compositions have this quality, among the ingredients of which are the substances mentioned above. Whereas if the water-based floor varnish also has additives to increase the lifespan of the coating, the mixture acquires excellent protective qualities. However, it should be noted that application should only be carried out when the room humidity is 50% or more. As practice shows, it is not always possible to achieve such indicators. In order to get as close as possible to the recommended conditions, work must be carried out in winter time and use a humidifier.

When choosing a water-based varnish for a pine board floor, you must also take into account the fact that such compositions are very demanding in the choice of application means. Do not use sponges, spatulas, brushes or tampons. The master only has a roller at his disposal, but his choice will also have to be taken very seriously. Water-based floor varnish, despite all the disadvantages, is quite often chosen by modern consumers.

Advantages of water-based varnishes

Due to the fact that the described compositions contain water, they do not have a pronounced unpleasant odor. However, there is no point in saying that the mixture does not smell at all. However, you can carry out floor painting work even when there are people in the room. This is very attractive to private consumers and owners office premises. Water-based floor varnish is fireproof, so it can be used even in conditions that have special requirements in this matter. It is important to pay attention to its purpose before purchasing such a composition. If you buy professional product, then application can be carried out without using a primer. And vice versa. If the mixture is not related to a professional one, then you will first have to spend time priming the base.

Polyurethane waterless varnishes

If you are choosing a varnish for a pine board floor that is constantly exposed to stress, then you should choose a water-free polyurethane composition. It is durable and has excellent adhesive properties. Based on the number of components included in the composition, two-component and one-component compositions can be distinguished. The formula of both mixtures may include aromatic compounds that can give the solution a less pungent aroma than is usually present in traditional varnishes. The basic basis for such mixtures can be solvent, acrylic or urethane. The described floor varnish dries much faster than water-soluble varnish. This is due precisely to the lack of water. The drying process is accompanied by the evaporation of the solvent, while at the next stage the varnish acquires hardness due to appropriate chemical reactions. During application of the mixture and its drying, the film should be protected from contact with water. That is why it is recommended to analyze the moisture content of the wood before starting work. The norm is the humidity indicator, which is equivalent to 8%. Otherwise, the result may be negative: air bubbles form on the surface and foaming may occur.

Pros of waterless varnishes

If you have chosen a waterless varnish for your floorboards, you can eliminate the need to use a primer before starting the process. These compositions are elastic and not capricious to the conditions of any room. During operation, waterless varnishes are completely unaffected by water. Experts say that such mixtures are the best solution for parquet even when its surfaces are subjected to maximum loads every day.

Alkyd compositions

Varnishes made on the basis of oil resins are made from natural raw materials. It is due to the presence of oils in the mixture that the product is able to penetrate deeply into the wood structure. The varnish may also contain white spirit, the concentration of which is determined by the manufacturer. By purchasing this varnish for a pine floor, you can enhance the natural beauty of the wood, emphasizing its structure. The mixture does not have adhesive qualities, this indicates that when applied, the composition will not flow into the cracks between the boards. During operation, alkyd compositions withstand mechanical loads and temperature changes well. This also applies to indoor humidity variations.

Cons of alkyd varnishes

If you want to purchase best varnish for the floor, then alkyd compounds should be considered. However, they also have their disadvantages. Among them, one can highlight sensitivity at the drying stage to the effects of high temperatures. That is why after application you should lower the temperature in the room by opening doors and windows. It is also important to remember the following. If you do not notice and apply an excessively thick layer, wrinkles may appear on it after drying.

Conclusion

If you are thinking about the question of which floor varnish to choose, then you should consider all the varieties on the market building materials. It is also recommended that you carefully read the information provided above.

Choosing a varnish for a pine floor is a very responsible procedure, because not only the appearance of the coating, but also the duration of its operation depends on its quality. The selected solution must reliably protect the wood from mold, fungi, chemical (mechanical) damage and other negative factors.

