Can You Coat Sanded Oak Flooring With Polyurathane Only

Applying polyurethane to hardwood floors.

Can you coat sanded oak flooring with polyurathane only. Repeat the coat dry sand process several times until the wood achieves the finish you intend. After the last application let the piece dry for 24 to 48 yours before you place it in service. Not only is water borne polyurethane thinner but it also raises the grain of the wood so the floors can sometimes feel rough with just 2 coats of poly especially if it s a cheap brand of poly. While you can buff wax over shellac you cannot apply one of the polyurethane finishes over it so if you decide to change your floor s finish you ll need to completely strip away the shellac.

Oak hardwood floors wear well and look their best when properly refinished. 3 coats gives you more protection and an extra buffing so it will smooth the surface more and show the wood s imperfections less. That way the surface will not only be dry but the chemicals in the polyurethane will have had enough time to cure. Apply a second coat of polyurethane and allow to dry at least overnight.

Although each additional coat of polyurethane applied to the floor makes the floor easier to clean it also changes the way that the floor looks. The floor will not get darker if you flood it with an excess of stain or apply a second coat. If you like the way that your floor looks with only two coats of polyurethane on it then you may be surprised by the resulting build up of polyurethane finish. Using excess amounts or applying multiple coats of stain can cause the stain to bleed back where it wicks back up to the surface of the board as solvent begins to evaporate.

Apply the first coat of polyurethane. Clean the wood very thoroughly to remove sanding dust before each new coat of polyurethane using a vacuum if available and a tack cloth. Refinishing sanding staining polyurethane for hardwood oak floors. Avoid wiping the brush on the rim of the can as this may introduce air bubbles.

You can save thousands of dollars by adding this. For open grain woods like oak ash or walnut you can apply a wood grain filler before the polyurethane to create an ultra smooth finished surface. Sweep the floor and then damp mop it with water and white vinegar 10 1 ratio or go over it with a tack cloth. You ll need to rough up the smooth hard surface from the first coat of varnish so that the second coat will adhere well.

The amount of stain that a floor can absorb is finite. Use a tack cloth to wipe up all dust. Sand lightly with a fine sandpaper like 220. Within 24 hours of applying the seal coat brush on a coat of finish right from the can.