Unlike synthetic urethanes shellac is a natural resin that is derived from the lac beetle and diluted with.
Shellac pine floor.
This knowledge is equal parts gross and fascinating to me.
Our grandpas and dads were putting this orange honey gold finish on their unfinished knotty pine back in the 1950 and 1960s and the product is still available today as bulls eye shellac by zinsser which is a rust oleum company.
Seal the surface with two coats of 2 lb cut dewaxed shellac.
I found a large natural bristle brush worked well.
Made from flakes of resin secreted by lacs insects native to asia and dissolved in alcohol shellac is typically available in clear or amber but can also be tinted to bring out a range of hues.
Shellac is the best floor finish for an old house shellac link i use this on all my floors http amzn to 2emnp3u.
Shellac finishes were common on wood floors until urethanes became more widely accepted.
Shellac is made from the excretions of the lac bug in india and is picked by hand.
For you purposes at least 5 6 coats of shellac can be brushed or rolled on to a well sanded pine floor.
Thinner cuts of shellac leave less brush marks.
Without shellac pine s pitch can bleed into oil based finishes leaving fissures or shiny spots that remain tacky especially around knots.
I used a 1 pound cut sealing coat of shellac on my pine floors before i waxed them.
As far as i know amber shellac has been and always will be the classic retro finish for knotty pine.
However shellac is about as natural as it gets for a wood flooring finish.
I believe it was a badger hair brush.
The resin is scraped from trees and then diluted or processed in denatured alcohol when used for flooring purposes.
It dries very fast so 2 3 coats can be applied in one day and is ready ot walk on in 2 3 hours.