Do I Need To Sand My Wood Floor After Staining

Sand wood before staining.

Do i need to sand my wood floor after staining.

When you apply the stain the grain will hardl. Make sure you sand the wood well before applying stain. Removing stain set out a drop cloth or a thick layer of newspapers and place the wood object on top of it. After the old stain is gone applying new stain is relatively simple.

Not sanding a freshly laid hardwood floor and finishing it as is makes the installation less messy and time consuming but it would be a mistake. Unlike paint which just sits on top of the wood and can be sanded off wood stain penetrates into the fibers of the wood like a sponge absorbing water. Follow the grain of the wood. Try to apply as even a coating as possible.

The higher the number the finer the grade. Floor finishes can emit harmful vapors so be sure the area is well ventilated as you work. Any scratches will be enhanced by stain. Buffing unlike sanding which requires tackling the entire floor you can buff only small areas of your floor if needed.

The grade or grit of sandpaper is based on the number of sand granules per square inch of paper. Stain makes sander scratch shockingly visible. After the stain has dried the final step is to finish it off with a lacquer polyurethane wood finish or alternative oil or sealer. Select a stain that won t raise the grain of the wood or you ll have to sand the floor after applying the finish.

Allow to dry for one hour. Lower numbered grades denote. That s why we do our utmost to talk you out of staining your wood floors. If you worry about the grain raising after staining i would recommend wetting the surface evenly with water after doing initial sanding then finish sand when dry.

You need a smooth surface with no blemishes because stain will highlight scratches and dings in the wood. A little basic knowledge of sanding and preparing wood before staining will help your staining project go faster and easier. And when it does go wrong the only solution is to re sand the floor and start all over from the beginning. Sanding will also help open up the pores of the wood so that they can absorb stain better.

Sanding levels the edges of the floorboards which can vary from one another by as much as 1 4 inch. You don t need to sand after staining. Here are four big reasons why. I ll show you my secrets on how to prep wood for stain right here.