How to Refinish Hardwood Floors

Has your hardwood floor seen better days rather than replace it , refinish it to make it look like new , refinishing solid three quarter inch hardwood is a good diy project .

However , refinishing engineered wood should be left to prose the difference between the two is solid has end grain and isn't layered to determine if your floor needs to be refinished place .

A few drops of water on it , beads or soaks in slowly over a few minutes , you can probably just clean and polish .

If the water soaks in immediately , you'll need to refinish .

Also , if your floor is damaged , stained or there's wax over the finish , you'll need to sand to bear wood .

Start by clearing the room that includes curtains and pictures and take off or protect .

Register covers also remove doors , then shoe molding , use painters tape to label the molding and the corresponding wall .

Next , do a close inspection of the floor and drive in nail heads .

If you're ripping up carpet , remove the carpet staples underneath these fasteners will tear the paper on the floor .

Sanders , sanding gets really dusty , so cover the air vents , lights windows and doorways with plastic with the room prepped .

You're ready to sand .

Use a random orbital sander for flat floors .

It's easier to handle .

And the random sanding pattern won't leave directional scratches on the floor .

Load the machine with a coarse grit .

Sandpaper .

Start it up and immediately begin moving .

Letting it run in one spot will damage the floor .

It's easiest to work along the grain to see where you've sanded .

When you get to the end , move over slightly overlapping the first pass by a few inches .

Continue sanding , getting close to the edges .

After you've sand at the center of the room , do the edges using a power hand sander with the same grid paper in the corners .

Use a detail sander after sanding , vacuum thoroughly with a brush attachment before you sand with the next grit fill in deep gouges and holes with matte wood filler .

Also draw light pencil marks a few feet out along the edges .

This will help you see where you've sanded as the sander removes the pencil marks for the second pass with the sander .

Use a medium grit .

Sandpaper .

Also use a medium grid paper with the hand sander along the edges and the detail sander for the corners , clean up the dust with a vacuum and brush attachment do a third pass with fine grit sandpaper .

This will be the final sanding pass afterwards , vacuum thoroughly with a brush attachment .

Also use a damp mop on the floor to pick up any remaining particles if the floor feels rough after sanding buff it with a 1 20 grit screen buffing with a screen will smooth out fine scratches , work along the grain getting as close as possible to the walls .

Use the sanding screen for the edges and corners .

Two finish up with a thorough cleaning window sills walls , everything .

It's a good idea to go over the floor with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits .

Staining is only needed if you want to change the floor color .

Apply a pre stain conditioner and stain according to the manufacturer's directions .

If you're not staining , apply a sanding sealer before the polyurethane finish , let it dry , then lightly sand with 3 20 grit , sandpaper , vacuum the entire room again and clean the floor with a tack cloth .

It's important to have a dust free floor complete the project by applying a polyurethane finish with a natural bristle brush and applicator before using the applicator , remove loose fibers with tape , stir the poly thoroughly , no shaking and apply it along the edges using smooth strokes .

You don't want any bubbles for the center of the floor use the applicator always maintain a wet edge and avoid creating bubbles , let the poly dry according to the directions and apply a second coat .

Some products don't require sanding between coats .

After the second coat has dried for a few days , you can reattach shoe molding and bring your furniture back into the room .

Avoid sliding it across the floor felt pads can help prevent scratches too and your worn out hardwood is reborn with a fresh finish .

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