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Tools + Materials drum or belt floor sander (rent from a home improvement store) edger sander (rent a home improvement store) small pry bar. needle-nosed pliers. painter’s tape. plastic sheeting. wood filler – either a full trowel filler or wood patch. spackle knife.
What finish is best for hardwood floors?
What is the Best Finish for Hardwood Floors? Polyurethane is the most popular finish for floors. It’s tough enough to handle constant traffic and is resistant to almost everything. There are two types of polyurethane finish: oil-based (solvent borne) and water-based (waterborne).
How can I refinish my hardwood floors myself?
Prepare the Floor for Refinishing. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. Pull Up the Shoe Base Moulding. Rough-Sand the Floor. Sand the Edges and Corners. Screen Sand the Floor. Remove All Dust. Apply the Wood Stain. Apply the Finish.
How can I refinish my hardwood floors without sanding?
The best way to refinish wood floors without sanding is to use a technique called screen and recoat. This involves scuffing up the finish with a floor buffer and applying a refresher coat of finish.
Should I refinish my hardwood floors myself?
“You can walk across the floor the next day, but we recommend that people leave it alone for a week,” Williams said. “It may look dry, feel dry and smell dry, but it’s not dry.” Williams said he would never consider refinishing the floors himself. “I’m going to handpick a crew when my floors need to be done,” he said.
Is matte or satin better for hardwood floors?
Satin finishes reflect light more easily than matte finishes, but they aren’t as glossy as semi-gloss or glossy finishes. Matte finishes, on the other hand, give your floors a smooth, dull appearance. Matte finishes steer away from a glossy look and instead offer a more natural appearance for your wood floors.
Will polyurethane fill cracks in wood floor?
Wood filler will dry hard. If repairing a floor with it, add a finish layer of polyurethane and let it dry. You won’t have any problems walking on it.
What is the cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors?
Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.
What kind of sander to use on hardwood floors?
The drum sander is the real workhorse of hardwood floor sanding. It is a massive piece of equipment, too heavy for most people to lift—two people are required to carry it.
What grit sandpaper do you use to refinish hardwood floors?
Start with 36-grit sandpaper for a floor that hasn’t been sanded in a long time or that has a lot of heavy finish on it. Floors that have been painted may even require you to go tougher and use 24 or 16-grit paper. Maple floors are so hard that they often require 36-grit sandpaper as well.
Can you refinish hardwood floors with a hand sander?
The palm sander is definitely the most common tool for sanding a wooden floor by hand. Use it with a coarser sandpaper grit for a lot of efficiency and quick results. Palm sanders also have a square edge, which means you can sand right into the corners of the floor.
What is the difference between refinishing and resurfacing wood floors?
Refinishing involves sanding down the uppermost layer of the floor and applying fresh stain and lacquer over the existing wood. Resurfacing your floor involves more than just putting a layer of polish on top.
How can I make my old hardwood floors look better without refinishing?
3 Approaches to Refinishing Hardwood Floors Without Sanding Use a store-bought chemical abrasion kit. Buff and recoat floors with polyurethane. Use a revitalizer.
What is the best time of year to refinish hardwood floors?
If you are in the market to have your hardwood floors refinished this summer, then you might want to consider having it done while you are on vacation.
What does a satin floor finish look like?
A satin-finish hardwood floor offers a happy medium. It has a moderate amount of sheen which gives the floor the gleaming appearance of a glossy floor, yet it hides dirt, scratches and scuff marks like a matte floor.
How do you apply polyurethane to hardwood floors?
Dip the applicator in the polyurethane. Brush the polyurethane onto the floor in a W-pattern until complete. Make sure that you are using only an applicator intended for floor finishes. Cotton and other types of applicators may leave lint behind, which can become sealed under the finish.
What is Dura luster finish?
The Dura Luster Plus is an Aluminum Oxide (AO) Urethane finish which makes them pretty difficult to refinish. It is *possible (check the thickness of the top layer of wood on the floors) but it can be expensive/difficult to remove AO.
How do you fill large holes in hardwood floors?
The most reliable way to match the color of a species of wood to fill holes in a wood floor is to mix sawdust from that wood species with glue or another type of binder. Don’t use just any glue, though, or it may discolor the sawdust. Avoid PVA or carpenter’s glue.
