Sealing newly installed pre-finished bamboo flooring

brandon272 · 06-09-2009, 04:21 PM

We recently installed pre-finished bamboo flooring in our house. I have become extremely paranoid, not about scratching the flooring, but about liquids getting between the floor boards and wreaking havoc. We have pets that I'm sure will make a piddle in the house at some point and I'm certain something will get spilled sometime soon.

Is it possible to apply some kind of sealant on top of the newly installed flooring that will not only help protect the surface of the floor boards but also seal up the cracks between each board to protect the bare wood between and under the boards from spills and such? If so, is this a good idea and can anyone recommend a good product for this job?

Thanks!

poppameth · 06-10-2009, 06:45 AM

You'd have to put anther coat of urethane on it. Most manufacturers will probably recommend you have a floor sander screen it and apply a coat or two of Bona Traffic water based urethane.

JazMan · 06-10-2009, 11:25 PM

Sounds like you've just realized you shouldn't have chosen wood as your floors? There is no way to do what you've suggested and have it last more than 6 months or so.

First of all it would be silly to apply a sealer on a new floor, and lots of work too. Because wood shrinks and expands all the time, any new finish will crack as soon as the wood shrinks.

You're right to worry about spilled water and pets. I suggest you place their water dish away from your new floor. Even small pets will drool water as they walk away from the dish. You might see problems within a few years? If the pet is a dog, well, good luck if it's medium or large in size. You may know, (?) bamboo is softer than most other wood used for floors.

Jaz