Hardwood floors can provide particular problems when it comes to upkeep and refinishing. Sanding hardwood floors risks chipping or cracking the long, thin pieces and special care must be taken to preserve to wood’s grain and sometimes, with older or antique floors, the natural patina that has developed over time. But even floors made from durable woods such as oak need to be refinished every few years to keep their naturally beautiful appearance and to smooth away scratches and wear that have built up through everyday use. While very old floors in truly terrible condition may need a professional touch to restore them to their former glory, the refinishing of most household floors need not be feared by an amateur provided the proper care is taken.
So how to refinish hardwood floors? The most popular method of home refinishing uses a floor sanding machine. These are easily rented from an equipment rental shop and come in both a traditional drum design or the newer and easier to control orbital design. You will also have to purchase sandpaper in a variety of four grits ranging from 36 to 100. Before sanding hardwood floors, it is necessary to make sure they are completely clean and free from debris and that there are no nails or old carpet staples sticking out. The room should be completely empty when you start. Furniture will only get in the way and will make it difficult to do an even job. Once you are ready to start, simply attach the heaviest-grit sandpaper to the sanding machine and start sanding. Once the whole floor is done, replace the sandpaper with the next heaviest grit and repeat the process. It is important go over the floor once with each type of sandpaper, in sequential order, ending with the finest grit, to ensure smooth, polished floors. Once you are done, the floor is ready for staining, varnish, or whatever other type of finish you intend to put on it.
If the thought of sanding away the top layer of the floor scares you, another option is a process called screening. This is done with a special screening machine that takes off only the topmost layer of polyurethane finish, leaving the wood beneath untouched. Once you are done, you can apply a new finish on your newly smoothed hardwood floor. While there are many finishes, either an oil-based or water-based polyurethane finish is the most popular when refinishing hardwood floors, since it looks good, holds up to most wear and supports the screening process for future refinishing jobs.
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