Quck answer
Hardwood floor refinishing can bring new life to old and worn-out floors. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to refinish hardwood floors:
1. Prepare the area: Remove all furniture and rugs from the room. Cover doorways and vents with plastic to prevent dust from spreading.
2. Sand the floor: Use a drum sander or a belt sander to sand the entire floor. Start with a coarse grit sandpaper and gradually move to finer grits for a smooth finish.
3. Fill gaps and cracks: Use wood filler to fill any gaps or cracks in the floor. Allow it to dry and then sand the filled areas.
4. Stain the floor (optional): If you want to change the color of your floor, apply wood stain evenly using a brush or rag. Allow it to dry completely.
5. Apply the finish: Use a brush or roller to apply a clear polyurethane finish to the floor. Apply multiple coats, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.
6. Let it cure: Allow the finish to cure for at least 24 hours before walking on the floor or replacing furniture.
Remember to follow safety precautions, such as wearing a dust mask and protective eyewear, throughout the refinishing process. With proper care, your hardwood floors will look stunning and last for years to come.
If your hardwood floors are scuffed and dull, refinishing them can bring back their shine and protect them from damage. According to Old House Journal, refinishing can help seal the wood and prevent it from absorbing dirt, water, and spills, reducing scratches and dents. But before you get started, make sure that a complete refinishing is necessary.
Does Your Floor Need Refinishing?
Most hardwood floors don’t require a complete refinishing unless there is widespread damage to the wood or you want to change the stain. A surface refinish, where the old finish is sanded lightly and a new finish is applied on top, may be sufficient. This not only simplifies the project but also helps to preserve the wood by avoiding sanding it down to the bare wood. However, if there are deep scratches or dents going through the finish, or if you can see nails in the gaps between the planks, the whole floor will need to be sanded and refinished.
Before starting the project, clean the floor with a commercial hardwood cleaner and look for problem areas. Fix any loose or raised boards, fill in nail holes with matching wood putty, and cover the doors with plastic sheeting to prevent dust from spreading throughout the house.
Preparing for the Project
Clear the room of all furniture, rugs, and decorations, and keep it empty for at least a week. Look for gouges, creaks, ridges, and stains, and fix them accordingly. Note that shallow water stains can be fixed only during a complete refinish. Put box fans in the windows to aid in ventilation.
Image Credit:
Hunker in Partnership With Acme Real Estate
Image Credit:
BanksPhotos/iStock/GettyImages
Refinishing Full Hardwood Floors through Sanding
Manual sanding of floors using a pad or belt sander is not recommended. The use of professional-grade drum floor sanders and edge sanders is necessary and can be rented from most home improvement stores. Before sanding hardwood floors, practice on a plywood board until you are comfortable using both tools.
Each floor sanding belt can cover about 250 square feet of flooring. Therefore, it is important to measure the room’s square footage beforehand and purchase enough belts in a full sequence of grits: 36, 60, 80, and 24 if the floor is in terrible condition. Skipping a sandpaper level is not advisable as it can leave you with a scratched floor and ruin the entire hardwood floor refinishing project.
When sanding, it is easy to damage shoe molding and baseboards, so it is recommended to remove these and number them to be easily replaced after finishing. Put on a dust mask and fit the sander with a 24- or 36-grit sandpaper belt. Run the sander along the floorboards, going with the grain and back and forth over 3- to 4-foot lengths at a time.
Keep the sander moving to avoid creating dents and overlap areas as you go. Eliminate any scratches and water stains but avoid attempting to remove pet urine stains or other deep-penetrating stains as they can damage the floor. Once you have gone across the whole floor with the coarsest sandpaper, let the dust settle, sweep, and vacuum the floor. Repeat the process with the next higher grit, waiting until the dust settles before switching sandpaper grades. Complete the final sanding passes with an 80-grit belt.
