Perhaps you’ve lived in your home, covered in carpet, and not realized a hardwood floor was hiding underneath. Or perhaps you’ve worn down your hardwood floors so much they’re unrecognizable. Either, facing the task of restoring and refinishing hardwood floors can be a daunting one. While it’s one of the more involved DIY projects, it is one you can take on with relative ease, as long as you’re following the right steps.
If you aren’t one for restoring your own wood floors, a professional hardwood flooring company can help, and you will love the results.
There are steps you should take to make sure you’re doing the right things to get your hardwood floor as pristine as you can. It starts with the quality you put into your care and taking the right steps in the process of preparing the floor, sanding, finishing, and more. It’s not complicated, but it requires dedication and a fair amount of work.
Below are the basic steps you should follow when restoring your hardwood floor.
Preparing Your Floor
First and foremost, get any furniture out of the room where you’ll be restoring your floor as well as all remnants of carpeting. Next take a hard look at the floor for any protruding portions or uneven spots and get them as even as possible. Check for loose floorboards and hammer them down. Vacuum up debris and seal your air vents to prevent any chemicals or debris getting into your vents.
Sanding
Sanding is the process which eliminates scratches or dents in your floor. Start with a drum sander and make sure you’re wearing the proper protective equipment over your eyes and face. Once you finish the drum sanding, you’ll want to work on sanding the edges and corners with an orbital sander since the drum sander can miss a lot of the tighter spots in a room. Your final sanding step will be a floor buffer which offers a finer sanding.
Cleaning and Staining
When your steps in sanding are done you’ll want to go over the floor several times with a vacuum and even a broom to get up as much debris as possible and prevent sand from lingering on the floor before your final step. Even hairs can leave an imperfect finish when you go to stain. After you’re satisfied, apply the interior wood stain and allow it to dry according to the stain instructions. Once done apply your finish.
Related Questions
How much does it cost to restore a hardwood floor yourself?
Depending on the square footage, prices will vary but for a room around 700 square feet, it can cost roughly a few hundred dollars to have it done professionally, maybe even less. Doing it yourself can actually cost you more once you add up everything you have to buy or rent.
Does this add value?
Hardwood floors add value to your home and have some of the best ROI in home upgrades, with a 70% to 80% return on the value of your home. So do your research and get to work refinishing your hardwood floor today.
Unless you are quite handy and get a lot of enjoyment out of DIY projects, hardwood flooring services such as restoring wood floors and refinishing wood floors can be quite the undertaking. A hardwood professional will save you time and energy.
If you are thinking of beautifying your home or business with hardwood floors, or your wood floors need to be restored or refinished, Cameron the Sandman can help. Our team of flooring experts will help you pick the perfect species of wood in the color and stain to meet your unique taste and needs. We manage each flooring project from start to finish with the highest quality wood and workmanship. Call today to learn more about our hardwood flooring services!