Refinishing Hardwood Floors: A Guide

You can’t go wrong if you decide to install hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are beautiful, durable, and versatile. They can be refinished multiple times, so don’t worry about wearing them out. And with the right maintenance and care, they will last a lifetime. Stories Flooring’s Lusso solid wood flooring range has natural beauty and complements any décor, including modern, traditional, and country styles. 

Refinishing hardwood floors is an excellent way to give a room a fresh vibe, whether you’re remodelling an old house or just trying to freshen up your current home. Most forms of wooden flooring are comparatively resilient and long-lasting. They will still require attention and protection from harm, though. If properly maintained, wooden floors are classy, lovely, and enduring and can last many years.  

How to Refinish Your Hardwood Floor

Prepare the Room

Take out all of the furniture, rugs, and window decorations. Tape painters tape over the vents and electrical boxes to keep dust out of the ducts and electrical work. Use plastic sheeting to seal doors if you are only doing one room. Base moulding can be gently removed with a pry bar. The quarter-round section can be removed, but the remainder of the baseboards can stay in place.

To ensure proper replacement of the moulding parts, number each piece with a pencil as you remove it. To get rid of any nails or staples, use needle-nose pliers. Any loose boards should be nailed down.

Repair and Patch

Use wood filler and a spackle knife to patch any larger cracks or holes in the floor. Use a trowel or thinner wood filler that distributes and covers huge areas if your flooring is seriously damaged. Applying this requires a large putty knife. However, if your flooring has less damage, you can use a wood patch filler in isolated areas. Allow the filler to dry thoroughly. Wipe the floor with a moist rag to remove all the debris and dirt. Before sanding, let it completely dry.

Sand the Floor

Renting a drum sander from a home improvement retailer is what you’ll do for this stage. It can be difficult to regulate a drum sander while using it, and if you do, your floors could get damaged. When renting the equipment, request a brief introduction and some tips. When you are confident, practise sanding on a sizable sheet of plywood. Begin to advance slowly while the motor is running. Before you stop, disengage the sander while you are still moving. Put on an eye and respiratory mask.

The 40-grit sandpaper should be used to begin sanding. This very coarse paper will remove heavy-duty damage like scratches, dings, and the previous finish but will leave a rough surface behind. Work in 3- to 4-foot chunks while keeping the wood’s grain in mind. Stopping can leave persistent stains on your floors, so keep moving across the floor slowly and steadily. 

One board should separate the rows. It will take roughly 20 square feet of sandpaper per item. Change the sandpaper as soon as it seems worn after a routine inspection. Be sure to empty the sander’s dust bag frequently. Keeping it at least halfway filled will improve performance.

Using another sander for the room’s edges would be best because the drum sander is large and heavy. Sand up to the wall using the same grit sandpaper and an edge sander. Use the 40-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface until the colour of the floor is uniform throughout.

On both the edge sander and the drum sander, repeat the procedure using paper with grits of 60, 80, and then 120. All patched holes or cracks will be flat with the floor surface after each round of sanding, revealing a smoother surface. Between each step, hoover and mop up any dust. The professional-quality finish you want can be achieved by using fine-grit paper.

Polish the Floor

The floor will become entirely smooth after buffing, eliminating all sanding traces. Some people rent an industrial floor buffer for this phase, but the pole sander in the image is an excellent alternative. A pole sander requires a little more time but is also less expensive and easier to use than a buffer. Buff the floor along each board while going back and forth with the grain using a 120-grit sanding screen.

Prepare for Sealer or Stain

Double-check that your room and floor are spotless. Any sand, hair, or tiny debris will impact your finish. Wipe off the walls to stop dust from dropping to the floor while your finish is drying. Use a shop vacuum with a brush head to thoroughly clean the floor, and then use a sticky tack cloth to remove any leftover debris.

Use the “water popping” method to ensure the stain penetrates the board evenly. Use a solution of one part denatured alcohol to two parts water. Using a pump sprayer, evenly cover the floor with the answer. To evenly disperse the solution, sweep the floor with a rag or mop. As a result, the wood grains rise and are better able to absorb the dye. At least 30 minutes should be given for the floor to dry.

Seal the Floor 

Sealing the floor adds lustre and gloss to bring out the beauty of the wood and protects it from water damage, dents, and scratches.

The most widely used hardwood sealer is polyurethane, which is offered as a water-based or oil-based solution. It is available in glossy and matte. When working with oil-based polyurethane, Alya Koe from Muggyropes suggests to ensure that the area is well-ventilated and wear a respirator mask.

Please ensure the floor is dirt and hair-free by vacuuming and cleaning it with a tack cloth. Afterwards, roll on the polyurethane with a smooth sponge. Around the room’s margins, a paintbrush might be necessary. Work with the wood’s grain in small portions. Multiple coatings are essential for polyurethane. Buff the floor between coats after letting the product dry entirely (see the manufacturer’s recommendations for drying times). Typically, additional coats offer more protection.

Conclusion

One of the good things about solid wood flooring is that it can be refinished. Refinishing wood floors requires strength and time, but it is manageable. Now that you have lovely flooring throughout your home, keep them looking brand new by frequently sweeping and mopping, using furniture pads, and being cautious when wearing shoes with rugged soles.

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