Choosing a varnish

Varnish for wooden floors is selected based on the operating conditions of the coating

Independent laying of the floor covering also involves its subsequent processing with your own hands. Having decided to lay a wooden floor, you need to immediately attend to the purchase suitable varnish. The main selection criteria are determined based on the operating conditions of the board.

Main selection criteria

When choosing the ideal varnish for a pine floor, you should consider the following factors:

• Load level on a wooden floor. At very high loads, the use of the most resistant composition is assumed. Based on this, it is recommended to use waterless polyurethane varnish in the kitchen, hallway or living room. It will be well absorbed into the coating and will not require any special care.

Small rooms (closets and other utility rooms, small offices and bedrooms) can be treated with an inexpensive water-based product. Prices for such formulations start at $1.8 per liter.

Many varnishes simultaneously impart different shades to wood

• Hue. If you are completely satisfied with the color of the pine board, there is no point in using a tint composition. It is enough to use a transparent varnish.
• Terms of Use. Low/high humidity and other nuances.
• Type of old coating. Certain types of varnishes, when applied to each other, lose their performance properties and lose their aesthetics. For example, floorboards treated with different solutions often crack or become blistered. To avoid such a reaction, in the absence of information about the old coating, complete cleansing of the unknown finish is recommended.

In addition, you should pay attention to the characteristics of the mixture itself:

• Appearance;
• Technological properties;
• Presence or absence of shine;
• Product composition.

Which varnish to choose for a particular floor is a personal matter, but the following nuances should be taken into account:

• The viscosity of the composition directly affects the duration of its drying: the higher it is, the more time is needed.
• Color mixtures are used to harmoniously merge the coating with the already existing interior. To treat floors made of wear-resistant wood (for example, oak or pine), it is better to use a transparent composition, which will only highlight all the advantages of the material.
• The glossy composition will create an additional visual effect and the wood will shine regardless of the brightness level of the lighting.

Optimal options

Polyurethane and acrylic floor varnishes create a water-repellent film

Varnishes have a whole set beneficial properties, but, as a rule, one of them prevails over the others, so you should immediately prioritize. If moisture resistance comes first, you will have to choose between polyurethane and alkyd varnish (they are perfect for the bathroom), but for the hallway it is better to choose a composition that increases abrasion resistance. Which solution is best for a nursery or bedroom? If we take environmental friendliness as the main criterion, it’s definitely a water-based varnish. It does not emit harmful substances during operation.

Water-based compositions can be used in rooms where no more than 3 people will be present. Colored polyurethane varnishes look great in hallways and kitchens. They are quickly absorbed, protect well from dirt and high loads, do not require additional care. In offices and restaurants, water-repellent mixtures and oil impregnations are often used. They perfectly preserve the structure of wood for many years.

Characteristics of different types of varnish

In order not to get confused and choose the right varnish, you should first familiarize yourself with what the market has to offer us. Nowadays there are 5 types of varnish mixtures:

• Water;
• Acrylic;
• Primers;
• Polyurethane;
• Alkyd.

They have a certain set of advantages and disadvantages, which determine the scope of their application.

Water based varnish

The mixture does not emit unpleasant odors. Dries after a few hours to a beautiful, shiny finish.

Represents perfect combination price-quality (average price $8 per liter). It absorbs well into the wooden floor and hardens quickly. Water-based varnish is considered the safest for use, because during the application process it emits a minimum of solvent vapors, since it contains only a small proportion of synthetic components. The solvent concentration ranges from 0 to 15%, depending on the manufacturer.

The mixture does not emit unpleasant odors. It dries after a few hours to a beautiful shiny finish. The process of solidification of the composition is slightly different from the usual:

• Water evaporates first;
• Afterwards, a solvent that, upon contact with air, destroys the binding elements.
• The solution gradually turns into a film and then hardens. A durable coating is formed that perfectly resists the effects of adverse environmental factors.

