If your hardwood floors have lost their shine, sanding may not be necessary at all. With some planning and know-how, you can revive them without incurring additional mess and expense of sanding.
Before anything else, thoroughly clean your floors using either a mop, brush or vacuum cleaner.
Chemical abrasion
No matter if your floors are traditional hardwood or modern laminated wood, refinishing them without sanding is possible by buffing and applying a fresh coat of finish. However, before proceeding according to Family Handyman you should first thoroughly clean them, including vacuuming and mopping them as well as all room surfaces such as windowsills curtains and baseboards to avoid microscopic particles settling into the wet finish and creating problems as it hardens.
Buffing hardwood floors is a straightforward and economical way to refinish them, yet can prove challenging when your floor features an oil or wax finish. To determine this, select an inconspicuous spot on your floors and scrape with a knife in an unsuspecting spot; if the blade moves easily across the wood surface, your floors have wax coatings which won’t be possible to buff.
Though sanding may be your go-to solution for deep scratches and other forms of damage on wood floors in a rental home, you can keep them looking stunning by opting for refinishing instead. By following these simple guidelines you’ll quickly recoat them and save yourself the hassle, cost, and mess of sanding to bare wood.
Buffing
Hardwood floors can take quite a beating over time, which requires regular upkeep to keep looking their best. If your hardwood needs some TLC but doesn’t want the hassle and expense of refinishing them, buffing can be an ideal alternative.
Buffing is similar to refinishing in that it removes surface damage such as scratches and materials that dull your hardwood floor surfaces, such as glue residue and residue from previous renovation projects. Buffing is an economical, quick, and straightforward way to refresh and keep your hardwoods looking their best!
Before beginning the buffing process, conduct an inspection of your floors to check for wax or other materials that could prevent new finishes from adhering properly. Select an inconspicuous spot and scrape with a knife; if clear liquid emerges upon scraping it could indicate wax coating; in such a situation it would be prudent to sand prior to buffing to save both time and money in the long run.
Revitalizers
As wood floor contractors, we receive many diverse requests from both homeowners and clients alike. While some might seem impossible – like changing the color of hardwood floors without sanding – there are actually several effective strategies we have at our disposal that may do exactly that.
The key to this method is buffing or applying a chemical etch kit directly to the existing finish before recoating it, leaving behind micro-scratches which allow new coats of wax or stain to adhere more readily.
As is often the case when refinishing wood floors, professional flooring contractors should be hired for this task. Clear the room of furniture and use a respirator to protect yourself from potentially hazardous fumes while also keeping dust particles from settling into wet finishing and damaging it later. Furthermore, purchase your buffer rental in advance for added convenience and less expense on site.
Repairing scratches
If the damage to your floors is limited to deep scratches and gouges that reach deep into the wood, repairs may not require an entire refinish. First, clean the area, sand it down using #000 steel wool, then feather out (feather out) the edges of any scratches with #00 steel wool before feathering out (blend in) their edges with feathered or blended edge feathers.
If your floors are coated in penetrating oils such as tung or linseed oil, stain markers or blending pencils designed to blend in closely with the color of the floor are an effective way of filling scratch marks. Wax sticks may also help, though their use might make the marks more evident.
Buffering can also help, though you will need a buffer that you may not already own, so consider renting one prior to moving furniture to another room. For extensive gouges or scratches, screening and recoat may be required instead; otherwise it might be time for refinishing instead.