Restoring a Hardwood Floor

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• Restoring a Hardwood Floor

If your hardwood floors are looking pretty dull, scratched, or just plain worn, you may think you'll have to call a professional in to restore your floors. The fact is you can restore hardwood floors without the aid of a professional. Though it is a time-consuming process, it is actually quite simple. However, if the hardwood floors in your home are refinished, you may want to consult with the manufacturer for instructions on both safety precautions need and recommendations for refinishing.

Preparation

The first thing you'll want to do is to remove everything in the room. This includes all furniture and items on the wall. You'll want to place a box fan in a window in the room and then open a window across the room, as well as outside the room. This will prevent dust from moving around with the room.

Sanding the Floor

You will need to rent a floor polisher and the first thing you'll want to do is put an abrasive pad on the rubberized wheel. Then, practice in the middle of the room and make sure you can completely control the machine. Place a 100-grit abrasive screen on the polisher and you are ready to sand the floor. Make sure you go from one end to the other, using overlapping passes. When you are done, sweep the floor and then vacuum. The finish on the floor should be consistently dull. If there are any wear patterns still visible, you will want to go over it again until it is of an equal dullness.

Removing the dust

When the floor has been properly sanded, you'll now want to remove all dust from the room. Then, you will use a soft cloth that has been dampened with mineral spirits to wipe down the floor. This will insure all of the dust is removed, however, you'll want to vacuum one more time before you apply any finish.

Applying the Finish

Make sure when applying the finish, you use professional brushes. First, you'll want to go along the area of the baseboard using a 3 inch brush. Next, using a 5 inch brush, you will need to apply the finish in an even coat along the rest of the floor, making sure you follow the direction of the boards. It is best, however, to do a small section at a time.

When the finish has been applied, let it dry and you'll be surprised how good your floor looks and won't believe all of the money you saved by doing it yourself.