Posted 2009-08-17 9:17 AM (#109475) Subject: Do we need to seal a new floor?
Member
Posts: 6
Location: Sacred Heart, MN
We recently purchased a used 2 horse trailer. The wood floor had been replaced the week before we purchased it. The new floor looks to be of quality construction lumber. My question is do we need to seal the wood at some point? If so what do we use?
Posted 2009-08-17 9:54 AM (#109478 - in reply to #109475) Subject: RE: Do we need to seal a new floor?
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Originally written by kenoble on 2009-08-17 10:17 AM
We recently purchased a used 2 horse trailer. The wood floor had been replaced the week before we purchased it. The new floor looks to be of quality construction lumber. My question is do we need to seal the wood at some point? If so what do we use?
The question I would have is, what kind of construction lumber? If you're talking about #2 pine/spruce that is commonly used in framing, then yes I would treat it. If the flooring is pressure treated #1 or 2 Southern Yellow Pine, then you will not have to seal the wood.
The use of rubber mats will add significant longevity to your wood flooring. However, it will be necessary to constantly flush out any urine and manure and let the flooring completely dry. In previous threads about wood flooring, many owners predicted a 25 year life span. We had a stock trailer that was never stored under cover. After 15 years of ownership, we sold it and the flooring was pristine. It was not pressure treated, and I never applied any surface treatments.
If you elect to add a "sealer", I would recommend an oil based product over a latex or water based offering. The water based products are surfactants, and when worn, allow liquids to penetrate into the wood. Here they are trapped and will contribute to rotting. A petroleum based product will actually penetrate into the individual wood cells, and protect them from the liquids. This will help protect the wood from the animal acids.
Do we need to seal a new floor?
