Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Even The Simple Things - Wood And Cabinet Beautification

Wood, Wood Everywhere!
    Like most of you, I have lots of wood surfaces in my RV. A good portion of my floor, all of my cabinets and doors as well as some of the walls are either solid wood (I have NO idea what kind!) or wood paneling. Between the dust and regular use, they can get pretty dirty and dull. As everyone knows, I hate to clean! So, anything that makes that easier is alright by me. When I first bought my RV its' exterior was pretty dull and faded from oxidation of the fiberglass gel-coat. Back then folks where trying out a floor finish product called RED MAX PRO #3 with amazing results. Thinking back, I realized that the original purpose of the stuff was a floor finish! Yes, WOOD floors were on the menu. Seemed like a good fit. Especially since it's been on the outside of my RV for 3 years and still looks great.

Shiny!
Sadly, when I went to purchase more of the Red Max Pro #3 at a large home center store, it is no longer made. Yup. Murphy was indeed an optimist! Now what? Well, if you do some research online and dig a little deeper you find that the product was manufactured by another company that also markets the same formulation as a product called ZEP Wet Look Floor Finish. This is readily available at most home stores.

What's it do? Well, it's an acrylic floor finish that bonds to the wood (or other surface) fills in microscopic cracks and imperfections and leaves a shiny smooth surface. Truly Amazing stuff. It isn't a slippery surface feel (that would be pretty dangerous on a floor!) but it looks great. One of my cabinets had some bad wear marks on the edge and the floor by the galley/entrance-way was worn. This stiff made it look like new!
Wow! Clean AND Protected!
It's incredibly easy to apply inside the RV. Outside requires some labor to clean the oxidation on the fiberglass before you can apply, but that's another article! Inside, you simply clean the wood surfaces with a damp cloth. If it's REALLY dirty, use a wood cleaner first. Then take a soft microfiber cloth, slightly damp with the ZEP product (I use a shallow container to do this) and wipe it over the surface. DO NOT USE TOO MUCH! If it drips, smooth out the drops before it hardens!!! It takes VERY little of this stuff to make a big improvement. Be aware it will take multiple coats to be perfect. I used 5 coats on the floor and 4 coats on everything else. You do NOT need to rub or buff at all. Simply wipe it on smoothly and let dry before the next coat. The results will amaze you!

Since this is an acrylic floor finish and you're not likely to be walking on your walls or cabinet doors (well at least I wouldn't think so!)  this finish will last a LONG time. Of course you should try it on a hidden surface first if you think it may look bad or harm an existing coating. Better safe than sorry.

I'm a believer!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

4 comments:

  1. I wonder if it will yellow over time, however, if it is going on wood that probably doesn't matter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anon,
      So far, after 3 years in the elements it hasn't yellowed at all!

      Rich "The Wanderman"

      Delete
  2. This stuff is also much cheaper than the PolyGlo I used to bring the shine back in the outside of my motor home. It is basically the same stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. eeyore,
    ABSOLUTELY! Much less expensive, easier to find and use. I wish I could use it on my car! I know someone that did..looked ok from 10 feet away, but wasn't smooth. Of course not..it's a FLOOR finish. Don't want slippery!

    Rich "The Wanderman"

    ReplyDelete

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