Hardwood Floors April/May 2025

AT THE SITE Grit Sequence and the Effects on Today’s Finishes (Continued)

For additional information about grit sequence, check out the NWFA's technical publications at NWFA.ORG/TECHNICAL- GUIDELINES/.

This information is available through the NWFA training program. We are able to explain and demo this process at these schools in a hands-on setting, but you must take this info home and implement it. Practice these techniques and they will soon become second nature. The nicest feeling is having a difficult sand job and not having to stress about the sanding process.

The cleaner your floor stays, the nicer your finish will be. Debris is the enemy of the floor sander and finish of any type. No finish is immune to the effects of debris. Often a multi-disc sander will be substituted for the final sanding sequence(s), and many people will only use the multi-disc sander. That philosophy is a whole different rabbit hole.

application. You might only sand to 120 grit for a penetrating oil. Keep in mind that all of these sanding steps will affect the final color and how smooth the floor is. I can’t stress enough that if there is an imperfection, fix it before you move on to the next step. Scratches and sanding errors don’t ever get better with another coat of finish. One day of repairs/touchups is way less than having to re-sand an entire floor or room. All of this information is available through the NWFA training program. We are able to explain and demo this process at these schools in a hands-on setting, but you must take this info home and implement it. Practice these techniques and they will soon become second nature. The nicest feeling is having a difficult sand job and not having to stress about the sanding process. I hope to see you at a school soon, and happy sanding. Jason Elquest is the owner of Blackhawk Floors in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is an NWFA Certified Wood Flooring Inspector, Certified Installation Professional, Certified Sand & Finish Professional, an NWFA Regional Instructor, and serves on the NWFA Board of Directors and NWFA Certified Professionals Board. He can be reached at jason@ blackhawkfloors.com.

After the final sanding and the floor has been vacuumed, don’t forget about vacuuming the tops of the baseboards, window sills, counter tops, fans, everything. Now it’s time for my favorite tool, the Tampico Brush! This is the most underused and overlooked step that literally takes minutes to do, and will leave your finish looking amazing. This

Tampico Brush

process must be done with the buffer attached to a vacuum to catch the fine dust that is pulled from all the little nooks and crannies. This step minimizes grain raise and saves both finish and applicators when applying penetrating finishes. The floor is ready for the next step, which might be water popping, traditional oil stain, water-based stain, sealers, or penetrating finishes. Again, follow the finish manufacturer’s recommended sanding process. It is very common to sand to a 150 grit if water-based sealers are being used, in an effort to reduce grain raise. This process works well for water popping prior to stain

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