Solid Wood Flooring from Hackworth Sawmill

Finishing Hardwood Flooring

Although there are attractions in fitting pre-finished hardwood flooring – once it is fitted, the job is done – there are disadvantages, not least of which is what to do if the wooden surface gets damaged or scratched. This can be a problem particularly with a lacquered finish which has been applied under factory conditions. It can be very difficult to match it up, and there are instances where the finish has to be sanded off the whole floor, and done again, just because of a few scratches.
If, on the other hand, you have applied the finish to the wooden floor yourself, you know what it has been sealed with, and possibly have some of the sealer left, so it is much easier to repair any subsequent damage. So, how do you go about finishing a hardwood floor? Much depends on where you are starting from. If the wood flooring has been pre-sanded, the difficult bit has already been done, and provided you have been careful when you fitted the floor, and have avoided getting dirty marks or stains on the wood, then apart from some light sanding where you might have used some wood-filler, the wooden floor is ready for finishing.
If the wooden flooring has been planed, but not been pre-sanded, assuming that you are not satisfied with the planed finish (some people are – it depends on the effect you want) then you will have to sand it. The easiest way to do this is to hire a sander from a tool hire company, who should also provide the appropriate sanding belts for the machine, and go over the whole floor, starting with coarse sandpaper and gradually working down to a fine one. You do need to be careful. First of all, it will be very messy, with lots of fine dust, so ensure that doors are shut and any gaps taped up, otherwise the whole house will covered in a layer of dust. Secondly, be careful with the machine. Although you might start off sanding at a 45 degree angle to the wooden floorboards to remove any high spots (e.g. discrepancies between boards, bowing or cupping), most of the sanding must be along rather than across the boards. Also avoid leaving the machine running in one spot, otherwise it will dig a hole. Hardwood flooring is not that hard! Once the sanding is finished, the wooden floor must be absolutely spotless, no trace of dust, before you go any further.
It is at this stage that you would apply any staining (e.g. to make the floor darker) or liming (to take the colour out of it), both of which are best applied with a cloth following the instructions on the tin. Remember also that you can get some floor sealers that stain and seal in the same operation.
Which sealer you use depends on the finish you want. If you are applying the sealer direct to the wooden flooring as it is (i.e. no staining or liming), then as a general rule an oil-based sealer will accentuate the natural colour of the wood. So with oak, for example, it will bring out the honey colour of the timber which will darken it slightly. A water-based sealer, on the other hand, will have less effect on the colour. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and if possible test the sealer on a piece of scrap wood before you do the whole floor, making sure that you let it dry before making a decision.
Some of the products available are listed under "Flooring sealers and adhesives"