How To Smooth Polyurethane Floor

Buffing can create a glass smooth finish even after polyurethane has been applied not too well with nothing more than a brush in an ordinary home workshop.

How to smooth polyurethane floor.

To reveal flaws bubbles brush marks etc as you work shine a light at a low angle across the. For open grain woods like oak ash or walnut you can apply a wood grain filler before the polyurethane to create an ultra smooth finished surface. Don t finish on the same day you sand. As with all wood finishes good results depend on smooth clean wood surfaces but this goes double with clear finishes such as polyurethane.

Don t be satisfied with just a regular finish. Start by choosing a type of polyurethane oil or water based as well as a finish matte or glossy and make sure your work area is well ventilated. The dust stays in the air. Polyurethane wood finish is used to coat surfaces protecting them from scratches and helping to resist water damage.

Prepare the polyurethane by reducing it about 10 percent with mineral spirits unless you re using water based polyurethane which doesn t need thinning. Before the finishing starts i vacuum the project the workbench and the floor. If the bubbling is extensive sand with a palm sander or if you re finishing a floor a floor buffer and a sanding screen. Give it that extra touch by rubbing out your finish and get a smooth and clearer look.

You would use coarser paper to scuff a floor than you would a tabletop. Sand your wood with at least 220 grit sandpaper. Thinning the polyurethane makes it flow on more smoothly and reduces brush marks. I ll reuse these sheets several times then toss them.

Under the piece to be finished i spread out 6 mil poly to protect the floor from drips and spills and make cleanup easy. Buffing is especially valuable for dealing with the nasty side of waterbased urethane the brush strokes the bubbles and the less than smooth results many people struggle with.