Refinish Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are classy and exquisite. However, worn out floors don’t give the same vibe. Refinishing them is a messy and time-consuming process, but it is worth it in the end. Now refurbishing hardwood floors is possible in three steps; sanding, tinting and finishing.
Before starting the process, you need to remove all the rugs and carpets from the floor. Then remove the staples by pulling them out and hammer the nails into the floor so that they don’t tear the sandpaper.
- The first step in sanding is to charter out a sander from a leasing center. Conventional drum sanders are efficient and fast, but they require some time to adjust as you cannot let the heavy drum stand at one place or it is going to sand a groove in the floor which is almost impossible to remove. A more modern orbital sander is a better choice, as it is easy to manage. However, to make life easier for yourself, do take a demo before leaving the shop. Also buy sandpaper of different grits like, 36, 60, 80 and 100.
- Now that you are ready to start sanding, fix the highest grit sander to your machine and operate the machine in the direction of the wood particle. Push or pull straight or in strokes, just not across the grains and remember to always keep the sander moving otherwise it will make a groove. If that does happen, go over it again until it levels.
- Now fix the lighter grit sandpaper and go over the scrapes and grates on the floor until they vanish. Smooth floors are achieved by moving gradually from heaviest to lightest grit sandpaper.
- Every time you change the sandpaper, use a shop vacuum to collect the sanding dust.
- To get the edges perfect, repeat the steps with the use of an edging machine.
The next step is to stain the floors. Staining depends on your personal preference. If you desire a natural finish then this step is not for you. Going ahead with the staining, first remove all the sawdust from the ground with a shop vacuum or tack rag. Spotless floor will provide an improved finish.
- The first step is to apply the stain with a rag on an area that is not easily visible, to check the color. You can only know that a color is right after it has dried, as colors often change when they dry.
- Next, apply the stain with a rag for lighter coat or a brush for darker coat. Apply in long, even strokes in the direction of the grain. When the coat is dry, check to see if you need a second coat or if you require fixing lighter areas, and then complete accordingly.
- Lastly, let the coat dry.
The third step is finishing. The stain coat has to be completely dry before applying the finish.
- The polyurethane finish has to be stirred before it is applied. Do not shake the bottle as this will create bubbles.
- Apply the finish with a brush or a roller in even strokes. Leave for three hours or more depending on the product.
- When it is dry, apply a second coat. Leave the second coat overnight and let it set. Do not be hasty in moving the furniture and wait at least three days.
Finally, your magnificent hardwood floor is finished. If that seems too difficult, we recommend professional tile installation donwriver Michigan for best tile installation and refinishing.
