This is an important step and shouldn’t be passed over. Along with maple strip flooring, more maple plank is being installed, and in areas where maple was not prevalent in the past. Somerset Hardwood Flooring. However, maple … Use a high powered light to investigate your sanding to make certain you do not have sanding marks . From wide widths to long lengths you are sure to find what you are … It is a challenge for even the most seasoned veteran floor contractor and many floor contractors do not recommend doing it . The best way to avoid this problem is to make the customer aware of the possibility. Before you choose, though, you need to know everything there is to know about the pros and cons of each species to select the best one for your needs. Note that water popping the wood will cause the stain or dye to be darker than what you might realize. You need to be extra careful with the sanding because any imperfections will be highlighted once you start staining and finishing the maple floor. We have two types of aniline dye here at CFS. Stains on the maple floors can be a headache and the tips you are providing are really helpful for them. Cons. One person applies the dye while the other person wipes up the excess. Maple,however, is not so forgiving. This finisher has been in business for many years and in recent years has found customers are becoming more critical. and,"Why do we have more problems with maple floors than we have with oak.". Many finishers then think that the material was bad or that the flattening agent was not mixed in sufficiently. Plan on your mix going about 400 – 500 sq ft per gallon. Pros: Easy to apply and touch up; little odor or … Bill Price Sr. is the president of Floormasters International, a The Villages, Fla.-based consulting business. The popularity of using wood as flooring has ebbed and flowed throughout recorded human history. How do I find someone who can do a good job. Shiny areas can appear wherever there are heavy finish spots such as drops, puddles, turn or stop marks. The fact is that the flatter and smoother a dense floor becomes, the more critical the application of the finish coats becomes. "Our customer... Everything from basics on running the big machine to detailed buffer techniques and more are in these wood floor sanding articles. Bringing out the best in hardwood floors. When you learn how to dye or stain maple, you have the opportunity to create a truly unique floor for your client. However, you should not use a water sealer. I am interested in using the water based Dye the coating over it with the Medium brown stain and then finishing off with Bona Wood Line. We recommend you use a traditional resin stain over your dye to lock in the color and this will also create good protection from fading. How to Refinish a Maple Hardwood Floor. Once this is done then you can move onto applying the stain or dye. I want to be positive and not be raise your expectations . The theory is that uneven coats of any low-sheen finish, especially satin or matte, can show up as shiny streaks or spots on a finished floor. Dyes work better but limit the colors available. PROTECTING YOUR FLOORS. Step 5: Sand Down the Floor Surface. This is a great choice for high-end homes, exotic wood, or floors … This step pays dividends. What is the most popular finish for hardwood? When staining maple do not try and force dry times. What can I do? If you’re interested in DIY stains, check out our video about making a homemade gray-aged stain for white oak floors. Woods with open, porous grain, such as oak, can hide a small amount of these imperfections, but they stand out on maple and other dense woods. Hand-sanding between coats with used sandpaper,screens or abrasive pads in the direction of the grain helps to avoid screen marks. Extremely hard and durable. Stick with semi-gloss or gloss topcoats and use care when coating. When fine sanding maple floors, always reduce drum pressure to its lowest setting and slow the drum speed if your machine allows for it. Our best success with staining maple on the job site has come with using a dye powder stain that mixes in water first and then using a similar color of an oil stain on top of the dye . It is often suggested that using blue tape can help prevent those lap lines. Sandpaper discs (hard plating) were finding use on parquet and mosaic floors. Ah staining maple. The customer and his designer made it clear that the stain color and the satin sheen level was expected to be even and uniform over the entire floor area. Industry Leader in the Professional Floor Sanding Market. However, with enough delicate and meticulous care, it can be done and done well. One secret to sanding maple to a smooth, level finish is to start with an abrasive grade that will take down over wood at the side-match and level butting end joints. Screens were not yet invented. How to Sand, Stain & Finish Maple Wood