Whether it?s a secret treasure discovered under old carpeting or hardwood floors you?ve had for years, refinishing hardwood floors will bring new life and a completely new style to your home. Hardwood flooring has stood the test of time because of its ability to be refinished. Floors can be refinished to restore the wood?s original appearance and shine, change its color or finish, or blend to with newly added wood. There are several steps involved in the process of hardwood floor refinishing.
The Process
Sand the floors - When there is a wax coating on top of the floor?s polyurethane finish or when the wood underneath the finish has been damaged or stained, the finish must be sanded down. During this step, the existing finish on top of the hardwood floors is sanded down to just bare wood.
Select a stain -?Applying a stain to the hardwood flooring is optional but if you want a certain color stain applied it will need to be done after sanding and before applying a finish.
Apply a finish -?This adds personality and durability to your floors. Most finishes require 2-3 applications with sanding between each application. There are three kinds of finishes you can choose from for your floors.
- Polyurethane: oil or water based. Polyurethane has varying degrees of luster with a shiny or matte finish.
- Varnish: a matte-glossy finish. Varnish comes in a variety of lusters, with the higher gloss being most durable.
- Penetrating Sealer: natural looking finish that brings out the natural grain of the wood.
Do It Yourself?
Refinishing your hardwood floors by yourself may seem like a great way to save some money, but hardwood floors are tricky and time consuming to refinish. By the time you?ve found and rented all the tools you need, purchased all the supplies and devoted the time involved, you?re not going to save a lot of money, if any at all.?
The slightest misstep with an industrial sander can ruin your finish, gouge the floors, or ding the baseboards and you?ll have to start all over. You can buff too hard and thin the floors or buff unevenly if you sand incorrectly it shows in the finish, and using excess finish will cause pooling and discoloration. You certainly can do it yourself, but weigh your options, time and skill level first to determine?if you should hire a professional.
The Wood Floor Experts
Quantum Floors is South Florida?s premier seller of premium hardwood floors. Call one of our South Florida?showrooms to obtain a free estimate for hardwood floor refinishing. We?ll need some details about the job and your location and we?ll dispatch a refinishing expert to come to you for an estimate. Alternately, you can simply fill out the form here and we?ll be in touch shortly.
