When your hardwood gets worn out, looks old and grimy, what do you do to restore its lost glory?
Most of us would rush to hire a professional to help them restore the floor to a “new state.”
But that’s not always the right thing to do, especially at such times when the economy is at shambles.
Who would not want to save some bucks and use them on other important issues?
So, put your money back and allow me to talk you through a DIY guide on how to make your hardwood floors shine again…
Tools For The Job
Like any other task, you’ll need a few items to get the job done.
These include:
- scrapper
- vacuum cleaner
- Mechanical floor buffer
- Pads and screen
- clean rags
- paint brush/paint pads
- polyurethane hardwood finish
- Finish solvent
Step-by-step Guide On How To Restore Your Hardwood Floor:
1. Remove all the stains, paints and any other discolorations
The first to restoring the attractive look of that hardwood floor involves eliminating all the paints, stains and all the other discolorations present.
After you have identified these elements, grab a solution of warm water plus a solution of mild soap to remove them easily and quickly.
2. Clean the floor thoroughly
Next, you ought to conduct a thorough cleaning of your floor. Vacuum, sweep and mop the floor with the help of light vinegar solution.
Let the floor to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
3. Abrade the floor
At this point, abrade the floor’s top layer using some fine steel wool (120-grit screen can also help) and rotary floor buffer or pole sander.
This is the screening process, and it ensures the restoration process will be applied uniformly across the entire floor surface.
After the screening is over, you should end up with a dull, even finish.
4. Vacuum The floor
It is very necessary to clean the hardwood floor regularly to keep it shiny for long term and in today’s market, it’s quite difficult to find a high quality vacuum with desired quality.
To choose the best canister vacuum cleaner from the market, check out this article from OnlyCanisterVacuum.com. Lastly, use your cleaner efficiently to vacuum all dust, grit caused resulting from the screening process. Also, consider using some solvent with some clean rag to easily tack and smooth over the screened surface.
5. Time to make the floor shiny again!
Now apply the coat of a similar finish to the one last used on the hardwood floor.
If not sure what coating was used, just carry out a small test on isolated area. If your finish dries correctly- without any adhesion issues like peeling- then it is safe for use.
Using the appropriate paint brush, apply your new coat to corners and edges of your floor surface.
Then coat the remaining part of your floor using the foam pad applicator (be sure to apply your finish with the grain).
Additional tips to keep in mind:
- avoid using this method for floors with a wax finish as the new polyurethane layer will result in a peeling, blotchy, ugly floor
- this method might not work for floors bearing severe damages and traffic marks
- and, of course, make sure your room is well ventilated when working with the chemical finishes and the floor buffers
Final Verdict
You don’t have to spend any money or go through the hassle of looking for a professional to help restore the glory of your hardwood floor. Simply follow the above guide carefully, and you’ll end up a shiny wood floor that looks as clean as new.