Killingly, CT · Water & Sun Damage Hardwood Restoration
Water & Sun Damage Hardwood Restoration — Killingly, Connecticut
This lakefront cabin in Killingly, Connecticut had taken a combination of punishments: significant water damage near the sliding door and severe sun and UV discoloration across the existing hardwood. Both the floors and the staircase were in scope, and the decision after evaluating condition was to restore rather than replace.
The Challenge
The water-damaged area near the sliding door had warped and needed flattening — not just sanding — to bring it back to plane.
The rest of the floor had severe UV and sun damage and discoloration. Restoring it meant removing that damage and then developing a stain color that read true across the whole floor, including the staircase.
Our Approach
We sanded the entire floor and staircase, flattening the water-damaged area and running a progressive sanding sequence to remove the UV damage and reach clean wood.
To get a true, even stain color we water-popped the floor — opening the grain before staining — and then stained to a deep, rich brown. Water-popping is what allows the stain to develop its actual color instead of sitting on a partially-closed grain.
For the finish, we used LOBA 2K Supra A.T., a two-component, ceramic-reinforced water-based polyurethane, selected for its high durability and the additional protection appropriate for a demanding lakefront environment.
The Process
01 · Sanding & flattening
Complete sanding of floors and staircase; water-damaged area near the sliding door flattened back to plane.
02 · Progressive sanding sequence
Grit-by-grit sanding to remove severe UV and sun damage and reach clean, consistent wood.
03 · Water-popping
Grain opened with water-popping so the stain would develop its true, even color.
04 · Custom staining
Stained to a deep, rich brown across the floors and staircase.
05 · Finish system
One coat of primer followed by two coats of LOBA 2K Supra A.T. in a satin sheen.
Materials & Finish
The existing hardwood floors and staircase were restored and finished with a ceramic-reinforced system chosen for the lakefront environment. The finish is one coat of primer followed by two coats of LOBA 2K Supra A.T. in satin.
Primer
Primer coat (1 coat)
LOBA 2K Supra A.T.
Top coat (2 coats, satin sheen)
- ✓1 coat primer
- ✓2 coats LOBA 2K Supra A.T.
- ✓Satin sheen
- ✓LOBA 2K Supra A.T. is a two-component, ceramic-reinforced water-based polyurethane finish, selected for its high durability and additional protection appropriate for this demanding lakefront environment.
The Result
The water and sun damage is gone. The floors and the staircase were restored rather than replaced, brought to a deep, rich brown with a water-popped stain and protected by a ceramic-reinforced satin finish built for a lakefront setting.
Documentation Notes
- —Water-pop step — covered in copy as a documented process step; no fabricated or substituted imagery.
- —Staining-process still — covered in copy; no fabricated or substituted imagery.
Project Gallery
Before · Process · After
The project in sequence — the existing condition, the work in progress, and the finished floor.
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