Re: GBlist: Hardwood floor matrials and finishes

["Yaya Balinci" <yaya@telus.net>]

How depressing. Is it not because we take a clear-cut mentality (monoculture
mentality) into the forest that we have cut ALL of our old growth trees not
leaving ONE to reseed and not leaving TWO to grow into more old growth tight
grained wood. We are now left with little pathetic scraps of trimmings to
glue onto our floors and cover with toxins because the wood has no
integrity. I fortunately still live in a place where there are sustainable
(selective) loggers who keep old growth tight grained wood regenerating.
(There is still a majority of horrible forestry taking place up here. Don't
get me wrong.) However a little searching always finds a stubborn logger
somewhere with a portable mill and nice wood. I pay a little more but i get
nice big tight grained boards that don't need anything covering them. I fine
sand the boards so that the tight grains seal. Then rub them with a cloth to
give a shine with a LITTLE olive oil, or flax oil, or lead free linseed oil
(flax oil not from the food store) with some lemon/pine or cedar oil and a
little bees wax. What a beautiful non toxic look and feel! You have to play
with the mix but we are all patient at heart.
There is still the opportunity to do this with a little community searching
and forestry criticizing and supporting.
Best of luck to you scrap hardwood floor enthusiasts. Its a tough go when
you feel dependent on toxins.
Yaya Balinci
Coastal British Columbia


> Hi, John--
>
> As you point out it's important for people to understand the tradeoffs
> they are making. Many people think of tung oil as 'natural' and
> therefore benign. You are one of the few I have encountered who is
> familiar with the hazards to people in the third world who have to work
> with tung trees and their products. Tung oil is a sleeper. The doctor
> who researched tung oil and shared his findings with me about it
> believed it caused his cancer, and he was surprised to find that
> woodworkers were unaware of potential health effects of using tung oil.
>
> I have settled on water-based urethanes as the least problematic finish
> for wood floors. Got any better ideas?
>


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