Restoring Hardwood Floors

Restoring your old hardwood floors to a like new condition, will bring back their color and shine. The basic steps to do it are very simple and usually easier than most people think.

You don't have to rip the floor out and start over again, unless when you step on them you fall through the floor. Which has happened to me on more than one occasion. But these floors were well past any hope of reclaiming. Most floors are just in need of a little T.L.C. Most people think that they have to sand the floor before they can refinish the floor. The only reason to re-sand a hard wood floor is to remove deep scratches or stains from the hard wood floor surface such as a grease or oil, lacquer, or some other stain that can't be removed except by sanding it.

There are products that can refinish a hard wood floor without sanding, and there are really good cleansers that can remove different types of stains. So check with a flooring specialist and be sure to  show photos of the damaged areas. He might have advice on how to best fix the damaged area.
Hardwood floors can last a life time, in fact can last several lifetimes if they are taken care of properly. So don't just start ripping floors out and starting from scratch. Most business's dealing with floors will tell you to restore the floor instead of tearing it out. It will save trees by doing this and who doesn't want to save a tree or two. Not to mention the money aspect of replacing a hardwood floor. They are very expensive to replace, especially using exotic woods, or 3/4" or 7/8" hard wood.

Sanding the floor will be the trickiest part of the whole job. But with a little preparation and hard work, you can find the beauty that's hidden under all the years of abuse the floor has taken. Not to mention the satisfaction of being able to tell your friends that you did it yourself.

I hear of people talking about replacing their floors with bamboo to help save the earth, because bamboo grows fast and is a replenish-able resource. But if your floor just in need of cleaning, sanding, and refinishing. You are going to do a lot more hard work tearing out and replacing it with whatever type of flooring you choose. Not to mention the money that you could save. You can do a whole lot sanding before you need to replace it.


First Step:
Is to do some reading on restoring and refinishing hardwood floors, and talking with experts in the field to find out exactly what you will have to do to your floors. If you talk with experts take photo's of the floor especially any damaged places. They can and will usually tell you how to fix them. It never hurts to ask. You might get prices on an expert to sand and prep the floor for you.

Second Step:
Is to remove any existing covering that is on the flooring. Then you need to clean the floor with a cleaner specifically made for hard wood. Be sure to read and follow the directions on the label, these cleaners are very powerful. This will get all the dirt and debris out of the cracks, and wood grain. Use a cleaner that is non-toxic and earth-friendly. Make sure to have adequate ventilation when using these cleaners.

Even though some say there are no harmful fumes, why take the chance. Besides it gets very hot inside a closed up house, and some have fumes that are not very friendly. Make sure that heaters, and pilot lights in or near the area are turned off. Some of the cleaners are extremely flammable. You should probably invest in a respirator and protective clothing and eye wear while cleaning and sanding the floors.

Third Step:
Inspect the floor closely for any nails, if you find any reset them below the surface of the floor, and fill the holes with standard wood filler. Look for splinters sticking up.  If you cut them off, be sure to fill in the void with a wood filler. DO NOT PULL ON THE SPLINTER THIS WILL CAUSE IT TO RUN WITH THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD. It will just larger and larger.

NOTE: If the splinter is really large, cut it off and replace the missing piece with a scrap of wood, then sand it back down flush. You can usually find small scraps of the species of wood that you have at a flooring store. 

If the floor needs to be sanded to smooth any rough spots. Depending on how large the damage is or how many damaged areas there are. If you just have a few small areas that need to be smoothed before refinishing. Then look into getting a small palm sander and different grits of sandpaper, ranging from 100, stepping the grit up gradually till you get up to no less than 220 grit sandpaper. The higher the grit the smoother the finish is.

If the area is larger or you want to smooth the whole floor then you will need to get a commercial sander. This is where it gets down to you deciding on whether you do it, or get a professional to do it. These machines are hard to control, especially if you haven't used one before. It won't take long to damage a floor to where it has to be replaced if you are not careful. This is not to scare you off, just to warn you before you start.

