Remodel Central

Hardwood floors, which increase the value of any home, can last the lifetime of the structure but due to wear and tear may need to be resurfaced and refinished. When resurfacing and refinishing hardwood floors there are some procedures to improve and protect the appearance of the floors while other procedures may harm the hardwood and decrease how long the resurfacing lasts.

When refinishing and resurfacing floors the first thing homeowners should not do is apply layers of polyurethane to the existing floors without removing the old finish. Over time the polyurethane will become cloudy on top of the old coating and make the floors look worse. The next thing homeowners should not do is apply cleaning agents to floors that have been recently resurfaced without checking how they will interact with the new coating. For example, some water based floor coatings when cleaned with mineral sealants will turn cloudy and white.

There are some things homeowners can also do to improve and protect the appearance of their floors. When beginning the process one of the most important things to do is remove andy dirt or old coatings. The floors should be thoroughly cleaned of any dirt or debris. After this, any old coating should be scraped or sanded off of the hardwood floors. Once any old coating had been removed the hardwood can be stained and then a coat of sealant can be applied to protect the wood. The homeowner will also need to pick which type of sealant to use as waxed hardwood floors look beautiful but do not last as long as a urethane coating. There are also different types of urethane coatings to choose from. Water based polyurethanes are low VOC while oil based polyurethanes have a beautiful high gloss finish.