4 Steps for Applying a New Finish to Your Floors
Hardwood floors are beautiful, but they require regular maintenance. At some point, for example, you will need to refinish them. While you may be tempted to take on this project all by yourself, it is advisable that you enlist the help of trained professionals who can guide the process and make sure it’s done correctly. There are four basic steps to the hardwood floor refinishing process.
- Floor Assessment
The first thing that has to be done is checking the floor to make sure it can handle refinishing. Over time, your floors may have taken on a lot of wear and tear or water damage that may go unnoticed. In order to determine the state of your floorboards, you must pull a few of them up. Flooring professionals can also tell you the kind of seal that was used on the floors originally.
- Floor Preparation
Before you apply any coating to your floor, you want to make sure to even it out. Fill in any holes or divots you can see. All the thresholds have to be pulled up, and technicians will likely remove the baseboards so that they can get to every plank.
- Floor Sanding
This step makes your floor look uniform and prepares it for hardwood floor refinishing. If you do not have access to an industrial power sander or don’t know how to use one, it’s best to leave sanding to the professionals. The sander peels off the top layers of the old finish and gets each plank back down to the raw wood.
- Floor Sealing
After all the sawdust has been removed, your floor is ready to be stained and sealed. First the stain is applied and allowed to dry. Then technicians put on the sealant to protect your floors.
The hardwood floor refinishing process is a lot of work. The beautiful floors that result from doing the job well may be well worth the effort, though.