Question:
What is the best procedure and the longest lasting finish ? We have just finished stripping the wood floor, and now we are removing all the dust. Help PLEASE!!!
Ariel
Answer:
Dear Ariel
This is a heck of a time to be deciding just what finish you are going to use. But you should never leave an sanded floor overnight, it’s won’t take much for the grain to rise, and more dust to settle on it. Clean it up again just before you coat.
But in short there are two ways to go, either the water based finish like the Dura Seal 1000. Please read my article on this before you go ahead, you’ll find this in the Floored News section. Or if you have less skill and less money the best buy is the oil modified polyurethane. I use only the Fabulon brand heavy duty pro satin finish, for ALL three coats. Thin the first coat with odorless mineral spirits, to slow the drying, and apply it thinly for the first coat. Use a BRUSH !!!!. Don’t use a lamb’s wool applicator at all. Run a large fan on the floor and wail at least 24 hours to dry, scuff sand, vacuum and clean with the same solvent, by tack ragging with lint free cloth. Allow the solvent to dry and BRUSH on the second coat, wait 48 hours for this to partly cure. When you scuff sand now it should not be clogging the sandpaper. If it doesn’t seem dry, wait another day or two, then repeat the same procedure for the last coat.
As always your Most humble servant, Joseph, the Wood Floor Doctor.