How to
Refinish Hardwood Floors

How to Refinish Hardwood Floors

Refinishing floors is quite a demanding task if you have never done it before.

If you are Doing it Yourself to save money you will need to hire a sander, and make sure that before you leave the hire shop that you have received full tuition on the use of the sander and have a full set of pesonal protective clothing ready for the job.

If you don't already have these things then ask the hire shop how to refinish hardwood floors, and he/she will no doubt supply these as well. Although the concept is quite easy to understand there is a lot of work involved, and you may need to spend some time with an expert tradesman to how to refinish hardwood floors first, and to check that your hardwood floor will indeed be suitable for refinishing.

Wood flooring is timeless; it is a natural resource, renewable and recyclable. For natural beauty, it's hard to beat the warmth of real hardwood flooring. Wood floors are available in solid one-piece boards or in the form of engineered wood or as laminated composites. Composite flooring consists of a hardwood veneer top-layer laminated to lower layers of softwood backing that inhibit warping.

	Ideas! Spills should be cleaned up immediately as liquids, including water, can stain real hardwood flooring.	Ideas! Sand and dirt are abrasive so keep mats at doorways to the rooms where hardwood flooring is in place. Wiping feet removes most traces.
A beautiful finish has been achieved in this example exhibiting a rich colour and plenty of natural grain.

Refinishing floors is an aesthetic thing anyway and the way you do it and level of shine and colour you seek will be to your own personal preference. And of course, you may have to sand parts that has been stripped with materials that have raised the grain, you may need or to remove embedded wax or stearates.

Refinishing floors is always my favorite part of a remodel because it always makes such a big impact. Color and stain preferences are important and I originally wanted to go with a darker stain then we ended up with. I did this after my floor guy said that with the age and type of wood I had, it would be best to use the lightest stain possible (called "natural"). He explained that this would be best due to the fact that the darker the stain, the more obvious any scratches or discolorations would become.

Refinishing floors is a job which requires patience. I found that the company recommended to us, Dylan Wood Floors was committed to taking the time to do the job right.

To refinish wood floors, the existing finish must first be sanded off completely, and then the floors smoothed out and flattened. Repair work and filling must be done as necessary and a stain or finish coating is then applied. To refinish all hardwood floors, use safe processes with environmentally green and safe materials. Don't use any carpeting in high moisture areas or where spills could occur.

How to refinish hardwood flooring - an beautiful example. Staining longer than using a color “stained” polyurethane, requires expertise and takes longer, but is usually worth the extra investment in time and money.

Finishes are one of the most important features of hardwood flooring and will strongly influence your decision about what floor to select. In 1999, a new generation of finishes was widely introduced into the hardwood flooring industry which means that nowadays there is a wider choice than ever before.

Finishing should be done immediately after sanding is completed. For a natural finish, apply a penetrating seal. Finishes or stains will aggravate or loosen any contaminants that are present, so pay particular attention to finish in end-joints and side-matches. Remember that contaminants are not seen or detected until after the first, second or third coat is applied.

In order of preference Polyurethanes came next after varnishes. You can't really draw a line between varnishes and polyurethanes. Polyurethanes provide high resistance to moisture, mechanical wear, stains and spills. Varnishes are also acceptable, but they have a greater tendency to scratch.

Sandpaper is available in grits as low as 12 and 16. When I refinished my ground floor the sanding took me three days, though I might have done it in two if I had a helper the entire time. I applied 4 coats of oil-based satin urethane floor finish, which should have taken only 4 days, but I had some problems caused by humidity, and cold weather. Actual drying times were nearly double that stated by the manufacturer – so be warned. Sandless Inc., based out of Aston, Pa., provides an affordable, contemporary way to refinish wood floors without odor, mess or hassle associated with traditional sanding methods. This system has been developed by the floor specialist over many years.

Hardwood floor restoration can significantly improve the look of a room in your home. However, there are costs which are associated with this type of project. Hardwood flooring professionals have the knowledge and experience to give your wood floors a quality new finish. They also have the proper equipment to handle the job efficiently, including power sanders to remove the existing finish and to prepare the wood to accept new stain. Doing it yourself may be a sensible action, but do consider the fact that if you damage the flooring due to inexperience the cost may be very high for some hardwood replacement floorings.

Preparation before sanding is important due to the sheer quantity of dust produced. Cover all the wall outlets and switches with painter's tape as well. If you have a suspended light fixture, wrap it with a plastic bag before you begin sanding. Also, Cover all air vents with small sheets of plastic and masking tape to prevent dust from going through the house. Search for nail heads and sink them before you start.

Check for moisture damage to parquet floors. In older homes, the parquet is made of strips of wood glued into 9-inch square blocks. If you decide to use professionals why not check out Craigs List, and get lots of quotes and do lots of interviews before you appoint your contractor!

But if you do decide to do the refinishing yourself, do check with your local hardware and equipment rental stores, in advance, about sander availability. If you've never used one before, I'd highly recommend renting one from a smaller hardware store or rental shop. This is because the guy at Lowe's or Home Depot probably doesn't even know how to turn it on, much less instruct you in it's use.

We hope this has helped you understand how to refinish hardwood floors, if we have not yet answered your questions we suggest you continue reading our other articles.

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What is Prefinished Hardwood Flooring?

PreFinished hardwood floors are factory coated often with with polyurethane and aluminum oxide to ensure a long lasting beautiful finish. PreFinished hardwood floors are availabe in a variety of species, natural and stained finishes.

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how to refinish hardwood floors

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What is Prefinished Hardwood Flooring?

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