DIY Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hardwood floor refinishing is a complicated but ultimately rewarding process that can have your tired, old, worn out floors looking brand new.

Whether you have purchased a home that is a fixer upper, or you have simply let your own floors go over the years, hardwood floor refinishing is often a necessity. The following will offer you a basic overview of the process from start to finish that you will be able to refer to when undertaking the job.

First of all, it is sometimes necessary to remove the trim when you engage in hardwood floor refinishing. This can be done using simple pry bars. If the paint seems to be bonding to the trim, you can separate the two by driving a knife along the top edge. Once this preliminary step has been taken care of you can begin sanding. It is recommended that you just rent a floor sander for now since you will not be getting that much use out of it. They can usually be rented from most equipment supply stores or even from some home improvement franchises.

When performing hardwood floor refinishing, you should being with a very heavy, 36 grit sandpaper. The sanding process will be much easier than you think, you just have to take your time and keep a few important things in mind. First of all, do not allow the machine to sit still in one place as this could damage the floor. Next, it is a good idea to always go with the grain, although sometimes you do not need to follow any specific pattern. How long this process will take depends on several factors, such as how large the room is and how deep any scratches are.

Once the course sanding is finished, you can take comfort in the fact that roughly 80 to 90 percent of the refinish hardwood floor process has been completed. There are several reasons why it is important to take the time to sand, e.g. it removes the old finish, levels any high spots, and removes any scratches. Now you can follow up with a lighter grade of sandpaper, such as 50 or 80, but only after you have swept up all the sawdust from the floor.

Now you can move on to the last step of the refinish hardwood floor process, applying your polyurethane finish. There are 3 basic rules that you have to follow in order to make this step successful:

• Maintaining a wet edge
• Always back brush
• Brush with the grain

Being with a lamb’s wool applicator to apply the stain to the floor. While doing this make sure that the windows are open and that you are wearing an appropriate face mask to protect yourself from the chemicals. Once you have given the floor ample time to dry, some recommend at least 3 hours, others say to leave it all night, you can then put on a second, third, or even fourth coat should you need it.

Article Tags: Hardwood Floor Refinishing, Hardwood Floor, Floor Refinishing

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