Before You Start - Wood Projects are Simply Not …

1 Contents Introduction ..3. Determine the Type of Floor Finishing Project ..4. Things to Think About Before You Start ..5. Assemble Materials ..6. Prepare the Room & Floor ..7. H. Sand the Floor ..8. ardwood floors provide years of beauty, Floors that Need a Complete Refinishing ..9 warmth and elegance for your home. The Minwax line of quality wood Sand & Recoat ..10. finishing and maintenance products will help New Wood Floors ..11 you restore and maintain the richness of your hardwood floors, revitalizing their General Sanding Tips ..11. appearance and adding to the value of your Stain Floor ..13 home. Topcoat Floor ..15 Minwax Wood Finish and Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane for Floors are Tips to Improve Your Finish ..18 designed to give your floors superior durability and a beautiful finish. Quality Minwax products, combined with the instructions in this booklet and the directions provided with your sanding equipment, will help you achieve excellent floor finishing results!

2 Steps for Floor Finishing: 1. Determine the type of floor finishing project 2. Assemble materials 3. Prepare the room and floor 4. Sand floor 5. Stain floor (optional). 6. Topcoat floor 2005 Minwax Company 10 Mountainview Road 800-523-9299. Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Item #: 0042800031. 3. Step 1. Determine the Type of Things to Think About Floor Finishing Project: Before You Start : The condition of the floor will determine the If your floors are cupped, bowed, or severely exact steps that you will need to follow and damaged, contact a flooring professional to the materials that you will need to assemble. address these issues Before you Start your project. Is the floor finish completely worn down to Any wax or build-up on your floor must be bare wood in high-traffic areas? Is the removed. If your floor has been waxed, use min- floor finish cracking or peeling?

3 Is the floor eral spirits to remove the wax Before you sand. stained or gouged? Do you want to change the color of your floor? If you answered Tip! To identify a wax finish, put a few yes to any of these questions, follow drops of water on your floor and let them directions for floors that need a complete sit for ten minutes. Wipe up the water. If refinishing . the water left a white spot, you have wax Is the floor a previously finished floor on your floor. showing signs of wear, but is not chipping, If your floor is a factory pre-finished floor, peeling or showing worn areas? If you read the floor manufacturer's instructions or answered yes, follow directions for sand contact the manufacturer Before refinishing. and recoat . Is this new, unfinished flooring? If you If you have a parquet floor, consult a answered yes, follow the directions for flooring professional Before sanding.

4 New wood floors . 4 5. Step 2 Step 3. Assemble Materials: Prepare the Room & Floor D The Room: epending upon the type of floor finishing project that you are doing, Remove all objects from you will need the following materials: the room, including ALL Projects furniture, drapes, pictures, Minwax Super-Fast Drying Polyurethane for Floors vent covers, etc. Lambswool applicator pad, natural bristle brush Paint tray Cover any permanent Metal can filled with water (for disposal of rags) objects that you do not Stirring sticks Floor sander want to get dusty (chandeliers, shelving, Sanding pad and sandpaper in the grits recommended etc.) Make sure that any light fixtures you with your sander Electric palm/hand sander cover are off! Hand scraper (for corners, etc.) Snugly cover door openings with drop Clean, lint-free cloths Dust masks cloths to minimize the spread of dust Safety glasses (remove these covers after sanding, Before Mineral spirits Hammer, nails and nailset staining or topcoating).

5 Drop cloths, tape Place a mat or cloth outside the entrance Pencil Wet/dry vacuum cleaner (optional) to the room so you can wipe your feet as FLOORS THAT NEED A COMPLETE REFINISHING you leave. Minwax Stainable Wood Filler (for filling minor Carefully remove the quarter round molding nicks and nail holes in the wood). from the base molding, then remove the Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner (use only if staining the floor, and only if your floor is pine or base molding. another soft wood). Minwax Wood Finish (staining is optional; use Tip! Number each piece of molding on its only if you wish to change the floor's color). back, using pencil, and put the same SAND AND RECOAT number on the wall where you removed No additional materials are required it. This way, you can put the pieces back NEW WOOD FLOORS in place more easily once the floor is done. Minwax Stainable Wood Filler (for filling minor nicks and nail holes in the wood).

