An Introduction to Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Jul 28
14:23

2009

Peter West

Peter West

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If you have wood floors in your home that are a few years old, you may have considered refinishing them at one time or another. This article will cover the basics of hardwood floor refinishing.

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There comes a time in the life of a wooden floor where its shine will fade and it will no longer look new. You may find that waxing your floors is enough to get them looking great again; however,An Introduction to Hardwood Floor Refinishing Articles you will probably have to learn hardwood floor refinishing if you want them to look like they did when you first had them installed. Be aware of the fact that this is pretty hard work though, so most people prefer to hire a professional. If you are the do it yourself type though you will probably enjoy taking on a project like this. Before you begin to refinish hardwood flooring in your home, first make sure that it is the right course of action. It is a great way to increase the value of your home, but isn’t always necessary. For example, if your floor has only light scratches or a lackluster surface, it may simply need a top coat of finish to have it looking new again. Another possibility is that your floor may be too far gone for even hardwood floor refinishing to be enough. In these cases whole planks in your floor may need replacing. If the boards seem soft, spongy, sags or are warped, then consider simply having them replaced. If the main problem with your floor is scratches and dings, then hardwood floor refinishing is probably a suitable treatment. However, remember that a floor may only be refinished a few times as it takes a fair amount of sanding, each time taking off quite a bit of wood. In order to get a good idea of how much wood remains in your flooring, check around the edges. Also keep in mind that maple floors are particularly difficult to deal with, so consider hiring a professional in this case. One of the first steps to refinish hardwood flooring is sanding, but before you begin it is a good idea to first fill in the gaps. These will be easier to spot in winter than in summer, but when they are visible in summer you know they should definitely be filled. When you are ready to begin sanding, you will need the following tools: drum sander, floor edger, buffer, palm sander, and a shop vacuum. This is a noisy job, so make sure you are wearing ear protection. Finally, be careful to not let the sander sit in one spot as it only takes a second to cause damage. After the sanding is finished it is time to apply your stain. If you are unsure about what type or shade of stain to use, you should consider asking the professional who installed your floors. When applying, work with the grain in 5 foot wide sections down the entire width of the room. Once applied it should take roughly 24 hours in order to dry. It’s not always an easy job, but you will find that hardwood floor refinishing can be a very rewarding job and will save you some money as well.