In this article, we will discuss the best way to refinish hardwood floors. Well, floor sanding and refinishing are totally unforgiving work. You made a mistake and it is on the display. The thing is you can’t mask any mistake you made while refinishing hardwood floors. Despite other things a refinished floor adds an extra beauty to a room like no other project. Follow this article to get some best techniques to refinish hardwood floors.
Helpful Tips to Refinish Hardwood Floors:
1.) DIY-Friendly Sanding Equipment to Refinish Hardwood Floors
DIY (Do-It-Yourself) friendly sanding equipment is the best choice to refinish the hardwood floors. They take some time to remove old finishes than normal drum sanders. However, they do not need a lot of experience to use effectively and they are also less likely to damage your flooring. By using a random orbital sander, you can easily move with or against the wooden grain. Just be making sure to keep the sander level at all times. Well, even an orbital sander can a runaway and causes the sander markings difficult to remove.
2.) Take Precautions While Refinishing Hardwood Floors
While concentrating on refinishing on hardwood floors you should not forget safety measures. So, avoid any kind of injury while transporting sanders from the store to your house. Please ask anyone to move the sander up stairs. It is recommended to use ramps to move the machine.
Always get help while moving any heavy furniture out of the room. Remember, It has to empty before you begin. Sanding and refinishing generate a huge amount of dust and fumes so you should stock up on dust masks and earplugs. Wear protective items when applying sealers and oil-based polyurethane like NIOSH-approved organic vapor respirators, vinyl gloves or neoprene, and eye protection with splash guards.
3.) Thin Coats are Better Than Thick
You should first many pros pour polyurethane and then spread it with a 16-inch lamb’s wool applicator, but for the new guy, this is likely to result in a layer that is too thick. A better approach for to do it is to roll on the polyurethane using any foam roller. You should prefer a high-density foam roller. Then, the coat will be thin, uniform and will quickly dry to a smooth shining finish. It is recommended to use a good brush for cutting in and around the room perimeter.
4.) Remember the Corners
A palm sander used to sand the baseboard moldings, but you should use a sharp scraper to remove any areas of old finish that the sander may miss. The scrapers permit you to get into board edges, at butt joints without having to eradicate a lot of material with the sander.
5.) Sealing the Deal
You will need a sealer coat but if your floor takes stain unevenly then it will aid ensure even stain coverage. You should test for this by applying stain to any random area that will not be visible once furniture is moved and back into place. It is also important to apply the sealer evenly else stop marks, and lap marks will show up through after staining.
6.) Apply Stain Evenly
It is necessary to apply stain evenly to refinish hardwood floors, especially over a large expanse. This is not as easy as it might seem. The best technique involves the application of the stain with an applicator to one small area at a time and then rubbing off all excess with a rag. You should avoid letting the leading edge else you will end up with lap marks.
