An unfinished hardwood floor is a raw wood that has been made into the planks for flooring. Even though there are many benefits of unfinished hardwood floors, it has one major drawback. It lacks a stain or protective layer of oil or lacquer on the floor.
If you apply no sealant to protect your unfinished hardwood flooring, then it can easily absorb oil and moisture in it. This results in undesirable stains and spots. Thus, you need to add a protective layer on your unfinished hardwood flooring to retain its beauty.
Step By Step Guide To Finish Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
1) Clean The Hardwood Flooring
⇒ Before you start cleaning, remove all the furniture from the area.
⇒ Close all the doors and windows so that the dirt does not spread.
⇒ Spray the floor with hardwood floor cleaner or a mix of 10 parts water to 1 part white vinegar.
⇒ Gently wipe the floor with a mop or a soft cloth.
2) Prepare The Perimeter Of Your Room
⇒ With sandpaper, start hand-sanding the perimeter of your room, including the areas that are difficult to reach with a buffer.
⇒ Rub with the grain 6 inches out from the baseboard, working over each board until the powder forms.
3) Sand The Surface
⇒ Before you begin buffing the unfinished hardwood flooring, put on a dust mask.
⇒ Now add a buffing pad to the buffer and move the buffer from side to side across the floor in the grain’s direction, overlapping each course by 6 inches.
⇒ As the old finish turns to powder when you buff, it makes it easy to see the areas you have covered.
⇒ Be careful to keep the buffer in constant motion, however, stop every 5 minutes to clean the pad.
4) Vacuum The Floor
⇒ Let the dust settle for a while on the flooring.
⇒ Then, vacuum the floor with a felt-bottomed attachment.
⇒ Once you’re sure there is no powder left, dry-tack the floor with a microfiber cloth pushed with the grain.
5) Apply The Finish To The Perimeter
⇒ The first step is to have all the safety precautions in place, like covering your shoes with booties. Wearing a respirator that has organic vapor canisters to cover your nose and mouth.
⇒ Brush a 3-inch-wide stripe beside the baseboards of your finish.
⇒ To avoid lap marks, take a 10 minutes interval to completely dry the surface before you go to the next step.
6) Finally, Use The Poly Roller On The Finish
⇒ Pour out the finish in line with the grain, but only as much as you can spread in 10 minutes.
⇒ Using a long-handled roller with a one-fourth inch nap cover, roll out the finish with the grain.
⇒ At 10 minutes intervals, brush more finish along the edge and continue until the floor is covered 100%.
⇒ You need to wait another 3 hours before applying another coat to the surface and a week till you can put back the furniture.
Do You Have To Sand Unfinished Hardwood Floors?
Sanding the unfinished hardwood floor is essential for three reasons.
1) Sanding the floor will level the surface.
2) This will help primes the wooden surface for the stain and finish.
3) Fill gaps between the holes.
Book an appointment with AVS Carpet Cleaning, the top-rated hardwood and laminate floor cleaning service provider in San Diego. We are a team of trained experts who only use eco-friendly products that are gentle and effective for your home.