How To Finish Polyurethane Floors How Many Coats Needed

Apply the first coat of polyurethane.

How to finish polyurethane floors how many coats needed.

You are best off using 3 coats of water based polyurethane for the best results. For protection two coats are the minimum but floors and anything else that will see hard wear or occasional moisture should get at least three coats. Four regular coats of urethane applied one over the other is a good starting point. For the smoothest finish wipe the surface with a sticky tack cloth before adding another coat.

If you can apply the right amount of polyurethane you will end up with an excellent finish. To protect your surface apply at least two coats of polyurethane. How many coats of water based polyurethane should you use. Kitchen entryway family room.

This leads to the question how many coats of polyurethane do you need. Some parquet and solid wood floors are very old. Spread the varnish over the entire surface with long even strokes. In this article.

How many coats of polyurethane are needed to achieve a beautiful finish. Sand polyurethane lightly between coats with 220 or higher grit sandpaper. Applying this substance will ensure a protective coat is added and the wood will last longer. Regardless of whether you have a maple oak mahogany or bamboo hardwood floor it will need recoating every 10 years or so.

Prepare the polyurethane by reducing it about 10 percent with mineral spirits unless you re using water based polyurethane which doesn t need thinning. To reveal flaws bubbles brush marks etc as you work shine a light at a low angle across the. Start with a thick coating. The first thing to understand is the need to begin with a thick polyurethane finish film to ensure that you don t buff right through to bare wood.

And this is is especially important on the 1st floor of your home and heavy traffic areas e g. After the first coat has dried for 24 hours sand again with 180 to 220 grit sandpaper to remove drips bubbles and other uneven spots in the coat. If sandpaper is inadequate to remove dried drips or other imperfections shave them off with a razor. Repeat as needed applying 1 to 2 coats when using a brush and 2 to 3 coats when using spray.

Each coat also makes the finish a bit smoother. Within 24 hours of applying the seal coat brush on a coat of finish right from the can. Avoid wiping the brush on the rim of the can as this may introduce air bubbles. You should see a fine white powder after sanding if not allow it to dry longer between coats.

After your final coat you may choose to rub out the finish with 0000 steel wool to a consistent sheen level followed by an application of paste. Thinning the polyurethane makes it flow on more smoothly and reduces brush marks. That s not to say you should apply each coat thickly. In most cases polyurethane gives a lovely glossy finish and offer protection at the same time.