Finishing White Pine Flooring

Cleaning and sanding the pine floor.

Finishing white pine flooring.

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. You can buy heart pine flooring in a variety of widths and grades. The first is my own eastern white pine floor that i sanded and finished about 22 years ago with 4 coats of satin poly. Pine floor planking is in the category of a soft wood whereas most wood floors are commonly referred to as hardwood.

For maximum protection and durability give the floor 2 coats of stain or varnish and wait 24 hours for the floor to dry. Pine is a softwood so an old pine floor is usually distressed which is part of its charm. It was cheap and readily available so safe to say it s everywhere. Then apply a final coat of stain varnish or oil.

But straight pine pics details about achieving a softer lighter just sanded look not so much. I m going to send you two pictures. If you want to refinish sanding pine floors is easier than sanding hardwood. You need more than one or two coats.

There is a significant difference in hard and soft wood as the grain of soft wood is. It needs regular sweeping and mopping to protect the finish. You ll need to finish your own pine flooring using stain varnish or oil. Most floor finishers use polyurethane to coat floors because it s one of the hardest finish materials available and it provides good dent protection for pine.

For the best results clean the floor first with a duster or vacuum to remove any lingering dirt or debris. The pine will develop a slightly darker patina with age and exposure to light. It s dinged and dented but holding up just fine. 100 year old pine floor refinished photo credit.

If you prefer to keep your floor in pristine condition pine isn t the best flooring material for you. Water based finishes are not safe and will give the pine a pale washed out look so don t let anyone talk you into that. In fact our contractor said most people rip out their old pine floors and replace them with white oak to get that lighter and not amber look and i was like ahhh my ears are bleeding who rips out gorgeous original hardwood floors. Four things to look for in heart pine flooring.

Part 1 of 3. Pine is a common material that was used in flooring in the early 1900s. When the finish gets dull you can restore it by a screen and recoat.