Cross Grained Hand Scraped
This is a character grade walnut floor installed in Rochester Michigan. We are not doing a traditional sanding and finishing job on this floor. The customer has three dogs that are the size of most horses and decided on a cross grain hand scraped floor; a very good choice in this situation.
Great Choice For Low Maintenance
The more distressing you do on a floor the more it will hide things like dogs nail scratches, dents and dings, and high heel marks to mention a few. This kind of stuff actually adds to the distressed look which many are choosing these days.
The process goes like this, first we do a very light sanding just to get any high spots out, then we hand scrape every square inch of the floor by hand across the grain. The cross grain method rips out the soft grain of the wood (best shown with image #2 below) and skips over the harder grains. After the entire floor has been scraped we then do a light buffing to smooth out any splinters or sharp edges.
Darker Stains Look Best
Next step is applying the stain. This floor looks best if finished with some of the darker DuraSeal colors we have, This will be the only night you wont be able to walk on your floor. By the next morning we'll apply a couple of coats of Basic Coating's Street Shoe water based urethane after the stain treatment has had plenty of time to dry. Typically after three hours, or after we're finished applying the first two finish coats, your floor can be walked on again.
The final day of work involves buffing the previous coats to insure a good bonding with additional layers of finish. Generally we will suggest a fourth coating which can be applied the same day after an approximate four hour wait. By doing so the floor will look cleaner longer, slick as glass, and is just as easy to keep clean.
Have Fun Yourself. Join In On The Distressing
One of the fun parts of doing a floor like this is that we actually encourage the customers to add a little distressing of their own. Maybe drop some can goods on the floor, add a few light hammer marks, poke it with a screw driver, or make up your own way. Wecan simulate worm holes, split boards, knots, and other characteristics that are popular with distressed floors.
Today the floor was completed, although the customers decided not to do any distressing of their own, they came in with the final payment just as we were applying the final coat of finish and had that look on their face that makes doing this for a living so rewarding.
I can't wait to see what next week brings.
More Examples
Cross Scraped Oak
Oak Closeup
Hickory Hand Scraped With Grain
Hand Scraping Walnut Floor - this particular job called for a cross scraped effect
Final Appearance - Three inch Walnut character finished with satin water based.
