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Refinishing Hardwood Floors
By Marcus Peterson, Fri Dec 9th
The quality of the wear layer determines frequency ofrefinishing of hardwood floors. Poor quality products can notwithstand being refinished even once. The thicker the wearlayer, the more refinishing it can withstand. Good qualityengineered flooring can be refinished two or three timesdepending on subfloor's smoothness and experience of refinisher. Refinishing a hardwood floor is a time consuming process andrequires the proper techniques, tools and patience for the bestresults. The process consists of three stages: sanding, stainingand finishing. You can rent a floor sander from a homeimprovement store or flooring company. It is a heavy equipmentyou may need assistance in using it. Remove any nails, staplesor tacks from the floor to prevent tearing the sand paper. Use20 grit sandpaper in the sander. Make sure that sander followswood grain direction instead of across the grain. If the machineis switched on, it should not remain static. After sandingentire floor, replace 20 grit sandpaper with 100 grit paper toremove lines and scratches on the floor. The room should be wellventilated while sanding, and it is important to wear a dustmask. After sanding, you may either stain your floor it or leave as itis. Sweep sawdust after sanding is completed. Fine dust can
beremoved
with shop vacuum. If you choose to stain your floor,apply stain in
the corner to see whether it is of your choice ornot. With the help
of brush apply stain in the room. Then youcan even it with rag. If
required, coat once more after thefirst coat dries. Let the floor dry
completely. Then go for thefinish. Work area should be ventilated properly
as vapors in thefinish are harmful to your health. Mix the finish well
in thecontainer. Use a brush or roller to apply the finish. Drying
maytake over three hours. Apply second coat which should be leftand
least overnight, and up to three days, for drying. Refinishing
is a means to increase durability of the floor andenhance its appearance,
and is a three-stage process of sanding,staining, and finishing.
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