Here's an easy-to-follow guide you need to read if you're thinking about refinishing your hardwood floors!
There's nothing that matches the beauty of hardwood in a house, especially having lustrous hardwood floors. If you have this type of floor in your home, you may be thinking that it needs to be refinished. How can you tell? Inspect the floor and look for bare or worn spots, especially in the well traveled areas. Also, look for stains and blotches that won't come up with a good cleaning. And, finally, perform the water test on different areas of the hardwood floor. To do this, you'll need to sprinkle some water on the floor. Watch the water to see if it beads up or soaks into the wood. If it beads up, then your hardwood floor still has a good protective finish on it. However, if the water soaks into the flooring in several spots, then it's definitely time for a refinishing!
You can easily pay a professional to do the job, or, you can do it yourself with a few tools, materials, and some time.
To start this project, you'll first need to clear the room of everything that's not attached to the floor. Then, you'll need to repair any holes or other damaged places in the hardwood floor, if there are any. You can use a good quality wood putty to fill in small holes. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the container in order to achieve the best results.
Hang up some old sheets or blankets over the doorways so they are completely covered. Although there are sanders that have refuse bags that collect much of the dust, some of it can still escape. And, you want to keep the mess down to a minimum.
The next step is to use a vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean up any dirt, debris, or dust that is on the hardwood floor.
Open a window or two so you have fresh air coming into the room. Then, it's finally time to get busy!
Before you begin sanding your hardwood floor, you'll need to put on proper eye protection as well as a mask. These safety items will help to keep the wood dust out of your eyes and out of your nose and lungs.
Now, you'll need to use an electric sander with some small grit paper on it to remove the varnish off the entire hardwood floor. Be careful to only remove the finish! Don't sand gouges into the floor or you'll need to make repairs with some additional wood putty! Use a slow, steady motion with the sander around the floor as you go. Be sure that you sand in the direction of the grain. If you sand your hardwood floor correctly, the grain of the wood should show up clearly.
After the hardwood floor is completely sanded and stripped of its protective coating, it's time to use the vacuum cleaner again. You'll need to sweep up all of the wood dust that you've created.
Then, you'll need to wipe the entire floor with a tack cloth or a lightly dampened rag. Periodically shake out the tack cloth or rinse and squeeze out the dampened rag as you go. This step will remove the remainder of the wood dust.
Finally, it's time to apply the protective coating of your choice. You may have chosen a clear sealer or a colored stain. If you're changing colors from what was on the floor, you might want to apply some of the coating in a small test area first. This will give you the chance to decide if you like it before you apply it to the entire hardwood floor.
Be sure that you read and follow the manufacturer's directions on the container in order to achieve the best results. Basically, though, you'll apply one coat, then allow it to dry thoroughly. The floor will then need to be lightly sanded again after that. Then, you'll need to clean the floor once more.
Finally, after you apply a second coat to your hardwood floor, you may need to buff it after it dries.
