Kitchen Transformation with Walnut Floor in Neenah
Posted by Aaron Schaalma
INSTALLING TREADS
When installing stairs there is more than meets the eye. First we removed the existing treads and measured the rise and run of the stringers. The rise had changed because of the additional sub-floor added up above and poor framing. Once we figured out what each step needed to be shimmed up to, we installed the treads with an adhesive that will flex with the wood as it expands and contracts.
SANDING & FINISHING
Now the floor has sat for a few weeks we are back to start the sanding process. 
We started with a rough cut for the sanding to flatten the floor. After that, we filled the knots and other milling imperfections in the flooring, and then sanded off the filler with a medium grit. We continued to sand the floor, moving up to a finer grit with each new cut. Sanding is very crucial to any wood floor, but even more so when using a Rubio Monocoat finish, which is what our clients chose. With Rubio Monocoat, the finish actually penetrates into the wood fibers and bonds to the moleculer structure of the wood, instead of forming a top layer on the wood like most traditional finished do. Because of this, you arent walking on any top coat of finish, so the floor needs to be sanded to remove even the smallest of imperfections. After we have sanded the floor to where we know it will perform well (different species of woods need to be sanded differently), we water-pop the floor to open the grain up so the Rubio Monocoat finish can penetrate into the wood. Once the wood has dried we applied one coat of Rubio Monocoat finish. Most of the time we only need to do one coat of Rubio Monocoat like the name states mono meaning one. However, with walnut flooring the grain is more open, so it requires two coats of Rubio, otherwise the floor looks "thirsty" and isn't protected because the grain is still open. We then waited twelve hours after the first coat before we came back to apply the second and final coat of Rubio. 
This job in Neenah is now completed and they just need to wait twenty-four hours before the carpenters can get back on the floor and finish up. This was an exciting project due to the species of wood, and the unique finish that showcased the finished product. Even more rewarding though, was the look of amazement on our clients face when they saw their finished product for the first time. For us, there is nothing more important than the customer experince, and we know that we can create a floor that takes your breath away. If you love the unique pattern in this walnut floor, we would love to hear from you. We would love to create a walnut floor for you, or help you to find the floor of your dreams.