Before	After
Before	After

SANDING AND REFINISHING PROCESS


PREPARATION
This is a very important stage, because the sanding and buffing process creates a significant amount of dust. Make sure that your furniture is properly covered and all areas are sealed.

SANDING
It is important to sand the floor several times with different grades of sanding paper. The first sanding is with a rough grade of paper according to the condition of your floor. This will remove the existing finish and remove a thick layer in order to penetrate the bare wood. The next sanding stages are important in order to achieve smoothness and create a level surface for the application of the finish. The edges must be sanded with a special machine. Areas that are hard to reach will be hand scraped.

BUFFING
Before the first layer is applied, the floor must be buffed with a buffing machine in order to prepare the floor and remove any unseen scratches. It is impossible to see all the scratches when the finish is removed, and when the new finish will be applied the scratches will be highlighted. Buffing is also essential between coats. Between every application of the finish coats, the wood floor must be buffed in order to smooth the small pieces ("the crumbs") and achieve maximum smoothness.

POLYURETHANE. The tw
This is the professional name for the finish coato most popular types of polyurethane are oil-base and water-base. Today, most of the finish applications are water based. Some buildings do not permit the use of oil base. The advantages of a water base finish are: It dries fast and enables the refinishing process to be completed faster by applying several coats per day. It is environmentally friendly and there are no toxic fumes (This is especially important if you have children or pets). The finish is clear, so most people prefer it rather than the yellowish orange tone of oil based polyurethane. Oil based is considered more durable, but it is possible to apply several coats of water-based polyurethane in order to make it more durable. There are some very durable water finishes available. The only reason to use oil based polyurethane is if you prefer the darker tone (sometimes preferred in traditional or country style designs). You should also select how shiny you would like your floor. The options are high gloss, gloss, semi-gloss, and satin.

STAINING
This is a great possibility if you would like to add some color to your wood floor. It is recommended to use an oil based stain, although there are water stains available. The stain must be evenly applied and than removed in order to penetrate the wood. There is a variety of standard stains available by Minwax who is the leading brand in the industry. A new technological development allows custom stain mixing making it possible to stain the floor in any color you desire. Staining requires expertise and will take longer, and therefore will cost more than a regular natural finishing process.

At Masterwood flooring we only use the best sanding and refinishing materials. For a rich, penetrating, oil-based stain, we use Minwax® Wood FinishT . We carry all 22 wood tone colors. Minwax® continues to provide our consumers with the latest in color trends.

Sedona Red 222	Ipswich Pine 221	English Chestnut 233
Cherry 235	Early American 230	Special Walnut 224
Natural 209	Provincial 211	Pickled Oak 260
Driftwood 2126	Golden Oak 210B	Golden Pecan 245
Jacobean 2750	Puritan Pine 218	Red Mahogany 225
Dark Walnut 2716	Colonial Maple 223	Red Oak 215
Ebony 2718	Fruitwood 241	Gunstock 231
Red Chestnut 232