Image Credit:
Photoevent/iStock/GettyImages
After finishing sanding with each sandpaper grade using the drum sander, use the same grit of paper on the edge sander and work on the edges of the room and small areas like closet floors and stairs. Move the machine in small, semicircular motions, overlapping the area done by the drum sander so they blend together. Repeat sanding with the edge sander after completing each pass with the drum sander, going through every grade of sandpaper until you have used the 80-grit paper.
Finally, go over any particularly small, hard-to-reach areas and corners with a sharp wood scraper and sandpaper, finishing with 80-grit sandpaper. If there are any particularly deep gouges that go further than you could reasonably sand out, fill them with wood putty in a similar shade.
Scuff-Sanding Hardwood Floors
For a recoat rather than a full hardwood floor refinishing, use a buffer to scuff-sand the old finish so that the new finish will bond to the old. Buffers can be rented at home improvement stores and equipment rental centers.
Before scuffing, fix deep gouges by filling them with wood putty in the same color as the hardwood floor. Then, fix scratches that go through the finish by applying a lighter wood stain than the floor color, using a cotton swab. When doing a screen-and-recoat, there is no need to remove the baseboard.
To start sanding your hardwood floors, attach a 120-grit sanding screen to a buffer and move it across the floor in an irregular sweeping motion, going against the grain. Be careful not to damage the baseboard while getting as close to the walls as possible. After buffing the entire floor, check it for any uneven spots and hand-sand them with 120-grit sandpaper if necessary. Clean any flat surfaces above the floor with a vacuum or microfiber cloth, but avoid sweeping the dust as it may settle between the floorboards. Wipe the floor with a damp microfiber cloth to ensure it is dust-free.
When applying finish to your hardwood floors, choose the right finish for your type of flooring. If you’re doing a complete refinish, any finish should work, but be sure to check which finish types work best with the species of wood in your flooring. Water-based polyurethane is generally the easiest finish to work with and a good choice for DIYers. If you want to stain the floor, let the stain color fully dry before applying finish.
If you didn’t remove the existing finish, try to use the same finish if possible. Determine if the finish was water-based or oil-based because these two finishes are not compatible. Use Goo Gone on a cloth to wipe the floor in an inconspicuous area to test if the finish is oil-based. Before starting, wear rubber gloves and a respirator. Use a 7-inch painter pad to apply finish along the edges of the room and a lamb’s wool applicator to apply the rest of the finish, overlapping the areas previously covered.
If you completely stripped the finish, apply one coat of sanding sealer and let it dry. Lightly sand the finish with a power buffer and a 120- or 150-grit screen, vacuum the dust, and wipe the floor with a microfiber cloth before applying a second coat. Apply as many coats as the manufacturer recommends, usually three for oil-based finishes and four for water-based finishes. Wait until the finish is fully cured before walking in the room with shoes. Reinstall the baseboards and move your furniture or rugs back into the room.
FAQ
1. What is hardwood floor refinishing?
Hardwood floor refinishing is the process of restoring the beauty and shine of a hardwood floor that has become worn, scratched, or dull over time. It involves sanding down the top layer of the floor to remove any imperfections, stains, or old finish, and then applying a new finish or stain to protect the wood and bring out its natural beauty. Refinishing can help extend the life of your hardwood floors and make them look like new again.
2. How often should hardwood floors be refinished?
The frequency of hardwood floor refinishing depends on several factors, including the amount of foot traffic, the quality of the original finish, and the level of wear and tear. In general, it is recommended to refinish hardwood floors every 7-10 years. However, if your floors have deep scratches, stains, or are looking dull, it may be necessary to refinish them sooner. Regular maintenance, such as sweeping and using protective pads on furniture, can help prolong the time between refinishing.
3. Can I refinish hardwood floors myself, or should I hire a professional?
Refinishing hardwood floors can be a complex and labor-intensive process, so it is often best to hire a professional. They have the necessary tools, expertise, and experience to ensure the job is done correctly and efficiently. However, if you have some DIY experience and are willing to put in the time and effort, it is possible to refinish hardwood floors yourself. Just be prepared for the challenges that may arise, such as dust control, proper sanding techniques, and choosing the right finish for your specific type of wood.