Do I Need To Sand My Wood Floor After Staining

Staining floors especially for first time do it yourselfers is a tricky business.

Do i need to sand my wood floor after staining.

Sand wood before staining. It all starts with sanding. I ll show you my secrets on how to prep wood for stain right here. And when it does go wrong the only solution is to re sand the floor and start all over from the beginning.

Buffing unlike sanding which requires tackling the entire floor you can buff only small areas of your floor if needed. Sanding levels the edges of the floorboards which can vary from one another by as much as 1 4 inch. Allow to dry for one hour. Removing stain set out a drop cloth or a thick layer of newspapers and place the wood object on top of it.

Always sand down to clean wood if you have enough meat left of the wood before applying any stain. Floor finishes can emit harmful vapors so be sure the area is well ventilated as you work. You don t need to sand after staining. 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.

Lower numbered grades denote. 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. Any scratches will be enhanced by stain. The higher the number the finer the grade.

Try to apply as even a coating as possible. That s why we do our utmost to talk you out of staining your wood floors. 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.

Sanding will also help open up the pores of the wood so that they can absorb stain better. 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. Select a stain that won t raise the grain of the wood or you ll have to sand the floor after applying the finish.

You need a smooth surface with no blemishes because stain will highlight scratches and dings in the wood. Stain makes sander scratch shockingly visible. Here are four big reasons why. When you apply the stain the grain will hardl.