New floorboards - what do I do with them?

di11on

Hi folks,

We recently got our attic converted and have had new floorboards put down. What do we need to do to them?

I know they have to be sanded and varnished... is there anything else I need to do? We're happy with the natural colour, so we don't need to stain them for aesthetic reasons... do they need protection in addition to the clear varnish we intend to apply?

Cheers,

Jody

Mr Magnolia

Hi Jody,

You'll need to let the floor boards rest in the attic for at least 10 days before laying them. If they're damp or wet you need to allow more time. This time is required to allow the boards to settle in the environmental conditions provided in your attic. They may shrink slightly or expand. If you screw/nail/glue them down without allowing them this time they may warp.

Only sand them if they need to be sanded. There's a bit of work involved with sanding.

AFAIK they shouldn't need protection other than a coat of varnish or a stain. How do you intend to fix them?

ircoha

di11on wrote:

Hi folks,

We recently got our attic converted and have had new floorboards put down. What do we need to do to them?

I know they have to be sanded and varnished... is there anything else I need to do? We're happy with the natural colour, so we don't need to stain them for aesthetic reasons... do they need protection in addition to the clear varnish we intend to apply?

Cheers,

Jody

I would say just first coat of varnish and then if necessary a very light sanding no need to sand before varnishing unless they are very marked.
[I assume they are nailed/screwed down at this stage.]

The first coat will 'lift' any of the loose ( forget the word now) u will feel a slight roughness and just sand them off.
Then apply a second coat

Just be aware that if exposed to natural sun light they will darken a bit

mad m

Minimum of 3 coats if I was you,and do sand in between coats or else you will have to put in for socks allowance to the revenue.....:D

Diamond coat for floors from Dulux is waterbased and non-toxic..Put on with a brush or if attic room is a good size cut in edges with brush and use a small pile roller making sure you work towards the exit. Get a wall sander,clip on some sandpaper and attach it to a roller pole and sand floor standing up,it will save your back believe me....

di11on

mad m wrote:

Minimum of 3 coats if I was you,and do sand in between coats or else you will have to put in for socks allowance to the revenue.....:D

Diamond coat for floors from Dulux is waterbased and non-toxic..Put on with a brush or if attic room is a good size cut in edges with brush and use a small pile roller making sure you work towards the exit. Get a wall sander,clip on some sandpaper and attach it to a roller pole and sand floor standing up,it will save your back believe me....

Excellent tips - thanks a million!

What does a wall sander look like? What grade sandpaper would be good for sanding between coats?

Thanks again,

Jody

mad m

Well if you think the floors boards are good enough to go straight ahead and varnish without the need of hiring an industrial sander then use p100-p120 in between coats but use p180-p200 before applying final coat.

Wall sander looks like this Wall Sander

di11on

Cheers - that definitely looks like the job!

Thanks a million for the tip - sounds like its going to save me a lot of time and pain!