Steps To Finish Pine Floors With Tung Oil
Tung oil also known as china oil is a type of oil that is obtained from the nuts of the tung tree. The tung oil dries quickly and can be used to finish pine flooring by following the below-given steps:
- Clean The Flooring:
The first step is to clean the dust, debris, and small stones from the pine flooring. It has been recommended by the experts to wipe the entire flooring with a damp rag or mop. The user needs to clean all the corners of the flooring as well including crannies or nooks. - Fill Nail Holes:
The next step is to fill in the countersunk nail holes in the pine flooring with a hardening putty. The recommended tool for the step is a putty knife and the user needs to smooth the hole putty with the flooring as well. The user needs to let the hardening putty dry for at least 4 hours before proceeding to the next step. - Sand The Flooring:
After that, the user needs to sand the entire pine flooring with 120 grit sandpaper in order to remove minor scratches, scuffs, and marks from the flooring. It has been recommended to sand in the direction of the wood grain. Once sanded, the user needs to remove the sanding dust by wiping the flooring with a damp mop or rag. - Apply First Coat Of Tung Oil:
Once the pine flooring is clean & dry, the user needs to apply the first coat of tung oil over it. First, the user needs to pour tung oil into a paint tray and apply it over the pine flooring by using a paint roller having a medium nap or by using a wool paint roller. It has been recommended to apply a heavy coat of tung oil over the flooring with long even strokes. After that, the user needs to let the oil dry for about 15-30 minutes. - Apply Second Coat Of Tung Oil:
After 15-30 minutes, the user needs to apply a second coat of tung oil over the flooring making sure the coat is lighter than the previous coat. The second coat of tung oil should be allowed to dry for another 15-30 minutes. - Wipe The Floor Dry:
After another 15-30 minutes, the user needs to wipe the entire flooring dry by using a lint-free dry rag. After that, the flooring should be allowed to dry for the next 24 hours before working further on to it. - Buff The Dry Flooring:
Once the pine flooring dries, the user needs to buff it with 120 grit sandpaper. It has been recommended by the experts to sand the flooring rigorously rather than trying to smooth the surface. The user needs to sand until the color & texture of the flooring looks uniform. The sanding dust should be wiped off from the flooring with damp mop or rag. The user needs to let the flooring dry for 10 minutes afterward. - Apply Final Coat:
The last step in the process is to apply a light final coat of tung oil over the entire pine flooring and wait for about 15 minutes. After that, the user needs to wipe away the excess tung oil from the flooring with a dry lint-free rag. The flooring should be allowed to dry completely before putting it to use.