The type of finishing of a wood floor makes a lot of difference in its looks and durability. Therefore, selecting a finish that best suits the type of wood is vital for its protection. 

One of the biggest challenges while giving the finishing touch to your floor is dust. So, inevitably you should take certain precautions to make sure that there’s no dust left behind. So how do you do it?

Steps to reduce dust while refinishing the wooden floor

• Precautions Before you start

Vacuum the area methodically and turn on the air cleaner of the room the night before you plan to do the finishing. But, you should not keep the cleaner on while you are actually at the work of finishing as that will only increase your work by stirring the dust-up. And if you’re very meticulous about it, and don’t want a speck of dust, then you can wet the floor surrounding the finishing area. It helps in reducing the dust created when you walk around. 

• Hire professionals

One of the easiest options to get a dust free floor sanding done is to hire professionals who are experts, and they take all possible measures to ensure that your home is healthy. They have the required equipment and are well aware of the techniques that can help you in the long run. The dust produced during refinishing can be hazardous to you. So, earlier, it was believed that if you have a family member suffering from asthma or any allergies, he should ideally be kept away from home. Even babies and pets shouldn’t be allowed to come near the room. But, gone are those days! Technological advancement and new materials have made life easier, and if you want to enjoy those benefits, spend some money and hire an expert. However, if you still want to continue with the process yourself, then this how you should go about it.Empty the room. Before you start sanding, cover all furniture or better still empty the empty room. To curtail dust getting on them, close the doors of the room in which you have kept the furniture, and cover up the gaps under doorways with rolled-up towels.

• While sanding the floor

Polyurethane has a long cure time, which increases the challenges, as the dust settles in during that time. So, use varnishing that is diluted with mineral spirits, as it dries up faster than full-strength polish. To get the finish thickness as you want, you may require to apply more coats. But we guess, for a dust-free recoating, that’s a small price to pay! Once finish dries up, mildly sand with 320 grit before applying the next coat. For the last layer, varnish it with 75% naphthalene instead of mineral spirits, as it dries up even faster.