Suitable finish for cabin floor boards

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tillergirl

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The iroko saloon floor boards for TG are sitting in my workshop with 46 yrs of cruddy varnish/finish removed leaving a lovely but bare dark nut brown finish. They deserve a high lustre finish but what to do it with? Any suggestions for a high lustre non slip finish?
 
I used Le Tonkinois on mine (because I had some anyway!) and have been pleasantly surprised by the finish and durability.

John
 
I used Deks Olje #1 on the floor boards on my last boat. Nice finish but not high lustre. I've used it again on the iroko galley bench tops in the new boat. The main floor boards in mahogany are urethane varnish. Bit slippy if wet though.
 
Two intersting suggestions. How does Deks Olje fair with a hard timber like iroko. It' really hardened with age, would that affect how the 'Deks' soaks in, do you think. Mind you I also tempted by Le Tonks.
 
My iroko was salvaged from a university lab bench, so very old. True the Deks didn't soak in a great deal, but it does more so than it did in teak. It lasted well on the teak floor in the old boat, but still under trial on the new one.
 
Second vote to ronseal!

I was a bit scepticle about the lifespan of something waer based, but after a few months, its still like when i put it down. I dare say it will be as easy to touch up as it is the to coat in the first instance.

Effortless, dries quickly and you can wash your brush in water! Cant beat that! Modern formulas have come a long way, and save alot of hastle compared to standard varnishes, especially in things such as floors which are certain to be 'high wear' areas.
 
I've used three coats of clear SP 106 epoxy in the forepeak, on teak. I didn't bother about UV as the sole boards get little exposure. I used epoxy because I wanted a good hard finish and it's still looking good after a few seasons use. For an extra deep lustre you could apply a final coat of varnish over the epoxy, but I didn't bother. Epoxy isn't the cheapest option but it is very hard wearing.
 
Umm, that's all very helpful but a choice from one end of the spectrum to the other (water based to epoxy). It' a lot for the epoxy, I guess that would be quite expensive. I'm not sure that it needs to be that hard wearing. I guess the Ronseal approach will be quite reasonable in cost.

Thanks all.
 
Dont get the water based ronseal as it finishes with a milky appearance.
the best one to use from Ronseal is 'Ronseal Trade Polyurethane Varnish' this is a traditional oil based varnish and gives much better results. you may have to go to a trade supplier to get though.
 
Agreed. IMO waterbased finishes just look tacky and don't do the character of the wood much, but are forgiving,'hard' and quick(ish) to apply.
Interestingly oil based polyurethane is usually cheaper than water based-go figure!

My current fave is Rustins polyurethane cork and wood sealer (it really is varnish), 5l for around £35 . Has Toluene in it for slightly faster drying times.
If the OP doesn't want to fork out for epoxy before varnishing,then this is the one I would recommend over Ronseals equivalent.
 
I have used Ronseal. It appears milky when being applied but dried clear. Very good product in my opinion. My cabin sole is teak faced ply.
 
i have just brought my first wooden boat, after reading your problems with different varnish i think that after being a decorator for 26yrs i shall be using a polyurethane varnish inside something like ronseal or borneseal, and external will be a two pack, i have used many varnish over the years and water based is not for me any trade counters will sell to the public, please remember preperation is the key to a good finish.
 
In fairness what was on originally did pretty well - 46 years with a varnish refresh every year or so. But it was time to refurbish. There does not seem to be any great swing towards any one product. I have to say my experience with water based stuff at home has not been great - gone on ok and has lasted but not the depth of shine I want. So I supect I shall stick to a traditional finish but which one. I have until the end of the cold snap to m ake up my mind!
 
What about leaving the wood bare? Non slip, cheap..... I currently have bare teak and I dont really want to change that. Trouble with any finish is that it gets damaged, dinged, chipped. I have a thick 'structural' veneer of teak over ply. I sweep it and occasionally wash it.
 
Not sure about the non slip. The bare finish I have is pretty polished. I just think it might look odd next to all the varnished wood in the cabin. But I shall lay out the boards in the workshop tomorrow and have a think about that suggestion.
 
Well done Tillergirl, stick with the original stuff..... That is what I was going to suggest but lost my nerve in the face of all the high tech suggestions.
In fact the cabin floor is just about the only place where I do insist on using traditional, high gloss varnish. If you use matt, I find it makes the cabin look rather dismal and grubby. I have tried water based poly but am not a fan.
At sea I put down strips of non slip mat, this used to be very pricey but is now available at your local caravan or pound shop.
I use Rustins or Blackfriar Yacht varnish, which can be bought in a number standard DIY outlets, but unlike International seems to be the proper gear.
 
You might want to consider epoxying the sides and ends; to stop the boards swelling and getting stuck in place. I used Ronseal Diamond as mentioned before. Looks great, but slippy. As I can't stand up in the cabin anyway, I can get away with a gloss finish.
 
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