DIY maple hardwood refinishing

[Boonjh]

Planning on refinishing maple hardwood floor with orbital sander, sealing with Bona Traffic HD. Am I correct in my assertion to finish sanding with 120 Grit (as maple shows "scratches more).
I would like to stain, but it sounds like maple is difficult to stain uniformly. Read a little about water pop. If I go this route, I assume lighter staining probably safer bet?? Also, can someone guide me on correct sequence for doing water pop stain procedure:
In sanding 36 -60 - 80 -100 -120
Water pop
Stain
(do I sand again after water pop / Stain??)
(Is there need for sealer??)
Bona layer 1
Buff
Bona layer 2
Buff
Bona layer 3

Thank you so much!

 

[C.J.]

Usually I would say forget the stain, you’re gonna have your hands full with just the sanding. Stain gathers and shows more in sanding flaws. Any sanding flaws, edger/ orbital swirls, dings, drum marks, will stand out. An orbital certainly helps to reduce this but is no guarantee.

Are you using an orbital sander like the 3 headed one you can rent from HD? That one isn’t very aggressive so sanding, especially the first cut, will take you longer. If you have a decent finish on your floor right now, that orbital might not even be able to make it through the finish and down to the wood. On the plus side, a not very aggressive orbital sander also means that it won’t gouge or mark the floor as easily. Much better for a DIYer in that regard.

I am a fan of sealer. Sealer is less expensive than finish and it has a purpose. If you don’t use it then your first coat of finish is your seal coat/ trash coat.

You got anymore details or pics of your job to help us dial in any pointers.

 

[Boonjh]

Thanks CJ ! Yes, on the orbital sander. (Was leaning towards Cherryhill U-sand machine. I think it has 4 heads). Any particular sealer you would recommend (Water based)? I am planning on using Bona Traffic HD (with hardener)

 

[C.J.]

That machine will get you there. Buy more sanding discs than you think you will need because they don’t last as long as you think they should.

If you’re gonna use Bona then I recommend sticking with Bona for all your sealing and finishing products. No compatibility issues to worry about and Bona makes some damn good products.

If you’re gonna want some color in your floor you can use Bona Amber Seal. It’s a sealer that adds a warm amber color to your floor. Looks nice and you can roll it or T-bar it on. No need to water pop. Sanding swirls n other mistakes will still stand out but it’s so much easier to apply than water popping and staining. No nasty stain rags or mess to deal with either.

Let’s talk about dust containment. You living in this house? You married, kids? Do you fully understand how much dust will be created? Dust that WILL get everywhere.

 

[Boonjh]

Thanks CJ. Yes, still married.....for now LOL!! Yes, I am concerned about dust. I will isolate / disable HVAC while making dust. Reviewers of Cherryhill machine said it did reasonable job of dust collection. I'm almost of the mindset that cleaning thin layer of dust is just as much work as a thick layer. All furniture etc will be removed from this level of my house

Not sure if I can connect dedicated dust collection machine to this type of sander????