Do It Yourself: Refinishing Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors can add beauty and elegance to any room in your home. They do require some regular maintenance, and in due time you will find that you will need to refinish your hardwood floors. Thank goodness that with effort and patience this is something that can be done and won't be too terribly difficult. Once done, your floors will look as good as they day they were put in.

There are two parts in the procedure for refinishing hardwood floors: sanding, which cleans away any old dirt and smooths the old wood in order to give it a fresh appearance; and staining, which is performed after the sanding, gives the old hardwood floor a smoother, glossier sheen.

Before refinishing hardwood floors, you should first check to make sure they need refinishing in the first place. A good test is to place a drop of water on the wood floor. If the wood absorbs it quickly, you should refinish the floor. If it is absorbed more slowly or not at all, you do not need to refinish the floor right away.

When you inspect the floor, make sure it doesn't need any repairs. Problems to inspect for include warped or squeaking floor boards, badly stained wood, and other permanent damage. If any of these issues are present, you should repair them before refinishing the floor.

If you have determined that the floor does not need other repairs besides refinishing, it is time to start your work. To begin, you will need to remove all objects from the room. Cover all openings, vents and light fixtures. Bear in mind that sanding is a messy process and it is important to protect the room from dust.

A powerful drum sander is the tool to use for your initial sanding. To avoid accidental damage to the wood, keep the drum sander continuously in motion. If it stays in one place, too much wood is lost and your floor is uneven. Move steadily. Don't rush. To get in corners and other tight spots, use an edge sander.

Once you have completed sanding, clean up, removing dust and other debris. The floor is now ready to be stained. There are a number of different stains available. Pay close attention to how long it takes for the stain to dry and how many coats are needed. There are oil and water based stains that have a variety of appearances. Choose the stain that best suits the needs of your floors and follow all instructions carefully.

Your stain is dry; your floor is done! Offer yourself some congratulations! Refinishing hardwood floors can be difficult, and some hire a professional, but you know how to refinish hardwood floors so you don't need to. This task takes a little time, but when you see your dull floor shining and gleaming again you will know it was all worth it.

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Installing your hardwood floors doesn't have to be hard. Learn tips on how to install hardwood floors and hardwood flooring installation today.