To reveal the full beauty of a new hardwood floor, to protect it durably or to restore its shine after a few years, professionals recommend applying a finish. The varnishing method is most recommended for its durability and high protection against scratches, stains, and wear caused by repeated foot traffic. To understand how to varnish raw wooden flooring, here’s a detailed guide.
What is varnishing?
Although several types of finishes exist on the market, varnishing is a preferred option for raw wooden floors. It involves applying several layers of varnish directly on the wood. Once applied, this varnish forms a protective film preventing impacts and abrasive liquids from coming into contact with the wood. Quite impermeable, the varnish also protects the wood against its own oxidation and the impact of sunlight, keeping its natural color intact.
The varnishing process
Varnishing a wooden floor requires several application steps, all equally important.
- Preparation
Before starting work on the flooring, it’s crucial to properly prepare the surface to be treated. Indeed, a poorly prepared surface can reveal visible irregularities later. We start by thoroughly dusting the entire floor before moving on to the next step: its uniformization. If the flooring is old or has already been treated, it must first be restored. Depending on the situation, we may need to use products to remove stains and/or existing wax residues. We also ensure to remove nails and fill any holes and cracks present. If necessary, some overly damaged boards may need to be replaced.
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Sanding
Depending on the condition of the treated flooring and its nature, the sanding master will choose the best way to proceed: grain size, manual or mechanical work, number of passes, etc. Due to the large amount of dust raised at this stage, it is advisable to call a professional for medium to large surfaces. Indeed, as dust can be harmful to health, ecological methods that significantly reduce dust have been developed to ensure clean sanding.
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Treatment
Wood is a natural material that can harbor all sorts of things. Once the wood is sanded, it’s important to take a careful look at the floor to spot any suspicious traces that might reveal the presence of insects or fungi. In this case, an insecticide or fungicide is applied in layers before any other product.
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Staining
Varnishing a wooden floor provides an opportunity to give it a new look, particularly by changing its color. We can thus choose a different stain from the original one, which will also be applied before the varnish.
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Hardening
As the last step before applying the varnish, we must ensure to harden the wood fibers to make it as watertight as possible. Several layers of a hardening product are therefore applied to the entire surface, which will act as an undercoat for the varnish.
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Varnishing
Now that the surface is completely uniform, we can apply a first coat of varnish, ensuring that the floor temperature is not too high or too cold. After a first application that is left to dry for about 24 hours, we lightly sand the floor again and remove the dust to apply a second, or even a third coat if necessary.
Once the entire varnishing process is complete, it is advised not to cover the floor and to minimize foot traffic for at least half a day. The final appearance and definitive hardness are achieved after several days.
