Glue log ends in place with construction adhesive.
Fill spaces between log ends with dark colored epoxy. Sand the floor and spread clear epoxy on top.
More info: Log End Flooring
(super popular blog post from last year)
Glue log ends in place with construction adhesive.
Fill spaces between log ends with dark colored epoxy. Sand the floor and spread clear epoxy on top.
More info: Log End Flooring
(super popular blog post from last year)
what brand of glue or thinset I need to install end grain wood floor to concrete
How old should the wood be I just cut down some pine trees and thought of doing this, but do they need to be more dry.
In almost all cases wood needs to be cut and stickered in a shady location so it can dry slowly. Otherwise it will shrink and crack and ruin the project. One easy solution is to cut dead pine trees that have been hit by lightening or killed by pine beetles. This is called standing dead timber.
My question is about safety. If your shoes were wet, or the floor was wet, surely a smooth surface like that would be lethal to try and walk on ? If the log-ends are hardwood, then by all means pack between them with epoxy, but leave the grain exposed as a way of providing grip to the feet of the users ?
It should be about the same slipperyness as any wood floor, maybe less. No problem.
I’ve always thought that a question like this is best answered by simply trying it for yourself.
Make your own test sample of a couple of square feet in size. Try it.
Slipperiness is subjective. It’s your opinion that counts.
I shudder to think how much money one would have to spend on epoxy to do that floor.
That is not cheap using that method. Perhaps the most expensive flooring method ever mentioned on this blog?
There are other, and dare I say, BETTER options.
The less expensive method (and in my opinion, better quality) is to make your own “grout” for use with these wooden floor “tiles.” Yes, those words describe not only the materials used, but the process for installing them.
Most of these types of floors that are made do not use epoxy, but a “grout” made from sawdust collected during the sawing process when the tiles themselves are sliced.)
The mix is usually in the neighborhood of 1 part (oil type) polyurethane floor finish to 3 parts sawdust. Mix it in a bucket with a drill and a mixing paddle.
This grout mix is drastically less expensive, and far less toxic.
Work this grout into the floor joints just as for typical tilework.
The beauty of this grout mix is that it can be sanded just like wood.
There are many multitudes of websites that explain this grouting process. It is far more attractive than the very artificial look of epoxy. Again, this is my aethetic opinion. It’s simply a more “natural” look. The epoxy look is very “plastic-y” and artificial looking. and smelly. and hard to keep from looking scratched up. and turns yellow over time. and … well… many think the epoxy floor looks ugly.
But hey… if someone is building their own floor … they can do it however they want. I just hope they have considered all the alternatives and made an informed choice.
Personally, I don’t like epoxy and so I wouldn’t use it. I got a chemical burn from epoxy and avoided it ever since. The log end blog post from last year was super popular and so I figured I would put these videos up for discussion.
One option is to fill the gaps with saw dust mixed with yellow glue or saw dust and wood filler. Sand the floor flat and smooth. Mix some black pigment with varnish or polyurethane and apply several coats to the filler. Apply clear varnish to the log ends. I haven’t tried this, but it should work. You may have to coat the black varnish with clear varnish to avoid ugly scratches.
Also note, you don’t have to do the whole floor this way. You can do just an accent area.