As you understand, my try final week to complete the hardwood flooring within the hallways was a disastrous fail. It didn’t daybreak on me that the hardwood flooring in my home might have modified coloration only a bit through the years, so as an alternative of coloration matching the brand new ground to the previous ground, I simply ploughed ahead via the mission utilizing the very same course of, merchandise, and colours that I used once I refinished the ground a number of years in the past. That resulted on this disaster.
If you wish to learn extra about my stubbornness and willpower to push ahead although my eyes may see that issues weren’t understanding with each new step, you possibly can learn that right here…
Hallway Flooring Progress (And Catastrophe)
So this previous weekend, I needed to right that terrible mess. It took hours of sanding (extra on that in a minute) and a few cautious coloration matching, nevertheless it labored out nice this time. Right here’s the ground because it appears to be like this morning…
Isn’t that so significantly better?! It’s not excellent (it was by no means going to be excellent with a model new end subsequent to a years-old end), however I’m fairly thrilled with the outcomes.
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So right here’s how I went about this mission the second time round…
Clearly, I needed to get that terrible end off of the ground. I received out my five-inch rotary sander, and utilizing some 60-grit sanding discs, I began sanding off that end across the partitions. My intention had been to make use of the rotary sander across the edges, after which use my handheld belt sander on the principle areas of the ground.
However as I sanded, I spotted simply how scratched up the ground was. It had scratches throughout it although I had sanded with the belt sander as much as 120-grit the final time. The actual fact of the matter is that I’m not superb at utilizing the belt sander. It’s extremely highly effective, and I’ve a tough time controlling it, and that’s how I wound up with all of these scratches in every single place.
Not desirous to make any errors in any respect this time round, I made a decision to forgo the belt sander and sand all the ground with my five-inch disc sander. That means I may consider getting all of these scratches out of the ground and find yourself with a a lot smoother ground this time round. It took eternally (six straight hours of sanding), nevertheless it was value it!
I additionally sanded only a bit previous the brand new ground. There was one authentic ground board simply contained in the music room that was naturally darker than the remainder. I assumed that may make a very good transition board. Because it’s naturally darker, it will be much less noticeable if the colour assembly that board on the hallway aspect was simply slight off in coloration. So I eliminated the end proper as much as that board utilizing a hand scraper.
This go ’spherical, I really took a while to do some stain samples. A novel thought, proper? ?
From left to proper, these 4 samples (all utilizing Minwax penetrating stain) are: (1) 50% Honey and 50% Particular Walnut, (2) 20% Honey and 80% Particular Walnut, (3) 100% Honey, (4) 100% Particular Walnut.
At first, I assumed the honey can be the winner, however as I seemed extra, I noticed that it had fairly a bit extra pink in it than the unique ground. So I ended up going with the 50% honey and 50% particular walnut combination. Right here’s how that seemed on the ground…
It was nonetheless wanting fairly a bit redder than the unique ground, however I figured I may do any last coloration corrections with the stain coloration that I combine with the primary coat of polyurethane.
Since I wanted to chop the pink, I made a decision to check out my authentic polyurethane combine (polyurethane and stain combined 8:1, utilizing a stain combination that’s 50% darkish walnut and 50% particular walnut). After testing that on the pattern board, it seemed like the right combo
I utilized that first coat of the polyurethane/stain combine with a daily paint brush in order that I may completely management how darkish it seemed. I’d moderately do a skinny coat and have it too gentle and must observe up with a second coat than go too thick and darkish on the primary coat.
One coat gave the impression to be good. Sadly, I forgot to take an image of what it seemed like after the primary coat of polyurethane/stain combination. However right here’s the way it taken care of I utilized the second coat of plain polyurethane. Naturally, it was very shiny when it was moist, and I simply hoped and prayed that the satin end polyurethane can be a fairly shut match to the unique ground when it dried.
So I used to be very pleasantly shocked (no, scratch that, I used to be ECSTATIC) once I received up this morning and it seemed like this…
There’s a slight distinction in sheen, however I believe the sheen will boring pretty shortly, so I’m not too involved about it.
I’m so relieved to have this completed! Now it simply must remedy for some time (72 hours, I believe) earlier than it may possibly deal with a lot of visitors. So I’ll entertain myself with different initiatives round the home, after which I’ll get again in right here and end up the hallway. I want to put in a door, set up trim (door casing, baseboards, and crown), prime and paint the partitions, and contact up the paint on the cupboards.
This hallway has been on this unfinished state for over a yr, so I’m very enthusiastic about having a fairly hallway once more, particularly now that the visitor bed room is completed.
If you would like extra particulars on how I completed the ground, you’ll find al of that information on my authentic posts that I wrote as I used to be refinishing all the flooring a number of years in the past. You could find these right here:
