Restoring Hardwood Floors |
Posted: June 21, 2018 |
If you’ve inherited an old house, you may discover some worn hardwood floors that need to be restored. You don’t want to replace something of value like these floors, but they aren’t usable in their current condition. You can restore them on your own, but you need to be prepared for the work.
Tools Necessary for Restoring Floors
One of the reasons more people don’t tackle this job on their own is because it takes a lot of tools. You may have some of them, but you probably don’t have everything unless you do a lot of woodworking. Here is what you may need:
Claw hammer Sanding paper Drum sander Belt sander Ventilator Pry bar Nail set Safety goggles Plastic sheet Masking tape Wood stain Wood Sealer
You can rent the larger tools if you don’t have them or if you don’t plan to use them again.
Prepping for the Restoration Task
You’ll need to move every piece of furniture out of the room. If it’s a bedroom or other often-used room, you will have to relocate for a few days until the task is done. Anything that can’t be removed will need to be covered.
The light fixtures and other elements in the room will need to be covered. You can use a piece of plastic or trash bag with masking tape to hold it in place.
You must remove all baseboards with a pry bar. This can be a challenging task if you’ve never done it before. Some boards can be thick and wide, which will only make the task more complicated.
Begin Work
You should look for any loose boards and nail them in place. If there are dents or scratches, you need to fill them in so the floor is smooth.
Once you have the repairs made, you’ll want to put on a mask and goggles and start sanding the floor. Work with the grain of the wood rather than against it. Start out using the drum sander. It works through an area quickly. Use a belt sander for the edges and anywhere the drum sander can’t reach.
Replace the sandpaper with a finer grit and sand again. You’ll want to keep going through the process until you have used 120 grit sandpaper. Once you finish the sanding, vacuum the floor to remove the dust.
Staining the Floor
Your next step is staining the floor. You can use a water or oil-based stain. If you want the natural look, you can choose a clear sealer. You may need to use more than one coat, allowing dry time in between each application.
Once you finish staining and sealing your floor, you will need to buff it. After everything has dried completely, you can reinstall the baseboards and bring in the furniture.
Depending on the size of the room and your experience, this can be an all-day project or even all weekend. However, you will notice that the room looks much better once the floors have been refinished. It will also add value to the home after you complete this project.
Canada's premier hardwood flooring store. Proudly selling Hardwood Flooring in Toronto since 1977. We have hardwood, laminates, engineered, and exotic flooring; we also provide hardwood flooring installation.
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