Refinishing Hardwood Floors: A Difficult Task

Hardwood floors dont retain their shine forever

. They gradually fade away and lose their luster. To re-infuse them with shine you can try waxing them. But if you are looking forward to retain their original glow then you will have to go for hardwood refinishing. This is a very tough process and it is recommended that you hire a professional for it. Maple floors in particular are quite tough to handle and hence, refinishing them should preferably be done by a professional.

Though it might make your home look new, many a times it so happens that refinishing is not at all required. So first of all you need to assess whether your floor needs refinishing. If there are minor scratches on the surface or the luster has diminished, just doing a top coat of finish might work well enough. On the other hand, it is possible that the floor has worn off enough and even refinishing might not help regain that lost shine. In such cases entire planks of wood might have to be replaced. Planks that have become soft, spongy or sagged require total replacement. Hence, in such cases, refinishing is not an option.

Refinishing is not always recommended because it takes wood through the process of sanding. Hence, it can be carried out only for a certain number of times after that the floor has to be replaced altogether. You can always check the amount of wood that is leftover by just scrutinizing the edges.

The refinishing process

The process begins with sanding. Prior to the sanding process you must make sure that gaps are filled. Gaps in the wood during winter are quite obvious, but if you find gaps during summer you have to fill them up. Sanding requires tools like drum sander, floor edger, buffer, palm sander, and a shop vacuum. This process makes a lot of noise so it is advisable to use ear protection. One necessary precaution is that the sander should not be left to sit at one spot because it causes a lot of damage.

Sanding is followed by staining. Before you begin using stain make sure that you are using the right type and shade of stain. The stain should be applied with the grain in 5 foot wide sections. It takes almost a day to dry and your new floor is ready.

As we see, this process is difficult but a rewarding one. Even so it is not always recommended as it erodes wood. So, before you indulge in it, make sure you absolutely require it.

by: Melville Jackson

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