Hardwood Floor Resurfacing. One of the first things people will look for are hardwood floors. Many people are shopping for a home and looking at older homes that are up for sale. Many will remark that the hardwood floor will need resurfacing. The hardwood floors look old. They look used based on the fact that much of the finish is worn away. Especially in areas where there is heavy traffic. However other people love this old-fashioned look. They feel that it adds a lot of character to the home. If you are selling your home, it is hard to know if you should refinish the floors or leave them the way they are. Because some people like the used look while some people want everything perfect.
In fact one couple that we met loved our old hardwood floors. They felt that they would not resurface the hardwood floors until the time when their children were older. The floors were not actually that bad, and they were comfortable with the way they were.
Hardwood Floor Resurfacing and Young children
This couple had two very young children. They love to play with her toys on the floors. They were afraid that the floors if refinished and resurfaced would become marked up again very quickly. This was probably true. In fact the best decision they made was not to resurface the hardwood floors at this time. In addition the condition of the floors gave the house that antique look. There is also a lot of character which many people loved when they visited.
Resurface the Floors
The first step is to make sure that there is sufficient wood left on the floor to handle resurfacing. If there is less than 1/8 of an inch of wood left then you probably will have to replace the hardwood floor. A light sanding will remove 1/16 of an inch of wood each time it is sanded. If there are gouges in the wood this light sanding may not remove the gouge. You may also have to remove that section of the floor or the entire floor to gain a brand-new look. This is something that must be taken into account before deciding to resurface a hardwood floor.
Always sand the wood in the direction of the grain of the wood, never across the grain. If you sand across the grain you will leave permanent marks and scratches that will mar your floor and further it will have to be re-sanded to remove those scratches so they will not be seen. When your happy with the sanding make sure that all dust is removed, use a tack cloth to pick up any small particles of dust. After that you can apply varathane or some other product that will seal the wood, bring out the grain in the wood, and provide a finished look to the wood that will protect it for many years.
Remove All of the Dust
If you do not remove all of the dust and apply varathane or some other product, you are going to end up with all kinds of marks on the surface. Every little piece of dust is going to show on the smooth finish and you will not be satisfied with the look of the floor. Some people will apply several coats of finish to the floor to really provide a protective coat on the floor. When a 2nd or 3rd coats is applied, it is recommended that a very light sanding be completed each time between coats. Make sure that the first coat has dried thoroughly before sanding. Instructions on the container will tell you exactly how many coats to apply and whether you need to sand between coats.
Once it is finished, you will have a beautiful looking floor that you can be proud of.