The floor varnish is that stunning product which gives the glossy, dazzling floorboard appearance. Some floor varnishes look better than others but the main secret is in the floor preparation. You can achieve stunning results with even medium range floor varnish provided that the process of floor sanding and coating was done properly. Unfortunately, without plenty of hand and neck pain you cannot achieve that great, glossy floor appearance.
In the past the process of floor varnishing was pretty serious.
You needed plenty of coats of a solved based material which fumigated the entire house.
For days, rooms were inhabitable.
The toxic smell of the chemical was not only unpleasant but also dangerous.
Today, floor varnishes are much more efficient.
However, a lot of them are still solvent based.
For this reason you need to have a mask when you apply the finish.
What's more the solvent based products are flammable.
Thus, precautions for breathing and fire safety are primary concerns with the solvent based floor varnishes.
The alternative is the water based floor varnish.
This product dries in less than the hour and is "walkable" after 4 hours.
It does not generate persistent smells and it is easy to apply.
Irrespective of the fact if you use the water or the solvent based floor varnish, the application of the substance is similar.
You should always stir the floor varnish thoroughly.
Sometimes you may add thinners to achieve a desired colour and consistency.
The first and the second coats should be thin.
The thick coats dry longer and have a tendency to wrinkle.
You must apply the floor varnish well into the grain.
Air bubbles, dust and dirt can severely reduce the performance of the polish.
When painting, you should always maintain a wet edge.
This reduces the chance for border lines to appear in-between painted sections.
The floor varnish must be dry before the next coat is applied.
You should also avoid sanding fresh varnish as this will clog the sand paper.
Generally, you should wait a day before walking on the floor.
3 days may be needed to bring-in the heavy furniture.
The water based floor varnishes use less time to dry and achieve the maximum durability sooner.
Personally, I have never found a company which underestimated their coverage ratings.
In most cases, the written productivity of the material "magically" outperforms the reality.
Anyway, according to the manufacturers 1 liter of the floor varnish should cover 15-18 square meters of the floor area.
In most cases, the absorbency of the floorboards will decide on the efficiency of the product.
Dry and porous wood will probably need 1 liter of the floor varnish to cover 8 square meters of the floor.
On the other hand, the compact, pre-treated timber will offer much better "varnish to the floor area" coverage.
Most floor varnishes are toxic. You should keep children and pregnant women away from the varnished area. Even pets can have a severe allergic reaction to some of the finishing chemicals. The room needs to be well ventilated and the person applying the varnish must wear the protective gear. This means that you are required to use a mask (with a filter) and gloves.