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Kitchen Progress: Staining Hardwood Floors

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

We are still full-force ahead with the kitchen renovation through Lowe’s.

Last week was equal to a roller coaster ride with lots ups & downs, but we kept chugging along and now another week is upon us.  I *think* I can say, I see the light…

Since I left off last, a lot of progress has been made.  Day one of Demo was very exciting + eye-opening.  It was amazing how we woke in the morning with a full working kitchen, but by the days end, it was completely taken apart with only the shell of the space remaining…

The remainder of week one was filled with patching and repairing the walls, moving electrical openings (in the walls + ceiling), and sanding the walls to prepare for the cabinet installation.

Demo Day: Steps to Demolishing an Existing Kitchen + Creating a new renovated space. Remodel by www.jennaburger.com

Once the vertical surfaces were complete, the next area of focus was the hardwood floor, which started out week two of renovations.

Because of the new cabinetry layout, there was an area of hardwood where the dishwasher used to sit that needed to be patched with new material. Once patched, it would all be sanded, then stained…

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

The major stresser started with locating material…  Our existing hardwood is 3-1/4″ wide maple and it was challenging to find material in a short amount of time – literally we had less than 2 days.

Hardwood should be in the home 3- 7 days before installation so it can acclimate to the setting.  After locating enough material at Lumber Liquidators, we were good to go.

It took about 3 hours to weave in the new hardwood material to patch the vacant area.

The new material is lighter than the existing, but no worries, because it would all be sanded down to bare wood…

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

At this point, we ‘moved out’ of the house because despite it smelling bad, all of our furniture was piled high in the family room & it was like walking through a maze in the foyer…

Next step for the floors, sanding…

We hired out for the floors through our Lowe’s independent contractor, who used an industrial sander to sand all the floors down to the bare wood.  When finished, the gorgeous maple shined through, but in my taste they had to go darker especially with the new white cabinets.

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

Here were a few samples of stains that they applied…

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

In the end, I chose a stain called COFFEE and it’s the 2nd board from the left. It was the perfect medium brown hue with no red or orange.

After the floors were sanded on day 2, they stained the floors, and applied a clear coat of oil sealer in a glossy finish.

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

It looked like a gym floor with the high-gloss finish but this wouldn’t be the final finish.  They apply this high-gloss finish (2 applications) because it is most durable.  Once dry (2 days later), the floors were lightly sanded again and the final coat of sealer in a satin finish was applied.

After 5 days we moved back home – yay – and this is how the floors look now…

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

I just can not contain my love for them…

The before & after is breathtaking.  It looks like a completely new space!

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

They are so rich + warm.

I’m in love.

The floors will take 30 days to fully cure, just like paint on a wall, so for now all the furniture is placed on blankets, craft paper, or felt.  I want to protect these bad boys!

Look how beautiful the front room looks with the new floors (ignore the bright red blankets, lol)…

Kitchen Renovation: Patch, Repair, and Stain the Hardwood Floors

And there you have it.  Walls complete. Wood complete.

Next up cabinets + appliances!  They will be arriving in the coming days…

RECAP

Before I leave you, here is a recap for staining hardwood floors:

Staining hardwood floor can be quite an undertaking.  It’s not difficult, but time consuming and involved.  A good sander + high-quality product is key!

THE PROCESS FOR STAINING HARDWOOD FLOORS

– 1 –  Clean + Clear out the room(s)

– 2 –  Sand floors to bare wood – coarse grit sandpaper to fine grit sandpaper

– 3 –  Stain floors (a roller works best)

– 4 –  Polyurethane floors (3 times using a roller)

– 5 –  Let the poly cure for at least 48 hours

– 6 –  Move back in!

>>> Polyurethane takes 30 days to full cure, so no shoes.  Be Remember to place furniture down, don’t drag!

Steps to Staining Hardwood Floors to achieve a beautiful new finished floor! www.JennaBurger.com

If you want to see all the posts documenting the kitchen renovation, here they are from start to finish:
Wonderful White Kitchen Inspiration
Kitchen Remodel: Before + Plan of Action
Demo Day: Steps for Demolishing the Kitchen
Kitchen Progress: Staining Hardwood Floors
The Cabinets Arrive + Get Installed
Natural Quartz Countertops in the Kitchen
10 Countertop Materials to Consider for the Kitchen
Subway Tile Installation + Choosing the RIGHT Subway
Kitchen Backsplash Tile Options + Inspiration
Choosing a Paint Color + Wallpaper for the Kitchen and Dining Room
Kitchen Renovation: The Appliances
Dissecting the Details
Kitchen Renovation: REVEAL + RESOURCES

DISCLAIMER: THIS KITCHEN RENOVATION IS A COLLABORATION WITH LOWE’S.  ALL OPINIONS + SELECTIONS ARE MY OWN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LOWE’S DESIGN TEAM.

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