How to prevent bubbles in polyurethane floor finish?

Polyurethane make floor durable, strong and water resistant. But, the downside to a polyurethane coating is that if it release bubbles. These little bubbles might not seem like a big deal at first, but they can cause problems in the long run. In today’s article, we’ll talk about how to prevent bubbles in polyurethane floor finish and how to fix them when they do pop up.

 Materials need:

  • Before applying polyurethane to floor you need:
  • 80 grit and 220 grit sanding block
  • Steel wool
  • Electric sander
  • Soft cloth
  • Soft bristle paintbrush
  • Natural bristle paintbrush

How to prevent bubbles in polyurethane floor finish?

Before you apply polyurethane finish on floor, you need to clean it first. To do this, you need to use a cleaning product and scrub the floor. Make sure that before scrubbing, make all of your steps with water. From this guide you can also learn how to apply bubble free polyurethane? Let’s start:

Remove dust:

If you want your polyurethane coating to be bubble free and durable, then you need to remove all dust from floor. Make sure that there is no dirt or dust particles on your floor before applying polyurethane. Also, wipe it using a damp cloth and vacuum the floor. If your floors are too dirty and full of mildew and mold, then you need to remove them before applying polyurethane finish on them. Make sure that your ventilation is good enough for preventing mold spores from floating in air.

Remove all grease, oil and wax:

This step is very important for preventing bubbles on polyurethane. Remove all grease in the floor. Also, remove all oil from floor. Apply an oil-free or ceramic floor finish to prevent bubbles. Leave only clean and dry surface on your floors then apply polyurethane finish on them.

Sand floor:

Before applying polyurethane finish on floors, make sure that they are sanded. If you don’t know how to sand floor, contact a professional at your local store. After sanding floor, make sure that all abrasive paper is removed. If there is any left on the floor, you need to remove it before applying polyurethane finish to floor.

How to prevent bubbles in polyurethane floor finish

Remove dust, again:

After sanding floor, remove all dust. Again, make sure that your floor is not too dirty before applying polyurethane to it.

Prepare clear coat:

Before applying polyurethane finish on the floor, you need to start with a clean surface. You first need to prepare a base coat and clear coat. You need to apply clear coat only after you have applied base coat. If you accidentally spill some paint while applying base coating, then it might make your finish with bubbles.

Prepare the Polyurethane:

You need to mix two different types of polyurethane. One is called Hard Polyurethane. This type is for sanding and smoothing floor surface. The other is called Soft Polyurethane. This is a special product that can bond to any surface and waterproof it without scratching the floor. However, if you will apply the same amount of hard polyurethane as normal polyurethane, you will still have some bubbles in finish product.

Now apply first coating:

First, you need to apply the hard polyurethane on floor with a broom or roller. It is important that you apply this product only on the sanded surface and not on any part that your vacuum will come near. This product is for smoothing and leveling of floors, but it can’t make any big scratch in floor.

Sand before second coating:

After applying first coat, you need to sand floor. If you want your floors to be completely smooth and dust free, then you need to sand them again and apply a second coat of hard polyurethane.

Apply the second coating:

Second time you will also apply the hard polyurethane on floor. You need to use a roller or broom and make sure that the rollers are completely clean when making this step. This product is for smoothing the floor, but it still can’t scratch floor surface.

Conclusion:

This is application process of how to apply polyurethane finish on floors. If you make sure that all these steps are followed, then you will get a bubble free finish on floors. You can also contact professional painters or installers for your home improvement project. These people might be able to give you some good tips and advice on how to make your home look beautiful using polyurethane finishes. Also, they can help you with the best way to clean, sand and prepare floor before applying it.

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