I’ve just finished installing a red oak floor in my brothers house and we will be giving it a light sanding and then finishing it in the next week. (It’s already had time to acclimate)
I am planning on using a polyurethane finish and apply four coats. Is there anything special I need to do or take care of for a floor? I’ve never done a floor before and don’t wan’t to make any major mistakes.
Thanks,
Matt-
Replies
A "light" sanding?
How do you plan on doing that?
Unfinished floors need a heavy sanding to start then two more sandings with consecutivly smallerer grits, and if you want to go crazy you can last sand it with a buffing machine with a screen on it to get out any swirls from the previous three sandings.
Four coats is over kill. Three is enough.
You'll need to screen between coats as well, unless you use a water based poly which isn't as hard as an oil based poly.
If you want the most durable finish use moisture cure but if you're not experianced I'd have a pro do the moisture cure finish.
Actually I'd let a pro finish the floor period, because to do it right you'll spend more money on sander rentals than the floor guy would charge you.
Be well and have fun
andy
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well, Andy, if it is pretty nicely milled, a light sanding will true it up and make it ready but yes, it probably needs heavy equiptment.
Four coats can sometimes be worse than three because it sets up a gel action unless therer is lots of cure time between coats - as a general rule. But with red oak, the wood is pretty porous so if you thin down the first coat to act as a penetrant and sealer, four coats might be needed. It is a judgement call as it goes down.
We do sand lightly or screen betwween coats to eliminat tits on the finish
Excellence is its own reward!
I agree with Andy and Piffin....to an extent.
Please hire a pro to sand and finish. Rental machines are notorious for being out of true. Only a pro who owns his own machine will maintain it properly, and know how to balance it.
If the material came from a flooring manufacturer, and fits well, and the subfloor was flat, it should only need 2 or 3 cuts max. If the material came from some Amish-Man or handy-man pushing boards thru a one head shaper....good luck.
Piffins is showing his age. (You know he is as old as his number of posts). The old "cut the first coat" is old timer. Today, sealers are available which perform better than a coat of cut finish.
Andy is always pushing that MCU. Granted, it is good finish.....but there are far more superior finishes available without the toxicity of MCU. "Traffic" by Bona is probably the most "bullet proof" finish available today....and it is a water-borne product.Ditch
Couldn't help but notice that no mention was made of intent to use water-borne or oil-based poly, just that intention was to apply four coats.
Now I dont' finish or refinish floors on a daily basis, but my understanding of water-borne polys is that the final film finish is limited to a max. thickness and that that thickness is usually acheived in two "average" coats. More than that and full curing may take forever or never be achieved. Therefore, four coats, even three, could be a no-no. I've always limited mine to two coats of water-borne and never had a problem.
Oil-based poly, I normally apply three and again have never had a curing problem.
Does that Traffic by Bona limit final film thickness and if so, do you know off-hand what that thickness is or what is recommended?
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Goldhiller,
With todays systems the application rate is metered by the applicator. Different weights for different finishes.
1 OMU sealer and 3 OMU top coats is O.K., but good conditions and proper drying time must take place before the final coat, and proper abrasion is very important. I personally don't see a need for 3 OMU topcoats.
1 OMU sealer and 3 water-coats is O.K. and even recommended by most pros. The solids in water is less than oil. Water MUST be applied heavy, therefor a lightwieght applicator is used. Again... proper conditions are everything. You can usually forgo the wait time with water. Ditch
Thanks everyone for your advice. We have our own sanding machine that has done a fine job of sanding the floor smooth and flat. We are using an oil based poly and I will limit it to three coats.
We put the first coat on last night and it looks great. We'll put the second coat on tonight after we give the floor a once over with steel wool (poly manufacturer's recommendation).
Thanks,
Matt-