Table of Contents
Prepare the Floor for Refinishing. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. Pull Up the Shoe Base Moulding. Rough-Sand the Floor. Sand the Edges and Corners. Screen Sand the Floor. Remove All Dust. Apply the Wood Stain. Apply the Finish.
Can I refinish hardwood floors myself?
If you only have some minor scratches and dings or a dull finish, you might be able to simply buff and add a new coat of varnish. But, even if your floors need a complete makeover, refinishing hardwood is a very manageable and rewarding do-it-yourself job that can save a lot of money.
What are the steps to refinishing hardwood floors?
Your 9 Step Guide to Refinishing Hardwood Floors Step 1: Remove the Shoe Base Molding. Step 2: Fixing the Squeaks and Creeks. Step 3: Sand the Floors. Step 4: Sweep and Vacuum Between Sands. Step 5: Edges and Corners. Step 6: Screen Sand. Step 7: Dust Removal. Step 8: Staining Your Hardwood Floors.
What is the difference between refinishing and resurfacing wood floors?
Refinishing involves sanding down the uppermost layer of the floor and applying fresh stain and lacquer over the existing wood. Resurfacing your floor involves more than just putting a layer of polish on top.
Can I sand and refinish my hardwood floors myself?
If the scratches don’t go all the way through to the wood, you can scuff-sand your floors with a buffer and apply a fresh coat or two of finish. The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. In a few hours, your floors will look as good as new.
What is the cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors?
Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.
How can I change the color of my hardwood floors without sanding?
The best way to refinish wood floors without sanding is to use a technique called screen and recoat. This involves scuffing up the finish with a floor buffer and applying a refresher coat of finish.
What grit sandpaper do you use to refinish hardwood floors?
Start with 36-grit sandpaper for a floor that hasn’t been sanded in a long time or that has a lot of heavy finish on it. Floors that have been painted may even require you to go tougher and use 24 or 16-grit paper. Maple floors are so hard that they often require 36-grit sandpaper as well.
Can I sand floor with hand sander?
The palm sander is definitely the most common tool for sanding a wooden floor by hand. Use it with a coarser sandpaper grit for a lot of efficiency and quick results. Palm sanders also have a square edge, which means you can sand right into the corners of the floor.
How do you tell if your wood floors can be refinished?
Water Test Pour a spoonful of water onto the floor. If it forms droplets that stay on the surface of the wood, the floor finish is still good. If the water is slowly absorbed into the wood, the finish is worn and needs to be restored.
Do new hardwood floors need to be sanded?
Yes. When you want to stain or change the color of your hardwood floors, you MUST fully sand and refinish the floors. If you don’t sand the floors first, the stain won’t properly penetrate the hardwood nor will the polyurethane properly adhere. This is the ONLY way to change the color of your hardwood floors.
How do I know if I need to refinish my hardwood floors?
Big scratches and dents, gray floorboards and splinters are all signs that your hardwood floors need refinishing. Refinishing hardwood floors can make old, worn surfaces look new again. Major scratches and dents. Cupping. Splinters. Gray floorboards. Water stains. Fading and discoloration.
Can you use an orbital sander to refinish hardwood floors?
Random orbital sanders are the best choice for do-it-yourself hardwood floor refinishing. They take longer to remove old finishes than drum sanders, but they do not require a lot of experience to use and are less likely to damage your wood floor. Just be sure to keep the sander level at all times.
How much wood is removed when sanding hardwood floors?
When sanding any floor, the amount of wood you remove depends on the coarseness of the paper you use. Flooring professionals can sand away as much as 1/16 inches of wood with the coarsest paper.
How much does it cost to refinish 1000 square feet of hardwood floors?
The cost to refinish 1,000 square feet of hardwood flooring averages between $3,000 to $8,000.
How can I restore my hardwood floors without sanding?
3 Approaches to Refinishing Hardwood Floors Without Sanding Use a store-bought chemical abrasion kit. Buff and recoat floors with polyurethane. Use a revitalizer.
Can you refinish floors in one day?
A screen and re-coat is a one-day process that doesn’t give you a blank slate like a full sand and refinish, but it DOES give your hardwood floors a fantastic refresh. The process is dustless (as is our full sand and refinish, by the way), and takes ONE DAY to complete.
Can you refinish hardwood floors without removing baseboards?
Installing hardwood floors without removing the baseboards is possible, and it’s a suitable option for other types of flooring as well. If your baseboards have been glued to the wall and would cause damage if you tried to remove them, it may be best to leave them.
What happens if you stain over stain?
If one section dries and is then overlapped, you are effectively applying a second coat to that overlapped area, and this will lead to blotchy finish. If the stain pools during application, you are applying too much at once; cut back.
Can hardwood floors be stained a different color?
When you refinish your floors, you can change the color of your flooring. Most hardwood floors can be made darker, lighter, redder, or anywhere in between. If your flooring is solid hardwood, it can be sanded and refinished in a different stain for a different appearance.
