Why Refinish?
Integrating a wood floor finish into new construction or home renovation design is a popular trend. Even simulated hardwood flooring laminates are popular. With either, demand is high and prices are skyrocketing.
Learning how to refinish hardwood floor surfaces can save homeowners the huge cost of installing a new floor. If you are renovating an older home, wood floor restoration on an old wood floor may be the most cost-effective option; even over installing a laminate wood floor.
The Key is Preparation
To consistently get good results when refinishing hard wood floor surfaces, be thorough with the sanding preparation work. To do it properly, you will need an upright drum floor sander and a disc edge sander; both are readily available at equipment rental outlets.
Make sure you have the floor sander rental clerk demonstrate how to operate the equipment, and briefly practice using it, if possible. This may save frustration, later, and damage to the floor.
Wear a respirator when sanding, and work on a day when windows can be open for added ventilation. Seal off adjoining rooms with damp sheets to help keep dust from intruding into them.
Proper sanding requires the use of these special sanding techniques:
To smooth most floors, three sandpaper "cuts" are adequate; rough sandpaper first, medium sandpaper second, and fine sandpaper last. Each cut should be done moving with the grain (parallel with flooring boards) making several passes.
If you are not getting anywhere moving with the grain, move diagonally across the grain (at a 45º angle) with the rough cut. (Never work at a right angle; directly across at a 90º angle.) Then work with the grain using the medium and fine cuts.
Old wood floors with badly cupped or warped boards may need four cuts. Do the rough and medium cut working diagonally; and then another medium cut and the final fine cut, working with the grain. Be sure to overlap each pass.
Easy Steps to Refinish Your Wood Floor
Following are the basic steps to refinishing a wood floor:
Clear the room of all furnishings, and pry off baseboards. Either remove any protruding nails, or set them into the wall board with a nail punch, so that they are out of the way of the sanding equipment.
Carefully rock the sander back; gradually engage it at the beginning of each pass; rock back to disengage at the end of each pass. (Otherwise, the drum will gouge a depression at start and stop points.)
Be careful when using the edge sander; don't use it for open areas. Edge sanders make a circular cut which differs from those made by a drum sander.
Vacuum the floor thoroughly after each sanding pass; follow with a tack cloth to pick up any remaining dust.
Once the floor is sanded to a uniform, smooth finish, apply paste wood filler, wiping with the grain. Wipe across the grain when the filler begins to set, to remove excess; allow to dry overnight.
Apply two to four coats of a polyurethane wood floor refinishing product with a brush or wax applicator. Be sure to sand between each coat with fine sandpaper after it is dry; use a tack cloth to remove all dust before applying the next coat. Do not sand the final coat; do not wax polyurethane finishes.
Refinishing a wood floor might be more than you want to take on by yourself. If you need to hire a hardwood floor contractor, one innovative new way to find reliable local contractors for home renovation or new construction projects is online at HandyAmerican.com.
HandyAmerican.com also offers free, helpful DIY articles on a variety of
home remodeling projects.
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