When you sand the floor with a commercial sander, be sure to keep the sander level and running with the grain of the wood. (NEVER ACROSS THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD!) This is crucial, if you tilt the sander forward, backward, or to one side or the other. This will cause dips, gouges, and could burn the wood. These dips and gouges will take a lot of extra sanding to smooth out. Be sure to either clean or replace the sandpaper as often as needed. Usually when you notice that it is not sanding, or it is starting to burn the wood.

The sandpaper grit will start filling up with dust from wood & lacquer or urethane and this can cause burning marks on the wood which will have to be removed also. There is no way to tell you how long the sandpaper will last or when it will fill up with cuttings. You will just have to check the sandpaper belt often at first until you get the feel of how it is sanding the floor. Once you have the floor sanded to the finished grit. Then you will have to clean the floor again, using a little liquid dish soap and water will remove the residue from the floor. Then clean the floor with clean water. Clean the floor until you know it is clean. You don't want to have to stop in the middle of refinishing the floor because there was residue left behind. (This could even cause you to start over in some cases).

Liquid sanders are another option to sand with, but cannot be used on bare wood. These liquids will eat the lacquer off, leaving a residue that can be wiped away with a damp towel or sponge. Read the directions on the label well before using liquid sanders, because they may have more limitations and side effects.

Successful Staining

There are no shortcuts to staining applications, before staining find an out of the way place on the floor, or if possible a scrap of the same kind of wood and stain a small area. Let it set till it gets the right color. Then look at it and decide if it is the right color and sheen for your floor. You need to decide as to what type of stain you are going to use, also what color and either dull, satin, or high-gloss finish. Either oil-based stain, or Water-based stains. Water-based stains will usually dry quicker than oil-based stains. It also may take several coats of water-based stain to get to the color and sheen that you want. This is no hurry up and get it over with operation. The main mistake people make when staining is getting in a hurry.

High-gloss finishes are not really well suited for homes, because they reflect light really well. They can cause glaring, especially when the sun shines through a window. Which in some cases can be distracting. Also dull or satin finishes will not show scuff marks as much as high-gloss finishes.

DO NOT SHAKE THE CAN, THIS WILL RESULT IN AIR BUBBLES IN THE URETHANE!!! ONCE YOU START IT'S NOT WISE TO STOP UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED. IT WILL LEAVE AN OVERLAY MARK WHERE YOU STARTED AGAIN. Use a synthetic-based pad or preferably a brush to apply it with. Do not use steel wool because it will flake off in the finish. Before you start, plan exactly how you are going to apply it, DON'T PAINT YOURSELF INTO A CORNER OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT DRIES!!!!!

Drying agents can be added to a stain to quicken up the drying process.

Once you have finished with the floor, you will need to maintain the floor. The maintenance depends more on the finish than the wood itself. If it is a high-gloss finish it will show dust, dirt, and scratches quicker than a dull, or satin finish. Light or natural colored stains and dull finishes don't show the dirt and dust as quickly as dark-colored stains and high-gloss finishes.

Keeping It Clean

You should dust the floor, by either using a lightly damp mop, or vacuuming, and always cleaning up spilled liquid immediately. This will keep the liquid from getting past the finish. You should clean you floors once about every two weeks, maybe more frequently on high-traffic areas. Do not use general or wood type cleaners on the finished floor, they can cause problems in the long time condition of the floor. Find a cleaner specifically formulated to your type of wood floors.

You should never use a wet mop on the floor, because water or detergents can get past the finish and cause the wood to swell up, and cause damage to the wood itself. The detergents will leave a residue on the floor and will cause scratches in the finish.

Now that you have floors that look new and great, you also have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself, and saved a few trees in the process. Next time you're in the woods you will be almost able to hear them thank you.

Jesse Auburg Online Marketing Entrepreneur
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