Generally. you should wear a particulate mask or respirator when sanding, mostly because of the chance for lead in old coatings. For old varnish the chance of significant lead exposure is slim and no volatile organics will be released.
What kind of mask should you use when sanding?
For simple wood sanding, some folks recommend the old standard 3M 8210 particulate respirator. Lots of people would call this style a dust mask. Others would say that it’s barely better than nose hair. It’s an N95 which means it will filter out 95% of the particulate matter, which is certainly better than nothing.
Do you have to sand between coats of polyurethane on floors?
You should always sand between coats when applying oil-based polyurethane on hardwood floors. However, you may not need to sand between coats when using water-based polyurethane, depending on the brand of product you buy.
What are the steps to refinishing hardwood floors?
Prepare the Floor for Refinishing
- Prepare the Floor for Refinishing. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. …
- Pull Up the Shoe Base Moulding. …
- Rough-Sand the Floor. …
- Sand the Edges and Corners. …
- Screen Sand the Floor. …
- Remove All Dust. …
- Apply the Wood Stain. …
- Apply the Finish.
How long does it take for polyurethane to dry on hardwood floors?
Polyurethane dries in 24-48 hours and takes about 30 days to fully cure. Your new hardwood floor is installed, and just one more thing needs to be done to protect the wood and bring out that beautiful grain.
Should you wear a mask when sanding floors?
Sanding creates clouds of particles that are harmful when breathed in large quantities. You should always wear a mask, even for short projects.
Should I wear a mask while sanding wood?
Most of the dust from saws, planers, drills, and even routers is consists of much larger particles. Sanding is probably the worst culprit for producing very fine dust, so wearing a mask while sanding with power sanders is more important than most other times.
Can you sleep in house after polyurethane?
No, it is not recommended, and you shouldn’t take chances. Polyurethane will be off-gassing heavily for the first 24 hours, even for the water-based type. It is worse if you use oil-based finishes: it’s highly toxic and can cause several health problems.
How can I make polyurethane dry faster?
The four most reliable ways of making polyurethane dry faster without damaging the product are:
- Increasing the air temperature (70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal )
- Lowering humidity by opening windows.
- Applying thin layers.
- Preparing the surface properly before application.
Do you buff hardwood floors after polyurethane?
Simply give your polyurethane finish a good buffing with a new 180 or 220 grit screen. This will remove flaws such as brush marks, lap marks, bubbles, raised grain and any particles left on the polyurethane finish.
Is polyurethane toxic when dry?
No, polyurethane is not toxic once it has fully dried (cured). What makes polyurethane toxic are the VOCs it emits and the presence of isocyanates. Both of these are rendered harmless once polyurethane has cured, which takes roughly three weeks for water-based polyurethane and four weeks for oil-based polyurethane.
How long do you have to stay off hardwood floors after refinishing?
How long do I have to wait to use my room after my floors are refinished? We recommend waiting 6 hours before walking on your new floors in socks. After 24 hours you can walk through with shoes on.
How many coats of polyurethane should be put on hardwood floors?
We recommend at least 2 coats of oil based polyurethane + a lacquer sealer coat as a minimum for hardwood flooring. Extra coats = extra protection, but only one coat of oil based polyurethane may be applied per day, as it needs 24 hours to dry before applying another coat.
What happens if you don’t sand between coats of polyurethane?
For some types of poly, nothing happens if you don’t sand between coats of polyurethane. However, most polyurethane will not adhere properly if you skip sanding dust nibs and brush marks on the finish. The polyurethane finish will eventually peel off or become deformed.
What is the best applicator for polyurethane on floors?
Lambswool applicators
Lambswool applicators
A lambswool applicator on a wood block is the recommended method for applying oil-based polyurethane to a hardwood floor.
Can you wait too long between coats of polyurethane?
When you recoat after 2 hours you get a chemical bond between layers. If you let it go longer than that, you need to wait 24 hours so it’s hard enough to sand and get a mechanical bond.
Is 5 coats of polyurethane too much?
You can use four or five coats of water-based polyurethane for hardwood floors, especially those that will see a lot of traffic or a lot of moisture. For all other projects, manufacturers usually recommend three coats, even for water-based applications.
Do you sand after polyurethane?
No, you don’t need to sand the final coat of polyurethane. The only time you should sand the final coat of polyurethane is if you haven’t gotten a smooth finish. Different problems can occur when you apply polyurethane, such as dust nibs, bubbles, and streaks.
Do you really need 3 coats of polyurethane?
For ideal results, you should use about three or four coats. You will also have to wait quite some time between coats, as this polyurethane takes longer to dry. No matter how many coats of polyurethane you apply, it will always be quite a time-consuming process when using an oil-based finish.
What grit sandpaper should I use between polyurethane coats?
320-grit sandpaper
Allow each coat to dry fully. To give the subsequent poly layers something to bond to, sand lightly between coats with 320-grit sandpaper wrapped around a hard block.
How do I get a smooth final coat of polyurethane?
Sand lightly with 240-grit sandpaper between coats, then let the last coat dry for at least 24 hours. This is standard practice with any wood finishing job, and is nothing out of the ordinary. That said, sanding bare wood beforehand to create a smooth foundation is key.
