Hardwood Floor Refinishing Without Sandpaper

When beginning a hardwood floor refinishing project, many people will try to find ways to minimize the mess caused due to sanding. Sanding typically creates such a large amount of dust that it can be difficult to properly clean the floors prior to the re-application of the polyurethane. In addition, sanding can also remove some of the warmth and character that makes hardwood flooring so attractive in the first place. In this article, we will outline a few steps to help eliminate this step in your refinishing.

Step 1 – Start out by cleaning the treatment area thoroughly through use of a vacuum and broom. Once you’re done, wipe it down with a damp cloth and allow time to dry. Be sure to peel off any old pieces of resin.

In a case where the project involves a surface that was previously covered by carpet, you will simply need to remove the carpet materials, including glue and tacking strips with solvent and a scraper.

Step 2 – Next, you will need to fill any large holes with a basic wood filler. This is a substance, which when hardened, allows you to stain over it. If your filler ends up drying in a significantly different shade than the material around it, simply apply matching color and allow it to cure prior to proceeding.


Step 3 – Use a buffer to treat the entire surface of the floor. These machines can be rented at most hardware stores. This device is a basic hand held machine that rotates an abrasive pad, but with a finer abrasive than that of sand paper. For hard to reach spots such as tight corners, use a very light grade sand paper.

Step 4 – Once the area has been buffed, use a cloth rag, and a light solvent to wipe down the area. This will provide you with a clean surface to apply the resin.

Step 5 – Grab your squeegee mop and use it to apply a new layer of polyurethane resin. Due to the fact that refinishing is done over a surface that already has a finish, the job should only require one coat. Allow the surface to cure for around 12 hours.

Step 6 – An alternative to steps 3-5 is to use a special chemical sander. These types of products are also sold at local hardware stores, and considers of applying the compound, followed directly by a layer of primer, and finished with a clear coat.