Hardwood floors are becoming a popular option for many homeowners. This is especially true in homes where the floor may be hidden under layers of carpeting or flooring systems. When you uncover these hardwood floors, you may be inclined to try and refinish them yourself. Before you start that do-it-yourself project, consider the reasons you should hire a professional for hardwood floor refinishing instead.
Rough Sanding
Depending on the type of flooring system that was used over the hardwood, you will need a rough sanding process. This process uses special equipment and sanders that remove the glue and other anchoring points used in the old flooring system. For example, if there was carpeting over the hardwood, there may be glue left when the carpeting is removed. This glue can be sanded off during the rough sanding process. The result is a hardwood floor ready for refinishing.
Cleaning the Floor
You may think you can handle the floor cleaning process yourself. The truth is, traditional cleaning methods may not remove all of the dust and small particles of debris on the hardwood. In order to refinish the flooring properly, you need to have a totally clean and debris-free surface. Dust and small debris particles can cause the refinished surface to look flawed or not seal to the floor properly. Your professional flooring contractor can ensure the floor is cleaned and ready for the next step in the refinishing process. They can also use cleaning solutions that help remove all the dust and particles from the floor without damaging the wood.
Refinishing
The actual refinishing process of the floor occurs in several steps after the cleaning. One of the steps is to buff the floor and apply the stain. The stain is the color of the flooring you would like. Many homeowners choose to keep the flooring in its natural color state. In other words, they want a maple stain for maple floors. Once the stain is put on and the desired color is reached, the seal is put on the floor. This can take several days to dry depending on the seal and the type of shine you want on the floor.
If you want to hire someone for hardwood floor refinishing, consider calling your area flooring contractor. They can evaluate the current flooring conditions and determine how to begin the refinishing process. They can also let you know if there are other steps that are necessary depending on the wood and the current state of the wood after the carpeting or other flooring system is removed.
Contact a local hardwood floor refinishing service to learn more.
Choosing flooring can be quite a challenge, mainly because you have so many options. On the lower end of the cost spectrum, you have things like sheet vinyl and vinyl tile. On the higher end of the cost spectrum, you have stone and ceramic tile. Then, there's carpet. It's installed over a subfloor, but most people do consider it to be a separate type of flooring. You can read more about flooring on this blog, equipping yourself to make a better decision about the flooring that's right for your home. You'll then have a better idea of what questions to ask and what factors to consider as you choose a floor.