# End Grain Flooring



## bald9eagle (Jan 1, 2014)

I don't even know where to go with this one. We have been planning on remodeling the kitchen for a few years now. My wife has found pictures of some really cool looking end grain flooring. Have any of you guys had experience with this? 

Getting the wood and making the tiles is the easy part I suppose. I've tried to read as much as I could find on it. I want to cut the tiles and round the edges slightly. That would require a good dry piece of lumber, a radial arm saw, and a sander of some sort to break the edges.

From there it is just a matter of gluing them down and finishing it. My concern comes in with the finishing part. It's endgrain so there is that issue. I've read that I need make a sawdust/Watco slurry to use as "grout". 

Any advice?


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## ghost1066 (Jan 1, 2014)

I don't have much to offer it looks like you have a pretty good idea on what for and how to. I will say this I know a couple of places that have them and they are beautiful. One I know is just the ends of pine 2x4 and the other was cut rounds from logs and limbs. Both had a clear coat finish for commercial use since they are in commercial buildings but I want one.


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## bald9eagle (Jan 1, 2014)

See I'm wondering do I use a "standard" finish or something like a countertop epoxy. I know that the endgrain will soak up the finish. 

The one thing that I am really trying to find out is with the "grout". I put river pebble tile around our tub in the bathroom and I didn't put a finish on the rock before grouting it. Every little crevice in the rocks picked up the grout and kinda ruined the look. If I had finished the stone prior to grouting I could have avoided that.

So my thought now is if I put the sawdust/Matco mix "grout" down will it affect the look by getting in grain of the blocks? Should I finish the tiles before setting them? Should I set them and finish them and THEN apply the grout followed by a few more coats of finish?

Or am I overthinking it?


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## Patrude (Jan 3, 2014)

Being that you will be showing end grain I would be very careful about using any grout mixture with glue. If it gets into that end grain there will be splotches showing up when you finish it. You will end up doing a lot of sanding to get rid of them. If you have a router table I would recommend using a half round bit and the to ease the edges. That will give you more consistent and uniform blocks. You might want to use a production set up on the table saw for the blocks . Less handling and less problems with the saw dust. Just set a box or bucket at the back of the saw to collect the blocks. I would recommend applying a sanding sealer prior to what finish you end up using. Epoxy finishes like bar top finish might show scratches in high traffic areas which will cause problems down the road. You might be better off using a good quality poly or floor varnish. "General Finishes" offers some great water based products. I have had good results with them and their customer service people will help you out if you give them a call or send an e-m.


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## Mike1950 (Jan 3, 2014)

I would stick to a floor finish- it is tough as nails and made for application.


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