After 3-4 hours, the water based liquid is going to dry. He would like a quick fix, but I’m afraid both you and he may be a bit surprised by the length and detail in this article. It just depends on how well you maintain the floor. Nonetheless, you should screen and re-coat the floor which is in a fine state. Painters and furniture finishers hardly ever apply polyurethane with a roller because of its propensity for forming bubbles. What a mess that will be. It makes your wooden floor ready to apply polyurethane coating over it. With all the little beveled edges, and the factory conversion finishes there is some doubt as to whether these floors will accept another coating of any type. You can be sure you are buying an OMU when the directions on the can suggest clean up with mineral spirits. It is important to clean the wooden floor before adding another layer. As the water based polyurethane is thinner than the oil based polyurethane, you should add stain on the wooden floor before applying water based polyurethane. After vacuuming the room, clean the floor with white vinegar and turn the fan on to let the room dry quickly. If on the other hand you have used only half my methods, and strayed into your old bad habits, rushing through the job, to get paid, or for the DIY ‘ers just to get life back to normal, your results will be something less that spectacular. Tweet on Twitter. THINNING POLYURETHANE. Never leave a fine sanded floor overnight, any dampness in the air may raise the grain, especially in the summer. The container should be large enough to bear a sufficient amount of polyurethane for coating the entire room because you don’t want to run out of liquid at the middle of your work. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. You can also use water in the cleaning process as you are applying water based polyurethane on the floor. A sander machine works pretty fast and you are going to sand down a medium-sized room within 20-30 minutes. – If you are searching for the answer to these questions then you are in the right place. Oh, and I almost forgot, when doing kitchen floors add one more coat, the same would go for a heavily used dining room. The only defects in it are so minor, that after a month or two they are abraded out of the top of the finish. We used to call these holidays and silver dollars. How to Apply Water Based Polyurethane on Wood Floors. Roller pad or applicators; Natural bristle brush In some cases in the middle of summer I cease to use OMP at all. It may become confusing when water based finishes call themselves urethane. There will be large particles of sandpaper grit on the floor, and your household vacuum won’t do the job. Ventilate all coats with a large fan about 4-5 hours after the finish is applied (or when the surface is hard enough not to have dust stick to it). And on new floors I want to level the boards quickly and easily. This step is necessary to achieve a durable coating. Use Proper protective equipment throughout the whole process. Planning A Mixed Media Floor, Flooding and Hurricane Damage To Wood Floors, How To Protect Wood Floors From Furniture Scratches, Fortifiber Building Systems Group: Aquabar® B and Other Moisture Barriers. How to apply oil based polyurethane WITHOUT the pits and bubbles. Or how do I get a smooth finish with water based polyurethane? Come back after 3-4 hours when the coating is fully dried, softly sand the entire floor with 220-grit sandpaper. Once you have brushed yourself out the door in a pre-planned route, let this second coat dry at least 40 hours. However, if you also want to know about the process of applying oil based polyurethane, you can check out my other article about oil based coatings. It will help the wooden floor become fresher and allow the polyurethane to attach with the floor firmly. You only need to clean the brushes when done with all coats, in the mean time keep them cleaned with paint thinner but wrapped in a thinner soaked rag. It would be worth it to rent one for the whole job. In other words, sanding makes your floor polish to accept the coating liquid smoothly. Hardwood floors are getting popular day by day. First, sweep the floor if it is really full of dust, as this may be too much for your vacuum. He’s been having quite a problem, (and I’m sure customer complaints) because he has been leaving bubbles in the last coat of polyurethane. So, before start coating the room, you should coat the corners with a bristle brush. They have a completely different application method. Wear a hat when coating (we hate to see hairs caught in the finish), and be sure to wear clean clothes the day of the second and third coat. My boss used to yell out the door as we were leaving the shop in downtown New Orleans. Polyurethane’s official name is actually Oil Modified Polyurethane, or OMP or OMU. But I have a few more hints. By. Again softly sand the surface and clean the dust. By the way, water-based polys are less likely to have bubbles than oil polys because each coat is much thinner. Carefully follow this guide on how to apply water based polyurethane on hardwood floors to complete your next DIY projects. Therefore, you will have to apply a few more coats than you would have if you used the finish without thinning it. The way she plays with color and shape amazes us. You may not find her on the list of top 10 contemporary Canadian interior designers, but everyone who knows her says she was born to be an interior designer. Cleaning is very important to get a beautiful topcoat. This is an extra precaution step and something new I demonstrated in my video “Bubble-Free Polyurethane Application Technique” that adds an extra layer of security. You need to coat three times with water based polyurethane. He’s been having quite a problem, (and I’m sure customer complaints) because he has been leaving bubbles in the last coat of polyurethane. The best advantage of using Polyurethane finish is that it comes with quick drying time and has nontoxic formation. Sand Paper, Finish Brush; Thinning Agent, Tack Cloth Keep in mind, it’s best to go over the floor twice, this will ensure the floor is dust free. This often happens on older floor that have been waxed or treated with various silicone or oil polishes. I believe this is well worth the extra time, considering the results you will obtain. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. You can learn water based or oil based polyurethane applying process to make a glowing wooden floor.