I posted about some small punctures in my floating cork tiles here, but now have a new problem. I can't find anyone who will agree to recoat this floor! The main sticking point is some slightly raised edges in a few areas where the tiles meet, likely caused by moisture infiltration. The "bump" or "ridge" is less than 1mm in depth, but the concern is that a screening machine will knock them down to bare cork, causing lighter lines. It's about a 5 year old floor, 525 sq ft., lots of walls/edges. The main areas in particular definitely need some protection before they get worse.

So... I've decided just to do it myself. The floor has lots of texture, which I hope will hide any imperfections. Having never recoated, I would be greatly indebted for advice you can offer on the following:

1. Should I rent a disc screening machine, or hand sand with a pole? What screen grit?

2. If either the machine or hand sanding does "knock down" the small ridges at tile joints to bare wood, is there a good method to blend them back in, e.g. use a furniture stain pen or rag with stain to mottle them?

3. What about the puncture and other small patches of bare cork: will the finish darken them, or should I pre-stain?

4. What is a good, forgiving urethane finish to use? Ideally locally available. Water or oil. The manufacturer suggests Traffic, but that might be over my head (and would have to be ordered), though I'm not averse to trying it.

5. How many coats (I'm thinking 2).

6. Most forgiving applicator? Roller? T-bar? Something else? Cut-in pad or bristle brush for edges? There are some pockets and slight divots, so I'm thinking a Roller might be preferred.

7. In a couple spots near the wall, gaps have opened up between the tiles (about a penny's width). I've heard of using suction cups to press them back together. Suggestions?

8. Anything I'm missing?

Thanks very much in advance for your help.

1) BONA recommends using their PREP system with a buffer and the BONA Conditioning pads. The instructions are here: http://www.bona.com/en/US/Concepts_and_ ... asy_Steps/

2) Yes, you could re-stain with a furniture stain stick. Just be sure it contains no wax.

3) The finish may darken them a little. Or if there is a void, you could consider using WOODWISE Prefinished Wood Putty. It comes in different colors. http://www.woodwiseproducts.com/woodfil ... inish.html

4) Traffic is not a difficult finish to apply. One just needs to follow the directions for mixing well. And ignore their recommended coverage. Go for about 500 ft. per gallon. You could use BONA's MEGA for a less expensive alternative and it requires no mixing. Not as durable but ok to apply.

5) With Traffic, probably just one unless there is hardly any finish left now. With MEGA, two maybe better is it's sorta thin.

6) For the DIYer/newbie, a roller or cut-in pad would be your best bet. IMHO, a 10" Padco cut in pad is the easiest to use for small to medium size jobs. T-bar requires practice.

7) Fill them with the WOODWISE filler listed above.

Make sure the floor is so clean you could eat of it prior to coating. Any dirt, dust, hair, bits of crud will be stuck in the finish.

Thanks Gary, great info. With the padco pad, would I still drizzle a line of traffic out, ala T-bar applications, or just use a paint tray and load up the finish that way? Would the padco be suitable for the entire floor, or just the edges/cutting in (using a roller in the middle)?

It is suitable to coat the floor with. You can either use a plastic pan, like a dish pan to work out of. Or do the pour method. The pour method works fine for big, open areas. I prefer a "poly bucket" when doing smaller, more cut up areas. It allows one to wring out excess using the side of the bucket. Try to get some practice in doing this before coating the floor. Definitely harder than it looks to achieve good results.

Gary has given great advise.

I would be cautious to use a dip pan to apply your finish.

I have no experience with oil systems, and I think that method is more common. I mistakenly used a roller pan and roller once with Traffic. It left an uneven application, even with over lapping and back rolling quite a bit. (this is not how you are to roll trraffic)

Pour your finish on the floor and pull with a pad or roller and you will do well.