Refinishing The Hardwood Floors

Real hardwood floors are a stunning feature and a beautiful investment, but sometimes those striking qualities are covered by years of traffic and dirt. That's where comes in over, but can be hard work for the handyperson "do it yourself" and requires much patience. In general, the work involves a lot of sanding, heavy tools and a lot of dust. But do not worry, all your hard drive will be rewarded with beautiful plants. Read on to learn how.

Start by deciding whether you really need a complete refinishing and / or if you need repairs:

- Drop a couple drops of water on the floor. If it beads or takes a long time to sink in, you can probably get by with just cleaning and polishing wood.

- If the fall properly soaked, the wood is exposed and must be refinished.

- If the floor is warped, dirty, or squeaks, have to begin repairs before finishing.

Before starting a refinishing project, make sure your floor is at least ¾ inch thick. If the soil is thinner than this, you may want to seek professional help as the sanding process can eliminate much of the ground surface. Typically, wood floors can be sanded more times than the tongue and groove floor.

Preparation for refinishing work great with the following steps:

1. Clear the room of everything, including window treatments. Even the heavy elements would be very tempting to ignore will be best placed outside the room.

2. Cover the bulbs with a plastic bag secured. Try to put bags there are no holes that allowed through the dust.

3. Remove the mold of the shoe. Do this carefully, because the mold can be reused if not damaged.

4. Tape up the holes in the room, such as electrical outlets and light switches. Take special care with the air vents, unless you want a house full of dust on the floor. You can close the room with plastic sheeting.

5. Vacuum the floor before you start sanding. Make sure all small objects - particularly food - in the air.

Sanding

The next step is sanding. A good sanding job works to level the ground and to highlight the grain. We will begin its first session of sanding with what is called a "drum sander." These are available for rent in stores on most hardware.

You will need several times the sand. With each level of sanding, the way they work at a level finer and finer sandpaper. Most start with a grain sanding and finishing 20-60 with a 120.

Between sessions of sanding, clean the floor thoroughly. Vacuuming and simply repeat the process. After the last pass with the sander, vacuum and clean floors with a dry cloth.

Staining

Apply a sealer or stain to varnished floor. In general, you can choose a product based on oil or water based, but always follow the product instructions. Depending on the brand, you may need to apply more than one layer.