Do I Need To Sand My Wood Floor After Staining

A little basic knowledge of sanding and preparing wood before staining will help your staining project go faster and easier.

Do i need to sand my wood floor after staining. You don t need to sand after staining. Here are four big reasons why. Any scratches will be enhanced by stain. Make sure you sand the wood well before applying stain.

The grade or grit of sandpaper is based on the number of sand granules per square inch of paper. 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. That s why we do our utmost to talk you out of staining your wood floors. Sanding levels the edges of the floorboards which can vary from one another by as much as 1 4 inch.

After the old stain is gone applying new stain is relatively simple. After the stain has dried the final step is to finish it off with a lacquer polyurethane wood finish or alternative oil or sealer. The higher the number the finer the grade. Sanding will also help open up the pores of the wood so that they can absorb stain better.

Always sand down to clean wood if you have enough meat left of the wood before applying any stain. Removing stain set out a drop cloth or a thick layer of newspapers and place the wood object on top of it. Lower numbered grades denote. Sand wood before staining.

Floor finishes can emit harmful vapors so be sure the area is well ventilated as you work. Select a stain that won t raise the grain of the wood or you ll have to sand the floor after applying the finish. Try to apply as even a coating as possible. It all starts with sanding.

Staining floors especially for first time do it yourselfers is a tricky business. You need a smooth surface with no blemishes because stain will highlight scratches and dings in the wood. 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.

And when it does go wrong the only solution is to re sand the floor and start all over from the beginning. Stain makes sander scratch shockingly visible. Buffing unlike sanding which requires tackling the entire floor you can buff only small areas of your floor if needed. Follow the grain of the wood.