Walnut flooring is a great way to add beautiful detail to your home. The strongest type of walnut flooring is Brazilian flooring which is ideal for kitchen flooring. Brazilian walnut flooring is more durable compared to the standard black walnut flooring. It is also three times more durable than oak.
Applying finish to your walnut flooring will increase the lifespan of your walnut flooring as well as protect it from damaging elements such as water. Below are the materials that you need along with the instructions on how to finish walnut flooring.
What You'll Need:
- Trisodium phosphate
- Wood putty
- #36-, 80-, 100-, 220-grit sandpapers
- Drum sander
- Edging sander
- Wet/dry vacuum
- Tact cloth
- Wood sealer
- Stain
- Polyurethane
- Orbital sander
Step 1—Floor Cleaning
Using warm water and trisodium phosphate, clean your floor well. Be sure to rid it of all grease, dirt, debris, and dust particles. Let the floor dry for a few minutes prior to sanding.
Step 2—Prepare the Wood Surface
Make sure to sink all protruding nails back into the wood of your floor. If you find any cracks or holes, use your wood putty to fill them in. Allow the wood putty to dry first before proceeding to Step 3.
Step 3—Sanding
Use a drum sander (such as a 36-inch drum sander) to sand the floor. If you encounter sections of the floor that were missed by the sander, you can manually fix that with your edger. Sanders can usually be rented at your local equipment rental store.
Step 4—Use a Vacuum Cleaner
Remove all residue of the sawdust generated from the sanding. Use either a wet or dry vacuum to clean up the floor.
Step 5—Second Sanding
Using 80-grit sandpaper, sand the floor a second time. Also, be sure to vacuum the floor to rid it of sawdust after sanding.
Step 6—Third Sanding
Using 100-grit sandpaper, sand the floor again as with the previous steps. Vacuum the area again. You can use a tack cloth to remove the dust found in between floorboards.
Step 7—Apply Sealer
Apply the wood sealer onto the floor to close the wood’s pores in order to avoid blotching or streaking when you apply the stain.
Step 8—Apply Stain
Coat your floor with the stain using a brush. You can also use clean pieces of cloth or rags to apply the stain. When applying the stain, make sure to follow the grain of the wood. Leave the stain on the wood for 30 seconds up to 15 minutes. Allow the stain to dry on the wood completely before proceeding to Step 9.
Step 9—Stir Polyurethane
Stir the polyurethane to equally distribute the solvents, all the particles, and the solids that are found at the bottom. Slowly stir so as to not create air bubbles in the polyurethane.
Step 10—Brush Polyurethane
Carefully brush the polyurethane to coat your walnut flooring. Brush the polyurethane in the wood grain’s direction. Allow it to dry.
Step 11—Fourth Sanding
Using an orbital sander with 220-grit sandpaper, sand the walnut flooring again and vacuum after. Repeat steps 10 and 11.
Step 12—Brush Another Coat Of Polyurethane
Coat the floor again with another layer of polyurethane. Make sure that this dries before you bring back your furniture into your room and onto your new walnut flooring.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
