This refinish hardwood floors process will make some floors look absolutely perfect. Leave the room for 10 to 15 minutes to let the powder settle. Dab on matching stain using an artist’s brush, then blot the excess stain with a rag. Here are some additional common questions we’ve come across: If you plan on DIY-ing your hardwood floors, expect to pay a little less than $500 per 275 sq. This story will show you how to refinish hardwood floors and add a new coat of finish directly over the old by first applying a liquid that roughens the old finish so the new finish can bond to it. Now’s the time to fix scratches Photo 8). If you notice a drip after it’s too late to fix, just let it dry completely, then carefully slice off the bump with a razor blade. Still others are not good candidates for this process at all and require sanding instead. Put a clean filter in the vacuum, and sweep the floor using a felt-bottomed attachment. If the scratches don't go all the way through to the wood, you can scuff-sand your floors with a buffer and apply a fresh coat or two of finish. You don’t have to wipe the floor absolutely dry; just wipe up the excess etcher, leaving a light film of liquid on the floor. Wipe up the etcher with an old towel as soon as you’re done scrubbing (Photo 4). … Tip: To make the applicator pad, brushes and paint pads more pliable and responsive right from the start, rinse them in water, then dry them until they are just damp to the touch. Once the finish is roughed up, we put on a water-based polyurethane, which can be recoated in 3 hours. Position your sander to go with the grain of the wood. Be sure to remove any ... #2: Apply the … Wipe up the excess liquid etcher as soon as you’re done scrubbing each section. If the rag shows any brown or shiny residue, you’ve got wax. The category your floor falls into depends on the amount and type of damage it has. Stick to that routine and your floors will never wear out. Smooth the base coat out evenly around the edges with a paint brush. Resist the urge to fix imperfections after the finish becomes sticky. Wait 3 hours before recoating and a week before putting back furniture. Apply stain and dry it with a hair dryer. But in most cases, a second coat is a good idea; it will hide deeper scratches that show through the first coat and will protect the underlying wood better. Smooth out drips or puddles with a polyester brush. Pull the applicator at an angle so the excess finish puddles on the dry side of the floor. Others will look much better, though not quite perfect. To get started, remove all the furniture from the room. Buff the Floor. The hardwood flooring refinishing kit is available at Lowe’s and some other home centers. Leave the room for 10 to 15 minutes to let the powder settle. Close the windows and doors to keep dust contained in the room you're sanding. Use a Store-Bought Chemical Abrasion Kit. Damp-mop the floor with water and dishwashing liquid to neutralize the liquid etcher. Sand and Refinish Your Hardwood Floors Prepare your sander by attaching the coarsest grit of sandpaper. Here’s a list. To treat sanded hardwood flooring, you will also have to … Using 180-grit sandpaper, hand-sand the perimeter of the room and any nooks that the buffer can't reach. Blow-dry the stain for about one minute with a hair dryer. To prevent this, work on small sections that you can complete in about five minutes (start with a 4 x 4-ft. area to get the hang of it). of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of warm water. Then clean the room to make it as dust-free as possible. Once you’re done cleaning, the floor is ready for liquid etcher, which roughens the surface (Photo 3). Using a long-handled roller with a ¼-inch nap cover, roll out the finish with the grain, then across it. Looking for help with repairs around your home? Plug heating ducts with old towels, close windows and turn off fans to limit dust. You can almost always bet that refinishing is cheaper than replacing hardwood floors. Left on the floor too long, the etcher can seep into cracks between flooring strips and damage the core of laminated flooring. If the original finish had only light wear and fine scratches, one coat of finish may be enough to restore the floor’s brand-new look. Then brush on a light coat of finish and dry it. Overlap each pass and work quickly to keep a wet edge. Renew the finish on your wood floor without the hassle of sanding. Sure, it's a no-brainer that dirt and dust make floors look dingy. 19 Ways to Cut Costs on Your House Remodel, How to Clean Hardwood Floors Without Damaging Them, Carpet Selection: Durability, Weight, Style, Refinishing Wood Floors: Screening, Sanding, and Finishes. Instead, use a simple chemical etching technique and apply a new topcoat of finish. Check out these in-depth guides from the This Old House Reviews Team: Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Then follow close behind with the applicator pad. Dip the applicator into the paint tray, but don’t squish out excess finish as you did with the etcher—that creates bubbles. Attach the abrasive pad from the kit to the wood applicator block and screw a broom handle into the block. Adding an insert is a smart investment that's pure win-win—it'll keep you warm and slash your heating bills all at once. Copyright © 2020 This Old House Ventures, LLC. Let the floor dry for 30 minutes before the next step. Your final finish will be hard enough for “sock traffic” after eight hours, and ready for you to move furniture back after 24 hours. In that case, sanding is your best option. Have the necessary tools for this DIY refinish hardwood floors project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration. Vacuum the floor, then clean it with a damp rag. Vacuum the floor and wipe it with a damp cloth. Take a 30-minute coffee break, allowing the damp floor to dry completely. … Hardwood Floor Repair: How to Patch a Hardwood Floor, How to Lay Hardwood Floor With a Contrasting Border, DIY Hardwood Floors: Lay a Contrasting Border, Want Shiny Hardwood Floors? With either finish, we recommend a fresh coat every two years or whenever the floor looks worn. Wear shoe covers to keep the floor clean. You'll have lap marks if the edge of the stripe starts to dry, so stop after 10 minutes and go to the next step. This almost always does more harm than good. Water can damage flooring, so work in sections and wipe up puddles immediately just as you did with the etcher. But when the dust (and fiberglass) settles, you'll enjoy a fatter bank account and more comfortable indoor temps year-round. Next, give the room a top-to-bottom cleaning. Remove all the furniture, and spray the floor with a hardwood flooring cleaner or your own mix of 10 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. In a few hours your floors will look as good as new. Gently plow the finish with the grain of the wood. Professional floor refinishers have used this “chemical etching” process for years, and now there’s a system designed for the floor-finishing novice. Put a clean filter in … Vacuum and Tack. The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. If your floor is warped, go … Protect baseboards with painter’s tape. ft. of flooring, plus an applicator block and pads. If the tenant moved out, hopefully that’s the case. Gently wipe the floor with a terry-cloth mop or a towel wrapped around a mop head. Slip a shallow cardboard box into a plastic bag, set a paint tray in the box and pour in the etcher (the box catches drips and spills from the tray). When it comes to refinishing your hardwood floors without fully sanding, restaining and resealing them, you can opt for a following a chemical abrasion kit, buffing and applying polyurethane, or using a revitalizer. Apply a very thin coat of finish with an artist’s brush and “feather out” the edges to avoid visible ridges around the patch. The kit contains enough finish for two coats over 225 sq. If the finish on your wood floor is worn and lightly scratched, you can make it look like new without the labor, mess and expense of sanding off the finish.