Hardwood floors are an elegant part of any home, of any room in your home. They do require maintenance, however, and refinishing hardwood floors is part of that maintenance schedule. You can accomplish this yourself, as hardwood floor refinishing is not impossibly difficult. If you put a little patient effort into the task, your floors will shine like new.
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The process of refinishing hardwood floors involves two main steps: sanding and staining. Sanding removes the buildup of dirt and old wood from the floor's surface and gives you a fresh wood surface to work from. After you've sanded the floor, staining gives the floor's surface a less rough, more polished look.
Before taking steps towards refinishing your hardwood floors, it is best to check to see whether finishing is immediately necessary. This involves a simple test. Drip water on the floor. If the water seeps into the wood, it is time to refinish. If the water droplets bead on the surface and are absorbed little to at all, refinishing the floor can wait.
While you are checking, also make sure the floor does not need repair work. Some examples of problems requiring repair include warped or squeaky floor boards, badly stained wood, or other permanent damage. If you discover any of these problems, you should repair the floor before you refinish it.
Once you've determined that your floor truly needs refinishing but does not require other repairs, you can start your work. First, remove all objects from the room and cover all openings, vents and light fixtures. Sanding is a messy process and you want to protect the room from the inevitable dust.
Initial sanding will be done with a drum sander. The power of this tool can easily damage the wood if you let it stand in one place for more than a few seconds, so keep it moving. Don't rush your job, however. If you have trouble reaching corners with the drum sander, try using an edge sander.
After you finish sanding, clean up the dust and debris. Now, you're ready to stain the floor. There are several kinds of stains available - water based and oil based stains with a variety of appearances. Choose the one that suits your floor best, and follow all instructions given. You should pay special attention to how many coats are needed and how long the stain takes to dry.
Once you have finished staining and the stain has dried, give yourself a round of applause: you have just completed your own floor refinishing! Other friends and neighbors you know will have hired professionals to redo their floors, but you won't need to now that know how to refinish your own floors. The process is lengthy and takes some work, but it is worth it once you see the shine of your newly finished floor and know that you did this yourself!
