How To Finish Unfinished Pine Flooring

Because pine flooring typically comes unfinished you have the chance to finish your floor in any color that suits your preferences and the color palette of your home.

How to finish unfinished pine flooring.

Pine is a softwood so an old pine floor is usually distressed which is part of its charm. You ll need to finish your own pine flooring using stain varnish or oil. It dries very fast so 2 3 coats can be applied. Before applying stain to your wood floor you need to know what species it is.

Floors made of maple birch and coniferous woods especially pine or fir are all very difficult to stain evenly. Oil based finish will last much longer in comparison. Maple and birch are tight grained woods with very small pores and the density of the pore wall fibers varies drastically. Most people prefer a clear oil finish.

Cleaning and sanding the pine floor. It needs regular sweeping and mopping to protect the finish. A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish. You can buy heart pine flooring in a variety of widths and grades.

But pine also takes stain and paint well. To finish a pine floor which is basically plywood that is purchased and finished from large sheets you need to use stain varnish or oil. For you purposes at least 5 6 coats of shellac can be brushed or rolled on to a well sanded pine floor. Although in my opinion 4 coats of satin polyurethane makes the very best finish for a pine floor there are many alternatives.

For maximum protection and durability give the floor 2 coats of stain or varnish and wait 24 hours for the floor to dry. Four things to look for in heart pine flooring. The most natural but least water resistant film finish is shellac. If you choose varnish instead of polyurethane to finish your floor you will want to make sure that you select a varnish or finish that has hardening agents added to it to give additional durability to the pine wood.

The pine will develop a slightly darker patina with age and exposure to light. We chose yellow pine unfinished flooring from lumber liquidators sand floors with an orbital sander rented locally. Stain it or leave it natural and topcoat it with an oil or varnish. If you want to refinish sanding pine floors is easier than sanding hardwood.

This process is detailed in this post. Tung oil alone will give the floor a traditional look and a warm glow. The flooring installation and finish process for video haters. For the best results clean the floor first with a duster or vacuum to remove any lingering dirt or debris.

Then apply a final coat of stain varnish or oil.