Refurbishing Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are great flooring options, and it is the best type of wood floors you can get for your house. You can cover an entire floor with a hardwood floor, and it would still look gorgeous and charming, not out of place. In a sea of concrete flooring and tiles, hardwood floors still take the cake, and since many people love the charm of going back to vintage times, wood floors such as a hardwood floor can still charm people.

However, refinishing wood floors can be exhausting and complicated to do. The wood stain would not cut it. To refinish hardwood floors, you must know about refinishing hardwood floors, or else you would be standing on bare wood that can cause many injuries. You also have to deal with surface scratches and deep scratches that can stretch for the entire perimeter of your house. If it's an old house, you should also be careful with any home improvement projects you want to initiate, especially in refinishing hardwood floors, to prevent your hardwood floor from giving way and eventually ruining everything. Again, a tub of wood stain won't be enough.

Refinishing hardwood floors can be a daunting task, but you can do it yourself and achieve beautiful results with the right tools and knowledge. Follow these simple steps, and your floor will be good as new in no time!

Here are some helpful tips you can use in refinishing hardwood floors and the equipment you need for your refinished floor, one square foot at a time.

Tools and Equipment Needed

The first step is to gather your tools. You would need a vacuum cleaner, a dust mask, safety goggles, a hammer, a chisel, 120-grit sandpaper, 320-grit sandpaper, wood sealer, wood floor finish (either an oil- or water-based polyurethane), and a brush. Always get yourself a pair of gloves because the wood floor finish might irritate your skin if you have sensitive skin.

One: Remove All Furniture

When refinishing hardwood floors, the first step is to remove all furniture from the room and any baseboards. Vacuum and wipe down the entire room to remove any dust or dirt. It would be best if you did this to ensure that your hardwood floors are clean and without any dust or grime that might affect your refurbishing work.

Two: Remove Any Baseboards

If there are any baseboards in the room, you would have to remove them as well. You can either use a chisel or a pry bar to do so. Once everything is removed, vacuum the entire room and wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt.

Three: Start Sanding Your Hardwood Floors

Now, it's time to start sanding your hardwood floors. This is an incredibly exhausting task that might take hours or days, depending on how big your old house or new house is.

Start with the 120-grit sandpaper and sand in the direction of the wood grain. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, or you might damage the wood. Sand until all the surface scratches are gone. Then, switch to the 320-grit sandpaper and sand again in the direction of the wood grain.

This will remove any deep scratches and prepare the floor for sealing and finishing. Start sanding with 120-grit sandpaper and then switch to 320- grit sandpaper. Sand until all surface scratches are gone.

Four: Vacuum and Wipe Down

After sanding, vacuum again and wipe the entire room with a tack cloth to remove any remaining dust particles. This is important, especially if family members are sensitive to dust particles that might trigger their allergic reactions.

Five: Apply Wood Sealer

Apply a coat of wood sealer and let it dry for 24 hours. Apply a thin coat of wood floor finish using a brush and let it dry for 24 hours. Apply a second coat if desired. Let the floor dry for 72 hours before walking on it or moving any furniture back into the room.

Six: Apply Wood Floor Finish

Now, it's time to apply the wood floor finish. If you use oil-based polyurethane, start applying it in a thin coat using a brush. Let it dry for 24 hours, and then apply a second coat. If you use water-based polyurethane, start applying it in a thin coat using a brush. Let it dry for four hours, and then apply a second coat.

Seven: Let it Dry

After applying the wood floor finish, let it dry. This will usually take around 72 hours. Please do not walk on the floor or move any furniture back into the room until it has completely dried. This will let your hardwood flooring dry up and suck all the wood floor finish to make it more presentable.

Eight: Move the Furniture Back

After checking if the wood floor finish has completely dried up, you can move the furniture back slowly, one by one, until done. Be careful not to drag them on the floor to avoid any surface or deep scratches from happening on your refinished flooring.

Benefits of Refurbishing Hardwood Floors

There are many benefits that you can enjoy from refurbishing hardwood floors. 

The first benefit is that you are preserving the value of your house. If you ever decide to sell your home, having refinished hardwood floors will increase its value.

Second, refinishing hardwood floors can give your house a whole new look. It can make your old, outdated home look more modern and elegant.

Third, refurbishing hardwood floors is a very affordable alternative to replacing them. Replacing your old hardwood floors with new ones can be very expensive.

Fourth, it is an easy process that even a beginner can do. All you need are the right tools and some patience. Fifth, refinishing hardwood floors will add insulation to your foot and make it more sound-proof. Sixth, it will increase the air quality in your house by removing all the dust and dirt particles.

Last but not least, refinishing hardwood floors will make your house more beautiful and inviting. Hardwood floors would continuously stir memories of people living in the vintage times and enjoying the fame and excess back then. Think of The Great Gatsby and the Roaring Twenties. It's also great that vintage and retro styles are becoming trends again. Refurbishing your hardwood floors can give your house that old-world charm that is so hard to find in today's world.

After all these benefits, there's no reason not to try refurbishing your hardwood floors. It's a simple process that can give your house a whole new look and increase its value.

Final Thoughts

It is not easy to refinish hardwood floors. Hardwood floor refinishing requires a lot of steps, tools, time, and effort that you need to bring your wood flooring back to the glamor it deserves. Solid hardwood floors are still the best flooring options, so you should try your best and give hardwood floor refinishing a chance

So, if you are thinking of remodeling your old home or want to give it a new look, consider refurbishing your hardwood floors. It is a very affordable and accessible process that will provide excellent results.

If refinishing hardwood floors sounds too daunting, you can always hire a professional to do it for you. Professional refurbishing teams are always ready to help you with your flooring issues.

However, if the budget is not an issue and you want to ensure that your hardwood floor turns out pristinely well, definitely take on this task yourself. Remember to follow these simple tips and use the proper equipment, and then your hardwood floor will look as good as new in no time!