Do I Need To Sand My Wood Floor After Staining

Stain makes sander scratch shockingly visible.

Do i need to sand my wood floor after staining.

Sand wood before staining. I ll show you my secrets on how to prep wood for stain right here. It all starts with sanding. Allow to dry for one hour.

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. Floor finishes can emit harmful vapors so be sure the area is well ventilated as you work. Make sure you sand the wood well before applying stain. A little basic knowledge of sanding and preparing wood before staining will help your staining project go faster and easier.

Staining floors especially for first time do it yourselfers is a tricky business. Any scratches will be enhanced by stain. Here are four big reasons why. You don t need to sand after staining.

The grade or grit of sandpaper is based on the number of sand granules per square inch of paper. When you apply the stain the grain will hardl. 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.

That s why we do our utmost to talk you out of staining your wood floors. Follow the grain of the wood. Removing stain set out a drop cloth or a thick layer of newspapers and place the wood object on top of it. Sanding will also help open up the pores of the wood so that they can absorb stain better.

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. 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. Try to apply as even a coating as possible. Buffing unlike sanding which requires tackling the entire floor you can buff only small areas of your floor if needed.

Always sand down to clean wood if you have enough meat left of the wood before applying any stain. You need a smooth surface with no blemishes because stain will highlight scratches and dings in the wood. Lower numbered grades denote. Sanding levels the edges of the floorboards which can vary from one another by as much as 1 4 inch.