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Property/DIY

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Original poster

help - hate colour of newly varnished floor and man is coming back tomorrow to do final coat

12 replies

interstella71 · 15/05/2009 17:36

We have just had the entire of our downstairs sanded and sealed and the guy has done an excellent job but I didnt realise the finish from an oil based varnish was going to be different from our previous houses - I loved the colour of the sanded boards yesterday, but now they look a reddy/orange colour in places. I am gutted, what can I do? I am guessing that we have always had water based varnishes in the past... will it grow on me?
We went for oil based because it is much more hard wearing.

OP posts:

mrsmaidamess · 15/05/2009 17:40

I think it might be too late! I did a similar thing with my new bannisters. I went for a tough varnish and they are waaaay too orange and I hate them.

LaurieFairyCake · 15/05/2009 17:43

Oh god, my friends did this with her beautiful wooden window frames. All sanded back at great expense and then oil varnished. She ended up matching a red stripe up the side of the cream curtains to make it look intentional.

Is now the time to suggest a red rug?

Original poster

interstella71 · 15/05/2009 18:12

oh god I really dont think that I could live with it, its like stepping back to the 1980s orange pine days - would it cost just the same to go back and start again??

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 15/05/2009 18:16

You need to get the top coat to be a darker tinged brown so that it dulls the redness. For goodness sake don't let him put the final coat on. Pop to B&Q and get a couple of very small pots of varnish and test in an easily coverable area.

noddyholder · 15/05/2009 19:09

I did this with some boards and went too dark it looked black had to start again.And in one room resorted to carpet as couldn't face any more.Any chance it will be ok with rugs furniture etc in situ?

ramonaquimby · 15/05/2009 19:18

this happened to us - 3 summers ago now (dh did them) and I still hate them today. Wanted a warm walnut shade but they are def a red - brown - horrid. hate hate hate. is worse when sun shines on them

when have enough money will have them done again

I don't think doing 1 more coat will make a difference, sorry.

mogwai · 15/05/2009 20:19

This happened to us.

We lifted our carpets and found we had to replace some boards before we could have them sanded/varnished so we replaced them with new board.

The first (professional) attempt at sanding was an excellent job but the colour was totally wrong when it was varnished - orange as you describe.

We had them sand the floor a second time and they did a tint instead. This was a much better colour but unfortunately the new boards didn't take the colour up in the same way and were a totally different (paler) colour.

We then entered into a dispute with the company. The manager hadn't seen the job but was demanding payment. He only backed down when I photographed the floor, at which point he suggested they just couldn't sort it out and that we should try a french polisher.

Prior to the french polishing we removed some old boards from upstairs and swapped them for the new ones we'd used. The french polisher then sanded the floor for a third time and used a glaze which seemed to do the job. The result was great but hard won!

lalalonglegs · 15/05/2009 20:46

Is there any way you could stain them a darker colour to get rid of the orange? Go for a mid-brown and then lighten it with some nice rugs? Have you put the furniture back in yet which might tone it down? I feel for you, orange pine is not a great look.

Original poster

interstella71 · 15/05/2009 21:43

No there isnt any furniture, so it may improve - just had disagreement with dh who thinks that Im being totally ott.
Mogwai did you have to pay again for second and third sanding?

OP posts:

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 15/05/2009 22:58

linking you an old thread of mine op!!

blithedance · 15/05/2009 23:15

Old pine does have orange tones, suppose the oil must have brought it out more.

In the last house we used Osmo Hardwax Oil (now called Polyx Oil) I think on the one floor we stripped, the wood ended up a very warm colour but not too orange.

mogwai · 15/05/2009 23:30

no, we didn't pay a second time.

The total cost of the job was given as £1000 in advance of starting the work.

We eventually agreed to deduct the cost of the french polisher from this and pay the remainder, so in effect we did pay £1000 in total.

French polisher was about £650.

After the third and final sanding we realised we were really thinning out the boards and a fourth sanding was probably the most we could have got away with.

I was also admant that the job had to be right. At the time we had lots of wooden furniture and I knew it would drive me mad. If it's a big room, it has to be right.

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