Refinishing your floors can refresh your space, and you can do it yourself
As we have discussed in past posts, one of the best things about wood is the wide variety of finishes you can achieve. Different species of wood have vast variety of colour and structure that can be further enhanced with different types of stain. This is one of the reasons hardwood floors are so sought after and why it might be worth refinishing them, Even if you do it yourself by following a guide like Flooring Refinishing Guide. One of the biggest selling features of good quality hardwood floors is that they last a long time and they can (and should be) refinished which allows for new life and subtle design changes to be put into the existing floor. If you are tired of a dark tone on your wood floors it may be possible to drastically change the look by going back to a lighter more natural finished.
Refinishing wood floors involves a few main steps. Ideally everything should be cleared off the area and it should be throughly cleaned. From there the existing stain needs to be removed and sanded, this is arguably the most important part of the whole process. There are a variety of tools and methods used to do this but the most common is with a floor sanding unit and sandpaper. Professionals should use this type of equipment when working on your house and you can also rent the sanding unit if you wish to do it yourself. This step is important because it needs to remove any existing non wood coatings and create a smooth surface for the new stain to be applied. It can be very easy to create dents in a floor by taking too much off which can also shorten the overall life span of the floors.
When it comes to staining there is also a variety of methods that can be used, and a seemingly infinite amount of stains to chose from. The best application method will depend heavily on the stain you intend to use, and the type of wood your floors are made of. Once you have selected a product it is best to look at the manufacturers recommendation as well as doing some additional research. Packages like Flooring Refinishing Guide can also teach you the best way to sand and apply the stain in very simple but detailed steps which will make the project a lot less daunting. When deciding what type of stain to use there are a couple of main items to consider. The expected life of the product and refinishing requirements will dictate when how much maintenance the floor will require. Of course appearance is another aspect that is important and subjective, choosing a product that works well with your space to fulfill your vision will take careful thought. Different Finishes may highlight or hide dirt and dust in different ways making certain finishes better or worse from a cleaning perspective. The durability of the product can be especially important for those with pets or children, as they can wreak havoc on delicate finishes.
Many people opt to go with a professional because they can provide guidance when choosing a product best fit for you. Create the best space for yourself by understanding these refinishing basics before you embark on your project whether you decide to use a professional flooring refinisher or plan to do it yourself with a guide like this Flooring Refinishing Guide