Refinishing hardwood floors will refresh their color while providing a solid platform for further care and maintenance.
Buffing and polishing may help cover up small nicks and scratches on wood floor surfaces, but they cannot fully eliminate them! Refinishing may be required in cases of severe discolorations or staining.
Chemical Abrasion Kit
If your hardwood floors have lost their luster, a chemical abrasion kit can bring them back to life and protect the wood beneath.
Before using the abrasive liquid from your kit, scrub the floor and wipe it clean using a sponge mop or sponge map. Mineral spirits may help determine if there’s an existing wax finish on your floor that prevents its adhesion with new finishes; use this option if possible to test this theory out.
Pour some liquid etcher into a paint tray or an empty shoebox covered in plastic. Attach an abrasive pad from your refinishing kit to an applicator block, slip in a broom handle, and secure its screw for roughing up your floor surface. Although liquid etcher has minimal odor, for increased ventilation open windows.
Screening
Hardwood floor materials and the type of finish applied to them play a large part in how well they endure wear and tear. Traditional hardwoods may be restored without resorting to sanding; however, some types of prefinished or laminated flooring as well as exotic species like teak should only be sanded twice to prevent permanently damaging their surfaces.
Prior to beginning to refinish your floors, take time to thoroughly inspect them for nail holes, deep gouges and any other forms of damage that cannot be fixed with filling and sanding. Also inspect existing finishes for any ridges which might prove difficult to buff out with a buffer; if any sharp ridges cannot be leveled with a sanding screen then hammering can help level it further down before continuing your task.
To implement this technique, isolate a 6-by-6 area in a high traffic zone of your hardwoods and clean/roughen it using a sanding screen. Apply polyurethane sealant and wait 24 hours; scrape away any leftover residue if possible from the surface.
Buffing
With this technique, a buffer is used to buff away small bits of existing floor finish in preparation for refinishing with fresh coat. While this creates more dust than chemical abrasion kits, it works better in high traffic areas. If you decide to go this route, be sure to rent both a buffer and dust mask; remember refinishing can take several days!
This sand-free method may not work on old floors with deep scratches or dents that go through to the wood beneath, as well as those featuring wax finishes or chemicals which prevent new finishes from adhering properly.
To achieve the best results, first utilize a pH-neutral cleaner before applying revitalizer according to package directions. Finally, place masking tape around skirtings as a shield from chemical exposure.
Polyurethane
If your hardwood floors are scratched and dull but still have a strong base, recoating could be the most suitable solution. However, it’s important to remember that if they display visible dent patterns or wear patterns that require extensive repair efforts (denting/wear patterns), full sanding may be necessary to bring life back into them.
Before beginning sanding, remove all furniture and shut any doors or vents in the room where you’re working. Clean the wood using either store-bought cleaners or an in-home solution of 10 parts water to 1 part white vinegar; for hard stains use mineral spirits for deeper scrub. This test can also reveal whether your floors contain wax or chemicals that might prevent your new finish from adhering well – if this is true then refinishing may be necessary; otherwise if they don’t then polyurethane should do just fine – hopefully lasting color will remain! Getting your hardwood refinished with polyurethane will ensure its color last long after any in-home renovation process or refurbishment project is complete