6 Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner (use only if staining the floor, and only if your floor is pine or another soft wood). Minwax Wood Finish (staining is optional; use only if you wish to change the floor's color). 2 1. 1. 2. 3. 3. 6 7. Step 4. Turn off air conditioning/heat to prevent Tip! When operating the sander, be sure to dust from circulating throughout the house. wear your dust mask and safety glasses. Cover all vents. Caution! Follow the sanding directions provided Open all windows (for ventilation). with your sander carefully. Improper use of a Keep children and pets from entering the sander can damage your wood floor. room. Read all warnings and safety precautions Always sand in the direction of the wood on labels Before using products and grain. equipment. Start the sander, then lower it onto the floor. Keep the sander moving, and overlap The Floor: your passes.

7 Use a nailset to ensure all nail heads are Each type of project requires slightly recessed into the floor. different sanding steps, and the use of Replace or repair any different grits of sandpaper. The damaged boards. information that follows regarding sanding Clean the floor using a and sandpaper grits serves as a general gentle cleaner that guideline. Refer to the information that does not leave residue, comes with your sander, and follow the like Minwax Hardwood grits recommended by its manufacturer. Floor Cleaner. Allow the Follow the sanding directions for your floor floor to dry thoroughly. type, below: Floors that need a complete refinishing: Step 4 Sand floor to bare wood to remove existing Sand the Floor stain and finish, starting with coarse to medium grit and finishing with fine grit Your neighborhood hardware store, home sandpaper. center or equipment rental center are good resources for renting sanding equipment, Begin with 40 grit sandpaper, or use the and can give you advice and directions on grit recommended for your sander.

8 How to sand your particular floor. Before Sand the floor for a second time, using 60. using the sanding equipment, read the grit sandpaper, and following the same operating manual and make sure you techniques as you just used for 40 grit. observe noted safety precautions. 8 9. Wait for the dust to settle, then New Wood Floors: vacuum the dust. Fill any small Sand floor using 100 grit sandpaper. If stain dents or nailholes with is to be applied, final sanding should be done Minwax Stainable Wood Filler. using no higher than 100 grit. If floors are not Sand the floor for a third time. If stain is to going to be stained, then final sanding should be be applied, this final sanding should be no higher than 120 grit. Work sander as described done using no higher than 100 grit. If floors in Floors that need a complete refinishing.. are not going to be stained, then final Wipe or vacuum up all dust on baseboards, sanding should be no higher than 120 grit.

9 Windows, sills, doors, door frames and Wipe or vacuum up all dust on baseboards, other surfaces. Clean from the highest windows, sills, doors, door frames and surface to the lowest, in that order. other surfaces. Clean from the highest Thoroughly wipe the floor with a clean surface to the lowest, in that order. cloth dampened with mineral spirits and Thoroughly wipe the floor with a clean allow to dry. cloth dampened with mineral spirits and allow to dry. General Sanding Tips: Start from a position about 1/3 of the way Sand and Recoat: down the wall, so that about 2/3 of the floor Sand floor lightly using 120 grit sandpaper, is in front of you. Walk forward, then working the sander as described in Floors carefully lower the drum. Work your way that need a complete refinishing. down the room, raising the drum just Before Wipe or vacuum up all dust on baseboards, you reach the back wall.

10 Walk backward and windows, sills, doors, door frames and carefully lower the drum, sanding the area other surfaces. Clean from the highest you just sanded again. Raise the drum just surface to the lowest, in that order. Before you reach the place you started. Continue this process until 2/3 of the room in Thoroughly wipe the floor with a clean front of you is completely sanded. cloth dampened with mineral spirits and Turn the machine around and do the other allow to dry. 1/3 of the room. Position the sander belt against the opposite wall and facing the opposite direction. Sand with the grain as you had done Before , and use the same process until the room is completely sanded except for the edges. Overlap some of the area you'd already sanded to ensure an even appearance. 10 11. Remember to move in the direction of the DANGER: Rags, steel wool, other waste wood grain while sanding.