Water popping is usually done before using a water based finish.
Water popping oak floors.
If the flooring is going to be kept natural without a stain color the water popping step isn t necessary.
The purpose of water popping is to raise the grain by swelling the wood fibers and opening of the pores in the wood.
Helps to reduce sanding marks.
The end result was gorgeous.
To make sure that the floor looked its best we water popped the floor to open up the pores and raise the wood s grains then applied four coats on top the owner wanted an extra coat because he had a big dog.
Now when the stain is applied there will be no worries about any areas accepting the stain differently and ending up with a blotchy floor.
A few benefits of water popping a floor before staining it include.
It is especially recommended for those looking to do dark hardwood floors and go as dark as possible as the water pop will allow more stain to be absorbed and hence a darker color.
Helps the stain penetrate the wood.
After the water evaporates the fibers stay in the swelled position and the cleared pores take stain much more evenly.
The water popping process helps ensure your newly finished floors produce a beautiful rich color and most importantly an even coverage.
Generally you would do a water pop on an oak floor when you are staining it.
The drawbacks to doing a water pop are first and foremost it costs more.
How to water pop a hardwood floor for a perfect stain.
When the floor is water popped properly all of the hardwood floors grain is evened out and becomes equal.
Benefit 2 it makes the stain color darker and richer.
How to water pop a hardwood floor for a perfect stain.