Hardwood floors take a beating from daily wear and tear, spills, and other damage. Luckily, there are ways to refinish wood floors without having to resort to sanding that can restore them back to new.
Application of revitalizers is the easiest and most user-friendly method, though proper prep of the floor must first take place prior to beginning.
Revitalizer
A revitalizer is a chemical solution used to refinish hardwood floors without the need for sanding. It does this by filling in deeper scratches and dings on the surface of the wood, offering beautiful finishes without needing sanders. Before applying revitalizers, floors must first be thoroughly cleaned to remove all particles so the solution adheres better and maximizes effectiveness.
Utilising a buffer and chemical abrasion kit is another efficient method for refinishing wood flooring without having to resort to sanding. Although this approach is very do-it-yourself friendly, be mindful that this approach produces significant dust.
To reduce dust production, it is advisable to empty and move any furniture out of the room, using a fan to blow away as much of it as possible.
Wood Stain or Paint
Wood stain and paint can help conceal scratches and nicks on hardwood floors by matching their color as closely as possible. When dry, use clear sealant as protection from future damage to ensure longevity of the floor finish.
A high-quality stain can also help to cover deeper scratches in your hardwood flooring, so be sure to wipe away any dust or dirt from its surface before wiping with a damp cloth to cover the entire floor surface with stain.
Buffing and recoating are great techniques to use when your hardwood floor’s finish has become worn or dull, without resorting to sanding. To use this approach, rent a buffer machine from your local home improvement store, remove all furniture from the room prior to buffing, close any windows in the area to limit dust particles flying about and close all windows for an uninterrupted buffing session.
Sealant
With a quality polyurethane sealant, refinishing hardwood floors does not have to require extensive sanding. This is especially beneficial when dealing with prefinished or laminated floors which can only be sanded a limited number of times before becoming damaged, as well as traditional hardwoods with surface-level wear that can easily be revived through staining or resealing.
One key point to keep in mind when using this approach is that your floor must be completely free of wax, oil or cleaner residue before applying a new topcoat. A mineral spirit test will quickly assess if your hardwood floors are suitable for recoating. You might also consider renting a buffer and moving all furniture out of the room before beginning this project; doing it right the first time will save time, energy and money in terms of time, effort and resources spent retrying this work.
Penetrating Finish
Penetrating finishes like tung oil are an effective solution to repair scratches and dents on hardwood floors without the need for complete refinishing. This approach can be especially useful in older commercial properties with heavy use.
Importantly, this method should only be applied if your floors possess an authentic natural non-film-forming finish. You can check for this by scraping a small area with a wood knife – if the blade comes away without leaving any marks behind then that indicates a natural finish to your flooring surface.
If your floors feature film-forming finishes, a chemical abrasion kit must be used to strip them before applying penetrating finishes. Grit sequence is also key when working on damaged flooring surfaces – the more damage there is, the finer grits you must use. Afterward, depending on personal preferences, water-based or oil-based polyurethane may be chosen as it has lower volatile organic compound emissions and dries quickly.