Cleaning and Refinishing Hardwood Floors

Homeowners would agree that cleaning hardwood floors and refinishing hardwood floors is important because hardwood floors are more preferred than any other types of floors because of their endurance and easy maintenance. They also add a traditional feeling in one's home. Hardwood floors can last up to 25 years with proper care. Apparently, you'll wonder what happens to your hardwood floors after 25 years. Well, just like any kind of normal things, your hardwood floorings will deteriorate and will be damaged over time. But there's a DIY for that. By cleaning hardwood floors, you can revive its original shine and maintain its "always new" look.

Good thing, this article will provide you with easy DIY steps for cleaning hardwood floors and refinishing hardwood floors. First, you need to determine whether your hardwood floor really needs some refinishing. Your floor could be a perfect candidate for refinishing when it has shallow marks, dull surface or other apparent damage. However, refinishing hardwood floors is not a good option if your floor already has sagging areas or it feels spongy. We can not simply take the task of cleaning hardwood floors with water, then it's time for you to replace your hardwood floors. Second, you need to stuff the large gaps. And of course, you must keep the right tools handy.

Now let's go to the heart of the refinishing hardwood floors process if cleaning hardwood floors is not suitable. Prepare the surface. Remove everything from the area that is not nailed. Sweep the floor and you can also use pliers to get rid of any staples left in the floor from carpets. When the floor is free from any objects, you may now sand it using a sander. You need to sand the floor through several passes to ensure that you're sanding the wood's grain. It is also recommended that you have a tool to pick up the sanding dust to continue the task of refinishing hardwood floors.

Once you've done with the sanding process, you can opt to stain your floor, it is the most important step in refinishing hardwood floors process. Staining means your adding color to your floor. You'll use a brush or rag to smoothen the floor in the staining process. To tighten grain of the hardwood before staining, it is recommended that you buff the floor using a fine abrasive screen. And be sure that you open your doors and windows for proper ventilation. You can also wear a mask or chemical respirator.

The finishing part of the refinishing hardwood floors will involve the use of polyurethane finish. This procedure will give your hardwood floor a shiny look and protection from further damage. But before you proceed to the application of the polyurethane finish, be sure that the floor is completely dry after the staining step. You have to stir the can of the polyurethane finish before applying it using a brush. Be careful not to shake it as air bubbles might form and may lead to a poor final result. Apply the chemical in a smooth, even manner following the direction of the wood's grain with a maximum of two coating applications. Let dry the floor before you camp it with your furniture. Refinishing hardwood floors is more difficult, so you should take the task of cleaning hardwood floors earlier!