The Basics Of Hardwood Floor Refinishing
Hardwood floor refinishing is crucial if the floors in your home are beginning to look worn out and old. It can take a lot of time however, and knowing the right techniques is important if you are going to do a good job. This article will provide you with an outline of all the essential steps of the messy, but ultimately very rewarding hardwood floor refinishing process.
The first step to hardwood floor refinishing is to remove any rugs or furniture you have over the flooring that you will be working on. You should also take this opportunity to pound in any nails that may be sticking out of the floor. These can make the job more difficult and are good to get taken care of anyway. At this point it will also be a good idea to assemble all the tools that you will need for your job. A floor sander is important and can simply be rented since you will not be using this equipment often. Other tools include: a wide broom, both light and heavy sandpaper, gloves, rollers, brushes, masks, stain, rags, and a vacuum.
Once you have everything you to need for the refinish hardwood floor process, you are ready to begin. Start out by taking the heaviest grain sandpaper you have, 36 grit preferably, and put it on your sander. Now, taking care not to run the sander across the grain, run it over the floor in the direction the grain is facing. This should be done with swift, straight strokes by either pushing or pulling the machine. It is essential that you do not let the machine stay still whenever it is turned on as this could damage your floors. Once you have finished, go over it again with a lighter, 60 grit sheet of sandpaper.
Now that the floor has been properly sanded, the next stage of the refinish hardwood floor process is the staining. If you would rather keep it in a natural tone, you have the option of simply finishing it now. To begin staining, you should sweep the floor so there is no sawdust remaining. You may even want to use a shop vacuum in order to make certain that there are no smaller particles. When applying the stain, be certain to keep your windows open to provide proper ventilation. The first coat can be applied either by a brush or a rag. Once that has dried, you can either apply a second or simply touch up the rough spots.
Once the floor is completely dry, you can move on to the final step of hardwood floor refinishing, which is applying the finish. After stirring, you can apply it to your floor by using a brush or a roller. It should take roughly 3 hours to dry, at which point you can apply the second coat. You should wait at least 3 days before putting your furniture back on the floor.
