Hardwood Flooring: Three Refinishing Pointers
Whatever kind of house you're living in, hardwood flooring can be a feature that you're very happy with. However, if your home is aging or there is a lot of traffic on certain parts of the floor, refinishing may become a serious discussion topic. The job can be a fun one if you're the type of person who enjoys house projects, but the right choices are important. These pointers ensure floor refinishing goes well.
1-Use Respirator Masks
It probably seems obvious that you'll be using safety equipment as you work on the flooring that needs work. Goggles are an easy choice, as is a mask. However, don't try to save dollars by getting a cheap air mask. Floor refinishing will typically require that you use a stronger respiratory mask. Such masks allow far less penetration of the kinds of particles you're likely to kick up as you refinish floors, like fumes from old floor coatings and sawdust. Anyone helping you should also use a dedicated respiratory mask, and remember to have the area properly ventilated so that debris, and fumes don't reach other areas of the house.
2-Use Right Sander
Drum or orbital sanders are among those most used for home wood refinishing work. Your hardwood floors will of course require sanding, and small sanding strips are unlikely to be much help. Both large sander types can smooth out the floors, but you may find yourself leaning toward the use of a drum sander. They are more powerful and can complete projects faster in many cases, but if you're not someone who has much practice with them, you could find that you accidentally nick floorboards and do the job unevenly. The less powerful orbital sander could be easier for you to move around the floors and therefore allow you to do a nicer sanding job.
3-Rethink Your Coating Choice
Water or oil coating sealants can both protect the floorboards you're refinishing. However, the gloss and sheen of an oil finish can sometimes be more desirable. Just know that oil-based coatings can be smelly and the area will need to be extremely well-ventilated; you may even want your family to stay a night or two in another location. Oil will also not dry out as quickly as any water-based materials. Water may not give such high sheen to finished floors but won't give off such strong odors.
Your hardwood project is done bettter with these three pointers in the forefront of your mind. Discussing the issue with local hardwood retailers and contractors can provide additional useful insight
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