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Ron6519 · 10-27-2009, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda o

that was the neighbors idea... when I have projects going, everyone has ideas so try to feedback on pretty much everything. And, if I stain it, is it still going to darken on its own even more?

Before you can stain this pine, you need to know what species you have. Soft pine will need to be conditioned first or the wood will splotch due to uneven absorption of the stain.
Ron

brenda o · 10-28-2009, 12:51 AM

as well as the directions with mineral spirits, # of coats of polyurethane to use. When you say "buffer", hmmm... does that mean use the "machine sander" between coats.... or after all 2-3 coats or does that mean a floor polisher buffer of some sort. The pics are helpful to know what I'm suppose to use, thanks again for the help!

brenda o · 10-28-2009, 12:53 AM

hmmm, how? and with what?

nap · 10-28-2009, 09:40 AM

the reason you use a large surface area sander when doing the actual sanding is it will make for a smoother floor. A smaller sander will follow the ups and downs of an uneven surface more closely and while smoothing the surface, it will not smooth the area so you can have whoop-de-doos in your floor. They will be smooth though. A large surface area sander will remove the high points so your floor is flatter.

When you sand across the grain of wood, it tears the fibers and jerks them sideways, causing the to no be cut off cleanly, leaving a fuzzy surface. That is why you would go and sand, with the grain, with a directional sander (belt or drum) in the direction of the grain.

Regardless how well you do this, you will end up with some fuzz. The softer the wood, the more fuzz you tend to have. To remedy this, after you begin finishing the floor (as in sealing and floor finish applications), you sand after the applications to:
1: remove any fuzz

2: prep the surface to accept the next coat (some do not need this, some do. it is specific to the finish being used)

3: remove anything that happened to get stuck in the coating of whatever. Bugs are a great part of nature but when finishing a floor, they can...well, they can really bug you by landing in the wet floor finish.

By the time you get to the final coat, there should be no need to sand, polish, or wax to remove any fuzz. It should all be well below the finish.

Ron 6519 has a very good point. Soft pine will be very blotchy if not treated properly. It sounds like he has a direction for a successful method and I do not so I will let him expand on his post.

Ron6519 · 10-28-2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda o

hmmm, how? and with what?

Most stain companies carry a Wood Conditioner in their product line. It's on the shelf among the stains. Make sure you get the correct conditioner for the stain your using. As an example. Minwax carries two lines of stain. Oil and latex. You need to use the oil conditioner with the oil stain.
The idea of the conditioner is to equalize the stains penetration into the wood.
Follow the directions on the container for the proper use.
For a large area application, I would use a roller with at least a 3/8" nap.
Ron

brenda o · 10-31-2009, 08:53 AM

which is really quite gorgeous now that i have some of it laid down and nailed in. just takes time.....

I think I'll go with renting a sander. I just don't want it to "take off on me". I don't want to have it catch a high spot on the ends and have it rip or tear the wood. The ends have lined up pretty tight for the most part but i can see how a sander could "catch". But then again, the samller one in the pic in this "thread" looks more "my size" to work with.

I will clean up the dust ( not with anything flammable

and use the oil conditioner since i want to use oil base. For some reason, I have it in my head that it will preserve the wood better than latex. I have some scrap pieces and did my own samples for colors. Wow, what a variation between the board pieces even with the same stain. That must be the blotchy thing. See, keep learning from you guys

Am i going to sand again after staining before i use the polyurethane? and sand again to remove "bugs" and probably my dog's hair and then another coat of poyurethne. So, thats three "toppings" then if I think it needs another coat, go again...

and i can use a roller to do the staining part. i would prefer to brush the poly though. ok, have a plan for this part now

thanks again and i'll be back

the pine really does look nice, i love the grain in it, it just needs to be a little darker

Ron6519 · 10-31-2009, 10:17 AM

They have lambs wool applicators for this work. You want to use something that uniformly applies the stain but does not toss splatter like a roller. If you really like the roller option, you will need to mask the bottom 2 feet or so of the walls.
Follow the directions on both the wood conditioner and the stain to the letter if you want the job to look good. Have everything set up before hand so you can go through the various stages without unnecessary delay. The transition from conditioner to stain must be done timely or you will still get splothes. The removing of the excess stain and blending is also important. If you wait too long it will not look even.
You can use the same type of applicators with the poly. You will hand cut by the wall and use the applicators in the field. Light coats are better than heavy coats and be careful of puddles. You can't really go back to fix these once the floor is wet. Good light,close to the floor will be your friend.
Ron

roxksears · 10-31-2009, 12:35 PM

Hi Brenda,
I'm glad to see another 'chick' who isn't afraid to jump in and DIY!

I have been renovating my 1957 home for the past 6 years and this fall took on refinishing an oak floor. It was in good shape (not gouges, humps, etc), but the finish was shot! I was quite fearful of this project because of the sanding part of it. Six yrs ago I rented a floor belt sander to do another floor and it about killed me. My buddy helped me but it was really brutal on his body too. (and I haven't even mentioned the ungodly amount of dust it kicked up)!

I just posted some photos http://www.diychatroom.com/members/r...shing-project/

... and realized that continuing here will detract from your post so I've started a new one. Check it out for detailed info of my progress if you like:
My Hardwood Floor Refinishing project

organick · 10-31-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda o

which is really quite gorgeous now that i have some of it laid down and nailed in. just takes time.....

I think I'll go with renting a sander. I just don't want it to "take off on me". I don't want to have it catch a high spot on the ends and have it rip or tear the wood. The ends have lined up pretty tight for the most part but i can see how a sander could "catch". But then again, the samller one in the pic in this "thread" looks more "my size" to work with.

I will clean up the dust ( not with anything flammable

and use the oil conditioner since i want to use oil base. For some reason, I have it in my head that it will preserve the wood better than latex. I have some scrap pieces and did my own samples for colors. Wow, what a variation between the board pieces even with the same stain. That must be the blotchy thing. See, keep learning from you guys

Am i going to sand again after staining before i use the polyurethane? and sand again to remove "bugs" and probably my dog's hair and then another coat of poyurethne. So, thats three "toppings" then if I think it needs another coat, go again...

and i can use a roller to do the staining part. i would prefer to brush the poly though. ok, have a plan for this part now

thanks again and i'll be back

the pine really does look nice, i love the grain in it, it just needs to be a little darker

Just be aware that even a hand belt sander can do quite a number on wood if you don't keep it flat/level. If you you let it, it can sand a gauge into wood in a few seconds. Its not like a palm sander where you can just cruise along, you really need to be in control of it to keep it from causing dips. If you can rent a big floor sander ask the guys at the store to show you how to run it, they might even let you try it out so they can help you with it before you take it home.