How Long To Wait Between Coats Of Polyurethane On Hardwood Floors

If you're wondering...

"How Long to Wait between coats of Polyurethane on Hardwood floors?"

Then the true answer is that this period varies depending on several factors....

One of them is the type of Polyurethane used.

 Although most people don't know this, this is one of the most important factors to consider. 

The other factor is environmental conditions like Humidity.

And here's what else you need to think of...

Polyurethane is a plastic material that exists in various forms, this is because it can be tailored to any desired texture.

Today, however, we focus on the use of protective wood varnish.

Refinishing your floor has been made easier as Polyurethane is made simple to use from the onset.

Polyurethane can be applied using specific brushes or even a rag depending on the form factor of the surface you want to work on.

For it to be effective, the hardwood floor needs to be covered by several coats of polyurethane that are done systematically and carefully.

First coat

When applying the first coat of polyurethane, ensure it is thinned out completely to ensure it dries quickly. 

This first coat usually dries within 24 hours of being applied after which the surface can be sanded using a fine-grit abrasive.

The sanding dust is removed and another coat is then applied.

In between Coats

After the first coat, an additional two or three coats are applied on top, with sanding occurring in between each coat. 

The sanding Is done to remove any dust particles that might have settled on the wood when It was left to dry.

The Polyurethane is always applied along the grain to ensure it is stretched to its thinnest.

The recoat time between these coats is usually between 24 and 48 hours.

Final coat

For the final coat, sanding is usually not required. Instead, apply a protective furniture wax product such as Paste wax after the coat has hardened.

With our ever-improving technology, dry time keeps on reducing.

This is due to the investments being made by the respective industry players to constantly improve Polyurethane products for the consumers.

This question cannot be downplayed though.

Waiting too long for the Polyurethane to dry might result in the floor refinishing taking forever while rushing it will only ruin it.

Types Of Polyurethane

The type of Polyurethane used matters a lot. Consumers nowadays have a lot of choices when they decide to refinish their floors.

Their options are usually between water-based or oil-based polyurethane which despite their many similarities have many differences as well.

Other than how long one will wait between coats, other factors like cost and appearance greatly influence this decision.

Time To Cleanup

The amount of time taken between coats can also vary according to the cleanup time.

This is the time it takes to clean up after sanding. 

Sanding dislodges any dust particles that were caught in the Polyurethane as it was drying up.

Improving the time taken to clean up the particles thus depends on the equipment that you use.

These can vary from Vacuuming to using a dust mop.