How to Finish Woodwork - Cherry - Oak -Walnut Hardwood Floor Refinish - Hardwood Flooring Tips

Unfinished hardwood flooring is a great opportunity to finish woodwork beyond an engineered wood floor to another dimension. The natural wood grains enhanced bring to life the wood's natural beauty. Refinishing hardwood floors with a number of solvent or oil based woodwork finishes such as shellac, lacquer, varnish and oil.  Deciding how to refinish hardwood floors determines which woodwork finishes you go with. There is cherry hardwood flooring, walnut hardwood flooring or perhaps you would like an oak hardwood floor? Another option is bamboo hardwood flooring. A hardwood floor stain or hardwood floor refinish are designed to protect wood by inhibiting moisture and stains.

To protect your wood project take the time to finish woodwork per the following straight forward steps. Correct preparation is essential before you finish woodwork. You then need to choose a color or natural finish. When fully prepped the finish is applied. Consider the natural beauty of woodwork when you consider prefinished hardwood flooring or hardwood laminate flooring. When you install hardwood flooring you are making decision on appearance and the future resale vale of your property. The natural wood finish of woodwork adds much appeal and adds a stately grandeur to your living space.

Tools and supplies you need for refinishing hardwood floors

• No. 0000 steel wool
• 120, 150, 180, 220 320 grade sandpapers
• Cloth rag
• Wood stain
• Wood oil
• Wood wax
• Cherry hardwood flooring, 
• Oak hardwood floor 
• Walnut hardwood flooring. 
• Bamboo hardwood flooring

Step 1

The first step in the process is to pick a suitable finish and natural wood. Which hardwood floor refinish? You can use cherry hardwood flooring, plan an oak hardwood floor or go with walnut hardwood flooring. When you finish woodwork the ultimate question is do you want a penetrating or surface finish?

• Oil is a penetrating finish that leaves only a light layer of finish on the surface. This is favored to maintain a more natural look. 
• Shellac, lacquer and varnish are all surface woodwork finishes. This finishes are for more a glossy look. In this article we will concentrate on the oil finish.

Step 2

Once you have chosen the technique you will use to finish woodwork it is time to prepare the wood. This is most important as poor preparation equals a poor finish. You then sand the wood with a sequence of different graded grit sandpapers working up through 120, 150, 180, 220 and finishing with 320 grade.

Make sure you the dust off the wood completely after each new grade. When finished sanding wipe off the entire piece with a rag slightly dampened with linseed oil.

Step 3

Next stage to finish woodwork and finishing hardwood floors after preparation is to stain the wood if you want to change the hardwood’s color. 

Do you want an oak hardwood floor, walnut hardwood flooring or a cherry hardwood floor. There are other color options also. When you finish woodwork the ultimate question is do you want a penetrating or surface finish?

Oil-based stains being the most common approach, aniline dyes are the other option. Oil stains don't penetrate the wood deeply and are applied by rag with coats applied 10 to 15 minutes apart to achieve different shades. Aniline dyes penetrate deeper than stains and are mixed with water.

Step 4

Now you have the color the last phase to finish woodwork is the oil application. While specific directions may vary, there are some general guidelines for applying an oil finish. Rub liberal amounts of oil into the wood with a lint-free rag letting it be absorbed for an hour. Wipe off any excess oil.

Step 5

After wiping the excess oil let the wood dry for 24 hours. Rub the wood with No. 0000 steel wool and be sure to rid it of all dust. Apply another coat of oil as before, let dry and then apply a third coat. Finally apply a light coat of paste wax to the entire wood surface.

To finish woodwork you want to have a finish that brings out the beauty of the wood. To finish off the project just buff the wax a satin sheen with a clean, dry cloth. 

Tips

• Test your coloring method on scrap pieces of wood first.
• Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully and do what's recommended

Warning

• Woodwork finishes require precautions. Wear protective gloves, goggles and a respirator with organic vapor cartridges.
• Work area needs to be ventilated so you don’t get overcome by the fumes.