However, when choosing a water-based composition, you need to take into account that it also has a number of disadvantages. Among them is a high level of penetration into the structure of a wooden board. Thus, if you treat a pine floor with this varnish, even with small gaps between the tiles, you should be prepared for an unexpected result. The mixture is not highly viscous and will certainly penetrate into the coating, which will cause squeaks after the substance has hardened.

Important! Before applying water-based varnish, all cracks are sealed with putty. Then the wood is coated with a deep penetration primer.

Alkyd varnishes

To the disadvantages alkyd composition should be attributed to its long drying

The main component of alkyd compositions are resins, which are obtained from natural raw materials. They penetrate deeply into the wooden floor, reliably protecting it from damage and emphasizing the natural beauty of the wood. The environmentally friendly mixture perfectly withstands temperature changes and high humidity and, what is especially nice, it does not contribute to the appearance of squeaks. The price of the product is from $2.3 per liter.

The disadvantages of the alkyd composition include its long drying time. Moreover, if you do not monitor the thickness of the coating during processing, specific “wrinkles” may form on the surface.

Important! Service life varnish coating 3-4 years.

As an option, you can purchase Tikkurila urethane-alkyd varnish. It is available in 3 types of compositions: glossy, semi-matte and semi-gloss. There are about 30 shades in the range. The price of Tikkuril mixtures starts from $5 per liter and it is quite consistent with the quality.

Primer varnishes

Primer varnish is usually used to improve surface adhesion.

The best varnish for a wooden floor is definitely a primer. It favorably emphasizes the beauty of wood and perfectly evens out its shade. The composition protects the boards from ultraviolet radiation and moisture, increasing their service life to several decades. The price of the product is from $1.9 per kg.

Important! Drying time for the varnished surface is no more than 3 hours.

Primer varnish is usually used to improve surface adhesion. Before deciding to purchase it, you should definitely find out what composition the wood was previously treated with. Some mixtures, when interacting, spoil the appearance of the coating.

Polyurethane varnish

Pine boards are most often coated with polyurethane varnish. It is very elastic, strong and durable, and also has increased abrasion resistance. The composition effectively holds the floorboards together, turning them into a single structure. The material dries in 2-2.5 hours even with high level humidity. The main thing is to ventilate the room afterward. The main disadvantage of the polyurethane mixture is its high price (from $13 per liter).

Acrylic varnish

Acrylic composition can be selected for processing hardwood, pine belongs to soft species

When working with such varnish, you need to take into account that it consists mainly of synthetic resins and a number of inorganic solvents. It follows that when the composition hardens, it will emit an unpleasant and toxic odor. But there are also advantages - the mixture significantly increases the strength and practicality of wood. To do this, the boards are processed in several stages, applying layers at intervals of 4 days after drying.

Acrylic composition can be chosen for processing hard wood, while pine is a soft type. It is not recommended to treat it with “hard” varnish.

Conclusions

A pine floor can be painted with any varnish you like, except acrylic, for example, something from Tikkuril products. Typically, manufacturers indicate on the label the wood species for which each specific composition is suitable for processing, as well as the technological and operational features of the mixture.

Despite the abundance of different artificial materials, intended for finishing floor coverings, natural wood has not lost its relevance. A floor or parquet made from first-class boards adds a unique touch to the atmosphere of a home, contributing to the unique harmony of man and nature. Many types of wood are used to construct wooden floors in buildings for various purposes, but the most common is pine, which combines acceptable durability, high aesthetic characteristics and a relatively low price. Naturally, the developer has a question about what varnish to cover the pine floor in order to protect the soft pine wood from the effects of static loads and moisture that inevitably falls on it.

Features of pine floors

Pine is a very interesting tree in its properties, having excellent strength with a wood density of 520 kg/m 3, which depends on the growing conditions. Located on more humid fertile soils forests produce looser wood, which has less value compared to pine from arid places, with a fine structure and increased density, which is especially valued in construction.

