Hardwood Flooring - Getting the Shine Back

Nov 23
06:19

2011

Graeme Knights

Graeme Knights

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Hardwood is an attractive and long-lasting floor covering, but over time daily wear can cause it to lose its shine. Replacing the flooring is time consuming, expensive and usually unnecessary. Instead, get rid of the lacklustre look and bring back the shine by refinishing your hardwood flooring.

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Clear Up!Before you begin,Hardwood Flooring - Getting the Shine Back Articles clear the floor of everything, including furniture and rugs. Refinishing only the visible parts of the floor will leave dull areas that will be easy to see if you decide to rearrange things later. Also remove any nails that may be sticking out of the flooring. A Time to SandFit a floor sander with a correctly sized piece of sandpaper. Sand the entire floor, working with the grain of the wood flooring and not against it. Go over the floor with 36-grit sandpaper first and gradually move up to 60, 80, then 100-grit paper. This is necessary to achieve the smoothest appearance. Remember to keep the sander moving constantly.SweepSweep the floor well to remove the largest pieces of grit after sanding is complete. Follow this with a thorough vacuuming. Use the vacuum cleaner's crevice attachment to remove grit from the corners and edges of the floor.StainNext, it's time to stain the floor. Before applying the stain it's wise to test a small, inconspicuous area to be sure that the color is exactly what you want. Allow it to dry for about five minutes before proceeding, as colors sometimes change slightly once dry. Apply the stain with the grain of the wood to make sure that you get a smooth, natural look once the floor dries. For a deep, rich shade apply the stain with a roller. If you would prefer a lighter stain, use rags to make the application. Once the floor dries completely you can go over it a second time or reapply the stain only to blotchy areas. FinishOnce the stain has dried, it's time to apply a polyurethane finish. Use a paint stick to stir the finish carefully, but avoid vigorous mixing because this could cause unattractive air bubbles. You can use either a roller or brush to make the application.Wait until the finish is dry to the touch before applying the second coat. This takes about three or four hours, but is worth the wait to avoid marks left behind by your shoes. Apply the second coat in the same way that you applied the first. Wait from three to four days before moving furniture back into the room because replacing things too quickly can lead to ugly scratches. Patience is the key to refinishing solid wood flooring. If you take your time and apply the finish correctly, you'll have gorgeous hardwood flooring that looks like new and the satisfaction of knowing you did the work yourself.

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