15 Dec It Started With the White Lye, Part 2
Zero-VOC hardwood floor finish proves to be unmistakably modern and virtually odor-free
Cincinnati Architect Adam Fosnaugh and his wife, Margot, were clear on what their new hardwood floor would have to be: Warm, durable and honest to the material. Indoor-air quality also was key.
They selected a palette of light colors and natural finishes, designed, Adam says, “to be minimal and modern with a sense of Scandinavian sensibility. … Living with a two-year-old and being keenly aware of the detrimental effects many building materials have on indoor-air-quality, we were also looking for environmentally-friendly solutions with low VOCs.”
With their remodeling spanning weeks and nearing a conclusion, their new White Oak flooring has been installed throughout the first floor, and finished on-site with a zero-VOC, three-step white lye finish.
“While all doors and windows were closed, the lye treatment had no noticeable aroma,” Adam says. “I also visited the site within hours of the oil application, and yet again, was not able to detect even a hint of fumes. Without prior knowledge, I would never have guessed that the hardwood floor had been finished mere hours before my arrival.”
With Adam’s selection of this finish, it has now been added to the Natural Interiors® finishing program.
While White Oak usually isn’t thought of as a contemporary aesthetic, it is with a finish that whitens the wood, rather than yellowing it as would be the case with most traditional polyurethane finishes.
This floor is part of the Fosnaughs’ whole-house remodel of their newly purchased Clifton home — a 1970 American Institute of Architects award-winning project designed by local architect Gary Lesniewicz. Fosnaugh says he designed the remodel to de-compartmentalize the floor plan, expand the kitchen and update the 70s vibe through the application of new finishes and surfaces, all while retaining certain key attributes of the original design.
As described in Part 1, a white Wicander’s Cork flooring was selected for the second floor, and there were several steps involved in selecting the white lye finish. A load bearing wall was removed, the staircase was opened up and the entire kitchen is being replaced. ©
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