In the production of pine lumber, it is possible to obtain products with a unique texture and color, which varies largely depending on what part of the trunk the boards are obtained from. When dried, the core of the trunk acquires a brownish-red hue, and the sapwood may remain pinkish or almost white, with early wood having a lighter shade.

Pine lumber has a lower hardness (Brinell coefficient 2.49) than oak, beech or acacia, which causes irreversible deformation where small constant static loads or impacts are applied, and this should be taken into account when further processing and operation of the wooden floor made from them.

One of the contradictory qualities of pine boards, namely its increased resin content, can be attributed to advantages when increased moisture resistance is required, or to disadvantages when resinous secretions on the surface of the facade or floor can spoil the appearance of the coating.

Varnish, wax or oil

To preserve the appearance and significantly extend the service life of pine boards for wooden floors, the most various materials, which are used to impregnate or cover floors. Varnishes, impregnations, various wax mastics on a natural or synthetic basis significantly increase the durability of pine products, and, in addition to durability, significantly change the appearance of floors made from pine boards, which makes it possible to solve complex design problems in creating the interiors of premises for various purposes.

Oil-based impregnations

As popular wisdom says, the new is the well-forgotten old. When visiting ancient Russian mansions of the 18th and 19th centuries, you involuntarily pay attention to the appearance of the wooden floor, which has survived to this day in almost its original form. It’s all about impregnating the wood with natural drying oil or oil from hemp seeds, flax and other oilseeds. After additional waxing, such a coating with minimal care can withstand intense loads for 10-12 years, and only then additional impregnation with the same composition with preliminary cleaning and sanding of the contaminated top layer is required. Even in ancient barracks, where soldiers' boots put intense stress on the wooden floors, pine boards did not require replacement for 50-70 years. The use of oils to protect pine floors is dictated by several conditions:

• Better oil durability in temporary premises, when it is impossible to avoid significant temperature changes, for example, in a small house in the country;
• Oil fills the smallest pores to a considerable depth and better prevents the penetration of moisture, which largely eliminates warping of the floorboard;
• Oil-based impregnations perform well in defense wooden structures, mounted outdoors. Oil-soaked decks of ships of the era sailing fleet resisted sea water well;
• Oil formulations do not change the microstructure of fibers pine board, which when walking has a positive effect on the psychophysiological state. This can be used in the manufacture of floor coverings in specialized premises.

Modern oils made from natural or synthetic raw materials, suitable for impregnating pine floors, penetrate quite deeply into the pores of the wood and create a thick protective layer that prevents the penetration of air and moisture. A small amount of oil remaining on the floor surface cannot create the necessary protective film, which affects the abrasion resistance and durability of the coating. To eliminate this drawback, a wooden floor impregnated with oil is either additionally covered with a layer of wax, or wax must be part of the impregnating oil, and, remaining on the surface, create a protective film of the required thickness. To cover floors, wax on a natural basis is used or synthetic components based on polyurethane are added to the impregnating oil.

Note: when deciding to cover pine floors in a house with oil and wax, you should remember that in the event of a possible repair or reconstruction of the room, it is impossible to protect the floorboards with any type of enamel or varnish without removing the layer of oil-impregnated wood. Even after removing the wood layer of at least 2 mm recommended by most manufacturers, there is no 100% guarantee of strong adhesion of the varnish to the surface of the board.

When choosing manufacturers of materials for oil impregnation of pine floors, you should pay attention to high-quality compounds from well-known, trusted domestic and foreign manufacturers, despite the fact that some of them have a fairly high price. Finnish concern Tikkurila, German company DAW with its trademarks“Caparol” and “Alpina”, the Azko Nobel concern, widely known for its line of primers and protective compositions “Pinotex”, the Slovenian Belinka and the Swedish Bona offer customers a whole range of compositions for protecting wooden floors, ranging from primers to wax finishing. Moreover, the materials are selected in such a way as to ensure the best interaction between them and the highest quality of the finished coating. Many companies, including the Finnish Tikkurila, have their production in Russia, which allows them to successfully compete with domestic producers. The price of products of this brand is not much different from the products of domestic factories.

