New bamboo floor treatment [Archive]

Mark Meckes

9th December 2005, 04:56 AM

Hi, I don't have a bamboo floor, so will leave it to others to provide you with personal experience ...
It seems that the same floor care would be applied to bamboo as with hardwood flooring.
Here's a couple links to info from the Hardwood Information Center ...
Hardwood Floor Care - General Do's and Don'ts (http://www.hardwood.org/display_article.asp?ID=278)

Sealed and Waxed Hardwood Floors (http://www.hardwood.org/display_article.asp?ID=280) - Care and First Aid

Searching around on the web finds variations of opinions about wood floor care ... some say use steel wool and mineral spirits to remove stains ... some say don't. Some say you can use a damp cloth ... others say never use water ... Some say only to use a floor cleaning product ... :confused:

Bamboo flooring comes in various culmfigurations and finishes.
Care is also determined by the type of finish.

Did your flooring begin as unfinished, and was linseed oil the first coat?

Was this a boiled linseed product and was adequate drying time given for the finish to harden?

Often a given product will have instructions on it's application and care.

Here's a quote from a commercial supplier about linseed oils ...

" ... The difference between Raw and the Boiled Linseed Oils is that Raw Linseed Oil has a longer drying time, where as Boiled Linseed Oil has been treated by blowing hot air through the liquid - this shortens its drying time considerably. It is recommended that Boiled Linseed Oil is used for woods other than oak. Boiled Linseed Oil also has an attractive darker finish with a reddish tint and gives a slightly glossy film.

The drying time is important for certain applications, such as wooden floors which you wouldn't want to stay sticky for a long time. We suggest that the best way to use Boiled Linseed Oil on bare timber only, is to mix a small amount of White Spirit with it for the first coat only, this will prime the surface. ... "

This article by the Old House Journal provides another perspective:
A Clearer View of Floor Finishes (http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2003/dec/flooring.shtml) By Peter and Noelle Lord

... and includes a homemade recipe on finishing a floor with boiled linseed oil and turpentine ...

Excerpt on types of finishes
" ... penetrating finishes sink into the wood so when you touch the floor surface you are actually touching wood.
These types of finishes include linseed oil, tung oil, and various specialty oils such as lemon, walnut, soy, and Danish oil (a mixture of oil and varnish).
Linseed oil (pressed from flax seeds) is a drying oil that has been used for centuries to coat wood and stone and, with pigments, make paint.
Tung oil (pressed from nuts of the Chinese tung tree) is another drying oil that came to North America about a century ago.
Though tung oil has historically been used mostly for furniture and making coatings, it and other penetrating finishes are favored by some old-house restorers because they are easy to apply and have a low sheen that leaves the floor looking more "natural." Penetrating finishes enhance the natural colors of the particular wood.
Though these finishes are slow to set up (several days), and offer a floor minimal resistance to solvent damage and staining (cleansers, water, alcohol, and urine), most scratches can be repaired by simply recoating the affected area.
Another advantage of penetrating finishes is that they are flexible and move with the wood.
Some people assume stains are also penetrating finishes, but stains only color the wood and offer no protection. Stains can be followed by other finishes, or even mixed with penetrating finishes, depending upon manufacturers recommendations. "