Wood Floor in box

ihamner

Expert Expediter
We are thinking about cleaning the wood floor in the box of our truck (not in the sleeper since the sleeper has carpet) and putting some Polyurethane for Floors on it to protect the wood. Any ideas on this? Is it a safe thing to do? I realize it will get scratched eventually and we'll have to do it again but what are your thoughts on this?

India Hamner
[font color="purple"] FEDEX [/font][font color="blue"]Custom Critical[/font]
D Unit
"You see weird things driving... I've never
understood log trucks, sometimes you'll be out on the highway, you see
two big giant trucks loaded up with logs, and they pass each other on
the highway... I don't understand it. I mean, if they need logs over
there... and they need 'em over there, you'd think a phone call would
save 'em a whole lot of trouble." Brian Regan
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
We know of a FedEx T-Val truck that has done his floors with Rhino Lining. That would not work well for us as once in a blue moon our pallet jack will not work and we have to have something pulled out the back. Our floors are starting to wear also and get scratched quite often! For some reason Bob would rather polish the outside then stain the floor inside. Maybe we need to install a fan to keep it cooler back there.

We do not have a solution yet to this problem.
 

Pappy

Expert Expediter
After using any good commercial cleaner on the floor and allowing it to dry---You may want to use Homer Formby's wood bleach to remove anything left in the grain of the wood.
Then floor must be completely dry before applying anything else. I've heard of a few people using Thompsons Water Seal but never really heard how that turned out. I think if I used the poly, I would strongly consider the satin finish!

Pappy

:)
 

ihamner

Expert Expediter
Greg and Phil,
Thanks for the information on this floor restore stuff. I have contacted the company and we are going to try it while we are on vacation next month. This looks like THE answer and I'll report back after we get our floor done. Thanks so much!!!! india

India Hamner
[font color="purple"] FEDEX [/font][font color="blue"]Custom Critical[/font]
D Unit
"You see weird things driving... I've never
understood log trucks, sometimes you'll be out on the highway, you see
two big giant trucks loaded up with logs, and they pass each other on
the highway... I don't understand it. I mean, if they need logs over
there... and they need 'em over there, you'd think a phone call would
save 'em a whole lot of trouble." Brian Regan
 

jaminjim

Veteran Expediter
Well if you really want to protect your cargo box wood floors, you need to scrap and clean the bottom (outside) and then reseal. Now go for it Bob;)
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Jim I think maybe you need to show Bob exactly how to go about this project at the Expo!!
 

jaminjim

Veteran Expediter
I will at least bring the adult beverages, and putty knife. Sorry but due to a disease(sp) called MHBIH I will be unable to help, unless supervising is considered help (and laughing).
 

jaminjim

Veteran Expediter
MHBIH stands for?......... Any one? Class....... anyone? (said in a monotone voice)

Must Have Beer In Hand
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
We are in the habit of photographing most loads we haul. Here are three photos that show the floor. The first one is with the truck empty and our equipment orgainzed in the usual manner. The second is shot at an indoor loading dock, standing in front of the truck, looking out the back. The third is from the back looking in.

Shortly after we brought the truck home for the first time, I sanded and stained the floor. Not liking how that turned out, I sanded the floor a second time and used the Key Polymer Crack Filler and Key Polymer Floor Restore products. We are very pleased with the results and believe it to be a once in the truck's life application.

Hints:

1. Read and follow the directions. This is some nasty stuff to work with.

2. Study carefully the instructional videos on the Key Polymer web site.

3. With both products, do not use them for the first time in the truck. Practice first with some junk lumber outside the truck. This stuff takes a bit of getting used to if you have not worked with such products before.

4. The Floor Restore comes in two containers. To use it, you mix them together into one. Do not mix it all up at once. Mix a little bit in a small container to see and learn how it acts. Once it is mixed, it starts setting up immediately. After a certain amount of time passes, it will be to late to use it at all if you did not apply it.

5. If you plan to sand your truck floor before applying the Floor Restore, rent a floor sander to do so. It is a big job to get the wood looking good before putting on the Floor Restore.

6. Once the floor is sanded, use a damp rag to remove all dust before applying Floor Restore.

7. If you are doing a floor bigger than a C-unit, it would be wise to rent a large fan to keep the air fresh inside the truck when you are in there working.

8. If you have a reefer body with Kazoo drains, make rolls out of thick paper or thin cardboard, shaped like a small toilet paper roll, and stick them in the Kazoo drain holes. Otherwise the Floor Restore will drain into the holes and you will have another problem to solve.

8.1. The same goes for bull rings built into the floor. HEAVILY mask them before using Floor Restore. Once the Floor Restore dries, you will need to chisel through the product to remove the masking tape. If Floor Restore gets down into the rings they will be fixed in place.

9. Mask the walls near the floor. Once it is on and has had a little time to set, the only way to get Floor Restore off anything is to chisel or sand it off.

10. Be careful working at the back of the truck. The Floor Restore can run and drip when applied. Wherever it lands is where it will stay. Have a few sets of latex gloves handy to use through the process, and wear clothes that you can throw away. It may not come to that but don't risk good clothes and shoes on this job. Follow all manufacturer warnings and cautions on the label.

11. You can apply Floor Restore as a thin or thick coat. I put ours on thick, which gave it a nice deep shine. We had a couple places on the floor where air bubbles formed on top of the Floor Restore as it set up. Those became small divots in the surface later on. If I had it to do over again, I would position load bars over the floor so I could walk on them as the Floor Restore dried. I would then pop any bubbles that formed.

This stuff is not the easiest stuff in the world to work with but it will last a long, long time once applied. Time put into applying it right will be time saved by eliminating the need to retreat the floor with stain and/or polyurethane products every year or so.

I recommend the crack filler too. Filling the cracks and countersunk screw holes creates a smooth surface. That and Floor Restore makes it a breeze to sweep the truck out. Dirt does not gather in the cracks or wood grain like it would with an untreated floor.

The floor you see in the photos was sanded only and not stained before applying Floor Restore. The floor looked pretty bland before applying the product. That was OK, I thought at the time. I was not trying to achieve anything more than seal the floor. I was shocked to see how Floor Restore brought out the wood grain colors.

The treated floor will show scratches when freight gets slid across it. Heavy freight pushed across the floor can cut through it and into the wood. Floor Restore creates a great seal but it is not bullet proof. Surface scratches can be easily removed by using Orange Glo floor wax. Spray a little on a rag, wipe it over the scratches and the scratches disappear.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
One more thing....VERY IMPORTANT.

Before using floor restore, especially in a dry box (non-reefer), use newspaper and masking tape to cover all components under the truck body. The floor restore will drip through onto things below and dry there. If you are not careful, you could unbalance your drive shaft with Floor Restore accumulation.

I remembered something else but it was too late to edit it in above. I did not use paper or cardboard to protect the kazoo drains. I cut up a Pepsi bottle and use that plastic, along with maksing tape to hold the tubes in place. The Floor Restore will not soak through plastic. It may soak through cardboard or paper.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
One more thing came to mind as I thought about this. Our truck is a CR-unit with a 16 foot box (reefer body). Six skids are all we can haul and most of the time it is just a skid or two. Most of the time, we have the luxury of prohibiting fork lifts in our truck, and do so. Pallet jacks are used to load the freight instead. As I said above, Floor Restore is not bullet proof. If it will cut into the wood on your floor, it will cut into the Floor Restore treatment too. The product is designed to bring a beat up floor back to life. But it is a life as a truck floor, which is destined to get beat up again.
 
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