Flooring. First, a natural maple floor finished with water-based finish is going to look a lot different than a maple floor that is finished with an oil-based finish (see pics below). He is hardly alone in his concerns. I have a client that wants me to stain their maple floors medium brown. Another good point made by the manufacture is to use Zinsser’s Seal Coat Shellac as a barrier coat over the dye. Many people find that applying dye is a two-person job. Since maple is so dense, you need to open up the grain as much as possible. Many contractors do not like to screen maple. Pros. Thoroughly vacuum not only the floor but all baseboards, window sills and any adjoining areas. There is no magic solution or tool for sanding and finishing a maple floor. Keep sharing! When we recommend using a traditional stain over the dye it is help lock in the color. Debris in the finish coats accounts for many complaints when finishing maple. A traditional stain is something like Dura Seal’s quick dry stains or penetrating oil stain. A Little History. The second is to screen and then "pop the grain" with water and allow to dry overnight before staining. Shop Hurst Hardwoods for all types of unfinished Solid Maple Hardwood Flooring. Using a powder dye that mixes with water can be tricky but can be done. Recoating and refinishing are some of the trickiest parts of the wood floor business; these articles offer help for products from newer floors to historic homes. As the flattening agent settles to the bottom of the applied coating, any area where there is a heavier film appears glossier due to the additional film build in that spot. Educate customers about the difficulties involved in the staining of maple so they are warned of possible appearance issues. Trans Tint is a liquid concentrate and Lockwood is a powder mixed with water. The strength and consistency of oak measures up well against maple … We highly recommend a stain conditioner to control the evenness of the application. The safest approach is to first ... Tim Nathan, market specialist/upper Midwest regional manager at Basic Coatings, shared this tip:
That means that you have to change color somehow. Many people use it on maple as it helps to bring out its natural color. Staining Maple can be done and it can be done very well. One thing is for sure – good communication with your customer is a must. Of greater concern to many wood floor finishers are the difficulties that can and do arise when sanding and finishing maple. Best when professionally applied, acid-cured finishes are the most durable and expensive of all hardwood floor finishes. Read more about choosing the right grit sequence for your project. ” I would like to dye my maple floor light teak but I am a bit worried in might turn out patchy ” Whether you use a brush, roller, lambswool or T-bar, the key to a good finish job is an even, uniform coating. Although the floor looks great, it is hard to keep it clean and over the last few years we find that it makes the house too dark. This is especially true when using non-compliant oil-modified polyurethane or VOC-compliant oil-modified urethane. Don't Use Too Low of a Grit. Polyurethane is the most popular finish for floors. What Kind Of Finish Is Best For Hardwood Floors? We have factory finished very very dark maple hardwood floors. Staining maple a light teak color can be done and done well but you need to practice your finish and staining system and sand with great precision. Leave exaggerated time between steps. Serving the Flooring, Woodworking & Moulding Industries Since 1930. Maple's density and light color can make screen marks, sandpaper lines or swirls obvious. Chatter marks with drum machines have been around for almost 40 years, and while waves in belt machines are newer, they can be just as frustrating. The safest approach when abrading between coats is to always use worn or old sandpaper or screens. If your maple hardwood floor’s finish looks scratched, scuffed and dingy, you can restore its color and luster with a new finish. Water popping maple will help raise the grain and make the wood is more receptive to the stain or dye. Many floor finishers have found an advantage to using maroon abrasive pads between coats instead of screens (use the abrasive recommended by the finish manufacturer). This means that you do not have to re-coat … Using this hardwood floor finish … If you understand these three factors, you will sand a maple floor very successfully. I can not be more direct in saying the success is all in your sanding and preparation . The extra steps to stain maple take more time- considerable more time. Many finishers keep a pair of smooth-soled shoes for finishing only, while others will wear "booties." Be aware that scratches tend to be more prominent if thick or heavy finish coats are applied. Maple is known to stain blotchy or patchy. 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