Finishing Refinishing Wood : Techniques Pro...
This post was sponsored by Minwax who makes, in my opinion, the best wood stains for historic restoration. The opinions are completely my own and I have been using these products and techniques long before partnering with Minwax for this post.
Finishing refinishing wood : techniques pro...
If you are an experienced wood finisher, refer to our retail brochures for quick and simple finishing instructions. For those of you that like to know more, we'll take you step-by-step through the wood finishing process including preparing the wood, selecting the finish and applying traditional or decorative finishes.
Whether you're planning to finish furniture for your own home, make gift items, or take up woodworking as a hobby, you'll find wood finishing to be a rewarding experience. It's a practical skill that you'll take with you throughout life. Anyone can save money by finishing their own furniture.
The types of abrasives commonly used for furniture finishing are garnet, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. In general, red garnet paper is used primarily for hand sanding. Grey to white aluminum oxide is used for either hand or power sanding; black silicon carbide is the abrasive of choice for very fine sanding in the woodworking field.
Coarse sandpapers below 100 grit, are rarely used for fine furniture finishing. They may, on occasion, be useful for distressing the surface, rounding harsh corners, or breaking down extremely rough areas. The grades of sandpaper used most for furniture finishing fall in the fine and very fine categories - that is from 120 grit through 220 grit; with 320, 400 and 600 grit used for special purposes. For "hard to stain" woods, finish sanding with 120 grit will usually accommodate the problem.
Before starting almost any wood finishing project, have these items on hand. Get enough gloves, sanding blocks, brushes, etc. Just like golf balls are in golf, supplies are the cheapest part of the game. Quality paper towels or lint-free absorbent wiping cloths.
Obviously, you'll want to completely clear the area of any furniture, rugs, and curtains so you can see exactly what you're working with. But one thing most homeowners forget to do prior to refinishing their floors is sealing vents and doors. Home Depot suggests sealing the air vent covers and doors with plastic sheeting to prevent dust from spreading throughout the house. Once that is done, you'll also want to check for any loose floorboards, which should be secured with finishing nails to prevent any accidents or surprises.
Yes, trained professionals will likely use a drum sander when refinishing hardwood flooring, but the sander is a disaster waiting to happen if you're an amateur. Drum sanders can be incredibly difficult for a beginner to master and have stringent requirements. For example, The Spruce writes that you have to follow the wood grain for best results. So, even though it may take a bit more time, Bob Vila recommends going for an orbital sander instead, as you'll be less likely to damage your flooring.
You might assume that you should only use one kind of sandpaper to ensure your floors are evenly sanded, but that's not quite the case. Sanding your floors before refinishing them is actually a multi-step process. You'll want to start with a rougher grit (although Bob Vila recommends not going any coarser than 60 grit) and then progress until you finish with 100 or 120 grit to smooth everything out.
You can get away with a quick vacuum on a regular day, but when it comes to refinishing your floors, you want to really channel your inner cleaning superstar. After you sand but before you add your finish, Home Depot advises going over your hardwood floors with a vacuum and cloth to ensure every speck of dust is cleared. That's because you will trap the leftover dust, hair, or debris with the finish.
Though you may be eager to finish your home improvement projects as soon as possible, there's no getting around the need for paint, glue, or stains to dry. That's certainly the case with refinishing hardwood floors. When it comes to your finish, Pro Floor Tips recommends applying at least two coats for best results. You'll need a fair bit of time (usually about eight hours) for each coat to dry.
Latex paint, on the other hand, cleans up easily with soap and water. It does not yellow over time, and it dries significantly fast with fewer fumes. However, latex paint also shows more imperfections and shrinks while drying. Latex paint also stains more easily, so cabinets painted with latex paint are likely to require more frequent refinishing.
Refinishing cabinetry is the quickest way to refresh a kitchen. Being skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in cabinet refinishing can be a huge competitive advantage. And transforming dated or worn-out cabinets can help make any space look completely new.
In a furniture refinishing group online, I got the idea to test for stain resistance on furniture. This is more of a concern for high-use furniture items like a kitchen table. Apparently, the two most notorious substances for staining white paint are coffee and tomato sauce. 041b061a72