The art of refinishing hardwood floors

Since acquiring and installing hardwood flooring represents a substantial investment, it is very important to make sure that the quality of installation fulfills the highest norms and standards and that appropriate care is taken to prolong the nice appearance of your wood floor. The tips and instructions that follow will help to make easy the installation task and maintenance of your wood floors. Step one: Preparation, sanding, stripping. First and foremost, make sure there are no traces of stain, paint or varnish on your hardwood floors. However, if this is not the case, proceed to strip and sand the surface. This step could be a lot easier by using products made for wood stripping. The wood has then to be sanded in order to get rid of any imperfections. If you are sanding a significant area of your floor, an professional electric sander can be quite useful. For better results, you should always sand in the same direction as the wood grain. Step two: Applying the stain. Now that you have a bare wood floor, make sure the floor is pretty clean and dry. It's advocated to test the wood stain on an inconspicuous portion of the flooring to validate you got the desired shade. You are now ready to stain the floor. Apply the stain equally with a specific sponge made for this use (easily available at paint dealers and hardware stores), wiping the extra off with a rag. N.B. Most of the time, only one coat is needed when using a quality water-based wood stain. Step three: The final step, varnishing. The next and final step is to varnish the previously stained flooring. The selection of varnish depends on the desired finish (satin, gloss, semi-gloss, or matte). Although rather simple to implement, this final step is very important as the varnish will protect floors against damage caused by UV rays, wear, and scratches, and will also prolong for a long time the original color of the woodwork. Take a note: For a good protection, varnish must be applied in two coats. Finally, it is clear that make the use of wood floor cleaner specifically made for hardwood and laminate floors make easier care and maintenance and preserve the beauty and look of your hardwood floor.