Refinishing Various Kinds of Flooring
| Before you begin refinishing hardwood flooring, start by sweeping the floor to remove any debris. If there are any raised nails, hammer them down. Always wear a protective mask to prevent inhaling dust. To start you will need to sand the floor, remembering to go with the grain of the wood. Use a lower number or “coarser grit” sandpaper to start your sanding and end with a higher number or “finer grit” to finish. You may need to use a hand-held sander to reach corners and areas a large sander cannot. Clean the floor with a vacuum between each change of sandpaper and thoroughly vacuum and wipe the floor with a dry cloth when you are finished. Once the floor is completely sanded smooth, it is time to seal and stain the hardwood flooring. First apply a sealant to the floor and allow to completely dry. Then you can apply the stain, which comes in a variety of colors. Check the instructions on the stain as some require more than one coat or possibly sanding between coats. To finish off your hardwood flooring use a buffer to give the floor polish and shine. To begin refinishing vinyl flooring start by cleaning the surface thoroughly. Next you will need to use a stripping solution to remove the original finish from the floor. Using a mop is a good way to apply the stripping solution. After five minutes, use a different mop to rinse the stripping solution. Once this is done it is time to apply the new finish. Using a different mop, begin applying the finish in the farthest corner of the room from the door. Make sure you apply the finish to the vinyl flooring evenly. Allow the finish to dry between coats. When this is done, keep the area blocked off for at least 12 hours so that no one walks on it while the finish sets. When it has set, wash the floor with plain or soapy water and rinse. Before you start to refinish ceramic tile flooring, you want to clean the surface well. You can use a general household cleanser made for ceramic floors. Allow this to dry for several hours. Next you want to sand the surface of the ceramic using a fine grit sandpaper. Thoroughly clean the floors after sanding to remove dust and debris. Now you will apply three layers of polyurethane floor gloss using a paint brush. Allow the first layer to dry up to six hours and sand before applying the second coat. Let dry and sand again before applying the third coat. Allow the third coat to dry for up to two days before walking on the ceramic surface. |