Varnish coating

Very often, pine floorboards in a house or country house are coated with a protective varnish on various natural or synthetic bases. The resulting matte or glossy coating can reliably protect the surface from moisture, abrasion or impact. To protect pine lumber, a varnish is used, which has some specific features:

• You cannot coat pine products with varnish that is not marked “For soft wood”, due to the natural characteristics of pine boards;
• The quality and durability of the coating depends on preliminary preparation surface and additional processing special compounds before applying the main coat of varnish;
• When varnishing soft wood floors, you should use only the method of applying the material specified by the manufacturer, observe the waiting time between layers and the number of layers;
• Be sure to apply primer and varnish to dry wood so that the coating does not peel off during use;
• In places where there is significant release of resin onto the surface of the board, take additional measures to remove and neutralize it using deeply penetrating compounds.

Manufacturers offer primers and varnishes for treating soft wood, either water-based or organic solvent-based. Which one is better is a moot point. The dried coating has approximately the same properties, but the release harmful substances during application and drying may be unacceptable in many cases.

Working at the dacha in summer time, when good ventilation is provided, unpleasant odors disappear almost instantly as the solvent evaporates, you can choose materials based on organic solvents, but if work is carried out in indoors It is better to prefer a water-soluble varnish that emits only water vapor with a slight admixture of the resins from which it is made.

Ten varieties of varnishes are suitable for protecting wooden structures, but only five of them can be used for painting soft wood.

The best varnishes used for application to soft wood, including pine, are based on urethane and polyurethane resins diluted with aqueous or organic solvents. Such materials create a durable and, most importantly, elastic film on the surface of the wood, capable of maintaining integrity even with significant deformation of soft wood under load. For example, the Tikkurila company offers universal varnishes for parquet and soft wooden floors. Tikkurila Temadur Klie varnish and the wide-spectrum urethane-alkyd varnish Merit Yachty are distinguished by high quality and affordable prices, which makes the material accessible to a wide range of consumers. A whole line of varnishes, primers and oils for soft wood is produced by the Swedish company Bona, one of the leaders in the production of such materials. But the price for polyurethane materials from this manufacturer is 2-2.5 times higher.

Acrylic-based varnish is cheaper than polyurethane, but has less elasticity, which limits its use on pine floors with high traffic loads. Despite slightly worse strength indicators, acrylic materials are widely used when carrying out budget renovation. The affordable price “hides” some shortcomings.

Alkyd and alkyd varnishes behave worst on soft wooden surfaces. epoxy based. Hard wear-resistant film showing excellent performance on hard surfaces, becomes powerless during deformation changes in the linear dimensions of pine lumber. The film formed by such varnish cracks, the coating peels off and opens unhindered access to the wood of dirt and moisture, which over time will do their unseemly work.

Oil-based paints and varnishes perform well. The only drawback of oil varnishes is the long drying time. But, on the other hand, you can still admire the look of an old wooden floor, where the mirror-protective coating is formed by oil varnish, applied in 7-8 layers with intermediate polishing of each layer.

To choose the right varnish to coat pine floorboard at home or in the country, you should follow several rules:

• Correctly assess the operating conditions of the future coating and the requirements placed on it. If you lack your own knowledge, you can turn to specialists;
• Assess the financial side of the issue. If for home use permanent residence you can choose environmentally friendly water-based polyurethane materials, but to protect floors in your dacha, polyurethane and acrylic materials based on organic solvents are suitable, the price of which is much lower;
• Don't rush to go to the store right away. Many sellers have a vague understanding of the materials they sell and the intricacies of them technical characteristics, and only some of them will help you choose the right enamels and paints;
• On the packaging paint and varnish material, suitable for pine floors, must be written "for soft wood" or "for wooden floors", but in no case “for parquet”;
• Varnishing wooden surface floors, especially if the work is done independently, you must read the recommendations carefully manufacturer for application of the selected material.