I didn’t get the ultimate coat of polyurethane on the flooring final evening earlier than I went to mattress. As y’all know, I typically don’t do lots of work on Wednesdays as a result of that’s my lunch day with my mother and brother, and I often don’t get dwelling till about 4:15. Then I spend at the very least an hour making Matt’s dinner, spending time with him as he eats, and many others. So if any work will get achieved on Wednesdays, it received’t be till after 6:00pm.
By the point I obtained dwelling, the primary two coats of poly have been totally dry, and the subsequent step within the course of was to flippantly sand the flooring earlier than the ultimate coat went on. I had forgotten to purchase the correct sandpaper after I was shopping for all of my provides for the flooring mission, so I needed to go to the shop first, which put my beginning time round 7:30. Sanding the flooring took about two hours, after which cleansing up the entire mud and preparing for the ultimate coat of poly took one other hour. Beginning the ultimate coat of polyurethane at 10:30pm merely wasn’t an possibility. However at the very least the flooring are prepared for that remaining coat this morning, and I nonetheless suppose I will be on schedule to begin the closet tomorrow.
Anyway, I needed to again up a bit and provides some extra particulars of this course of as a result of I had a couple of questions concerning the merchandise and course of. First, I wish to make it very clear that mixing polyurethane and stain collectively is one thing it’s essential do at your personal danger. I can’t assure that your end result goes to be like mine, so if you wish to do this, please take a look at out the combination on some leftover wooden earlier than truly making use of it to your hardwood flooring.
I like to combine the stain with the polyurethane, particularly with a wooden like new development purple oak hardwood flooring that has such darkish and visual grain, as a result of it evens out the looks of the grain and offers a ravishing depth of colour to the wooden. I’ve solely ever achieved this utilizing darkish stain, although. So I do not know how it might work with a lighter stain.
Right here you’ll be able to see the distinction the primary coat made on my flooring. The shiny half is clearly the half the place I had simply utilized the stain/poly combination, and you may see the way it compares to the a part of the flooring within the foreground of the image that simply has the stain on it.
Right here’s a have a look at the distinction it made within the closet. Keep in mind that this room has lots much less lighting, so it seems that the poly/stain combination made much more of a distinction in right here, however that’s simply due to the poor lighting within the room. The ground is all the identical colour all through the bed room suite.
Merchandise I used:
To stain the flooring, I used Minwax oil-based stain, and I used a 50/50 mixture of Darkish Walnut and Particular Walnut. The polyurethane I used is the oil-based Minwax Tremendous Quick Drying Polyurethane For Flooring in a satin end, and for the primary two coats, I combined the poly and stain in a ratio of 1 gallon of polyurethane to 1 pint of stain (utilizing the identical 50/50 stain combination that I had beforehand used to stain the flooring).
To use the stain, I used a big 4-inch brush that was labeled to be used with oil-based stain/poly (like this one) taped to the top of a pole utilizing Tyvek tape (duct tape will work simply wonderful) in order that I might stand for the method relatively than having to get down on my knees to polyurethane the flooring. You’ll discover that this isn’t the form of brush made for staining decks. I personally suppose these are a bit too cheaply made for staining/polyurethaning indoor hardwood flooring.
Why I used a brush as a substitute of an applicator pad
These 10- or 12-inch applicator pads (wool or artificial) which are typically used to use polyurethane to a flooring are good if you happen to’re simply making use of clear polyurethane proper out of the can. Clear polyurethane is far more forgiving, so if you happen to apply some areas thicker than others (which is able to inevitably occur with these applicator pads), it actually received’t make a distinction within the completed look of the ground.
However when stain has been added to the polyurethane, it makes an enormous distinction. If the polyurethane/stain combination isn’t utilized very evenly, or there are areas the place the pad pushes the poly right into a line the place you cease and begin the applying, it is going to be very apparent as a result of that space shall be darker because it has a buildup of polyurethane with the colour added.
The applying is way simpler to regulate with a brush. I utilized the poly in sections that have been about 3 or 4 toes extensive in rows that have been about 2 toes, and utilizing the comb allowed me to feather every new part into the moist polyurethane from the earlier part with out leaving any buildup of colour the place the 2 sections met. The identical idea applies with the overlapping rows. The comb allowed me to feather every new row into the prior row whereas it was nonetheless moist with far more management that an applicator pad would have allowed. The consequence was even colour over the entire flooring with no buildup of colour (reminiscent of traces left by the ends of the applicator pad) leaving darker areas wherever on the ground.
It’s undoubtedly a slower course of making use of it with a brush as a substitute of an applicator pad, however I feel it’s a crucial course of when making use of polyurethane with stain added to it.
I discussed yesterday that I did two coats of the poly/stain combination. You’ll be able to see right here the distinction that the second coat made within the depth of colour.
That brings us to yesterday, the scariest a part of the entire course of. It’s a bit nerve wracking to take a sander to a flooring that appears actually fairly, however it’s additionally a crucial step earlier than the ultimate coat of polyurethane with a view to get one of the best remaining end result and the smoothest flooring potential. Utilizing my 5-inch orbital sander set to the bottom setting, and 220-grit sanding discs, I sanded your complete flooring, ensuring that I used even strain and didn’t go over any of the sections a lot that it might take the colour off.
And sure, as soon as once more, this complete course of was achieved on my knees. It wasn’t too dangerous, although.
However let me inform you, it’s scary seeing the ground go from wanting like this…
to wanting like this…
However I simply trusted the method. The 220-grit sanding discs replenish with mud pretty rapidly, so I needed to change them typically. And most of that mess is only a buildup of mud, so as soon as the mud was cleaned up, the flooring went again to wanting just about like they did earlier than sanding. Solely now, they have been a lot smoother.
As soon as every part was sanded, I vacuumed up as a lot of the mud as I might with my store vac, after which I cleaned up the remainder with a moist rag. Right here you’ll be able to see the distinction between the ground that had been wiped down and was beginning to dry (so it began wanting hazy once more) on the highest proper portion of the picture, the ground that had simply been wiped down and was nonetheless moist within the little hallway, and the ground that hadn’t been wiped down but on the left portion of the picture.
When cleansing up the mud with a moist rag, it’s necessary to concentrate to what it seems like when it’s moist, as a result of that’s just about what it’ll seem like after that remaining coat of polyurethane goes on. However as soon as it dries, it’ll return to wanting hazy once more, with some areas wanting hazier than others. That’s not an issue, although, as a result of the ultimate coat of clear polyurethane will even out the entire end. Right here’s what it regarded like as soon as it was sanded and dry. You’ll be able to see that some areas seem hazier than others.
And right here’s the closet flooring sanded, wiped down, and dry.
And the lobby flooring sanded, cleaned, and dry.
As I used to be wiping down the flooring with the damp rag, I observed that I did find yourself with three very small (penny-sized) spots the place I took off a bit an excessive amount of of the colour. I’ll merely contact these up with a tiny little bit of stain and allow them to dry earlier than including the ultimate coat of polyurethane. So the flooring are wanting a bit tough proper now, however once more, it’s necessary to concentrate to what they seem like once they’re moist as you’re wiping off the mud. That’s when you’ll be able to actually see what they’ll seem like as soon as that remaining coat of polyurethane goes on.
So I’ll do the ultimate coat this morning and provides the flooring all day and all evening to dry. This afternoon, I’ll make my purchasing record and reduce lists for the closet cupboards. The plan is to get the flooring lined tomorrow morning after which get began on my closet tomorrow afternoon!
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to study extra about me right here.
