Vacuuming regularly will prevent dirt from dulling hardwood floors, particularly dark-colored wood species. Rugs and mats designed to trap dirt can also help safeguard them.
Use this approach if you can’t afford the rent for a chemical kit or want to reduce dust pollution. Utilizing a buffer instead of chemicals may look like sanding; but it’s just roughing through screening.
Preparation
Most property owners believe that in order to restore their hardwood floors, sanding down and staining again may be necessary; however, this may not always be necessary; especially if your floor shows only normal wear such as surface scratches rather than deep gouges into its core.
Before beginning, it is essential that a new coat of finish bonds properly to the floorboards and prevents flaking or peeling later, saving both time and money in repairs.
Empty the room of furniture and open doors so you can observe any deep gouges that cannot be filled by fresh coat of finish, check nails that protrude through wood surfaces (it may be necessary to hammer and sink them), as well as lookout for any ridges or dents that cannot be leveled with a buffer.
Filling Scratches
Depending on the severity of the damage, you can use a marker or blending pencil to cover small scratches on a floor surface with minimal effort. However, make sure your choice complements its hue otherwise the mark might become even more evident.
An alternative, tried-and-tested solution is using fine-grade steel wool to buff away scratches in wood grain direction rather than against it, before buffing with soft cloth. If deeper gouges exist, use commercial wood filler from your local hardware store – be sure to choose a shade that complements existing wood!
Depending on the severity of the damage to your hardwood floors, refinishing may not even be necessary. For light scuffs and thin scratches, simply applying a new protective finish may do. Follow product’s instructions regarding application and drying time; depending on product used this could take anywhere from several hours to days.
Applying a New Coat
If your floor only has surface-level scratches and stains without gouges in the wood itself, a refresher coat can be applied without needing to sand it down first – an approach known as screen and recoat or, according to some professionals, “sandless refinishing.”
Refinishing floors using this method entails buffing them with a buffer and applying a fresh coat of finish. While this option is sometimes effective for rental properties, it may prove too messy and require considerable dusting afterwards.
As part of any renovation, it’s also essential that new coatings adhere securely. Otherwise, their appearance could result in flaky layers that don’t protect floors properly – leading to larger costs and increased cleanup efforts for property owners.
Before beginning the process of installing new flooring in your property, be sure to conduct a small test area. Tape off an area and rough up the floor using a sanding screen in order to determine which approach will be most suitable.
Drying
In most instances, hardwood floors that have experienced water damage can usually be repaired without having to undergo extensive sanding. The key is taking action promptly and hiring a professional with experience working on wet wood flooring conditions.
Locate and fix the source of the issue as quickly as possible; leaving wet floorboards in place could result in irreparable wood damage.
Screen and Recoat Restoration allows you to restore hardwood floors without the hassle of sanding by using the process known as screen and Recoat, which entails using a buffer to scrub down the floor before applying a fresh coat of finish to it. While not as effective at restoring water damaged wood as chemical etchering methods such as chemical etchering are, screen and Recoat can take less time and be much cheaper than replacing all flooring at once. After the new finish has been applied, allow it to fully dry before walking on or moving furniture – this may take several hours up to full day depending on its characteristics such as airflow etc.