Hardwood Floor Refinishing Bergen County NJ is a good option for floors that have major scratches or dings. Deep gouges may need to be filled with wood putty after sanding.

Polyurethane finishes are available in oil-based and water-based versions. Oil-based products dry slowly and emit nasty odors. The water-based options dry quicker but still have a tendency to show imperfections.

Hardwood floors can last a lifetime, but they need to be well cared for to stay beautiful. Refinishing your hardwood floors can keep them looking new. In some cases, refinishing can even extend the life of your floors by several decades. Unlike resurfacing, which may involve the removal of floorboards, refinishing is simply the application of a new coat of finish. While this process is simple in theory, a quality job requires careful attention to detail.

Before you begin, it’s important to remove any furniture from the room. This will allow you to see the floorboards more clearly and make repairs as needed. It’s also a good idea to vacuum or sweep the floor thoroughly, as this will help get rid of dust and dirt that may mar your final product. It’s also important to check for protruding nails, which should be hammered down. Finally, make sure the room has a fan and open windows to ventilate it.

During your first sanding pass, it’s a good idea to mark the area that has already been sanded with a pencil so you don’t accidentally resand the same areas again. You can also draw lines on the floor to help you find and identify areas that need additional sanding. After your first sanding pass, clean the floor thoroughly again to make sure that you have removed all of the dust left behind from your work.

For the second sanding pass, you’ll want to use an 80-grit sanding pad on your buffer to smooth out any scratches or rough spots from the first sanding. Once again, be careful not to sand too deeply, or you could damage the floorboards. Finally, a third and final sanding pass with a 100-grit sanding screen on your buffer will leave your floor looking like new.

Once your floors are sanded, it’s time to choose your finish. Many homeowners choose a water-based polyurethane, but oil-based options are available as well. Water-based polyurethanes are easy to apply and dry quickly. However, they are prone to yellowing over time. Oil-based options, on the other hand, dry more slowly but last much longer. They also provide a richer color and are better for staining.

Staining

Staining is the process of coloring the cedar or oak boards to your preferred color. There are many different stains to choose from. It is important to use a stain that is low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and oil-based so that it will be durable and last for a long time. The best stains will also be easy to clean and dry quickly. After the stain has dried, it is ready for a topcoat of polyurethane. The topcoat of polyurethane will protect the floor and give it a nice shine. It will be important to apply several coats, letting each one dry in between. Water-based polyurethanes can be used on floors, but they must be sanded between each coat to get a smooth finish. Oil-based polyurethanes are more durable, but they can take a longer time to dry.

Before applying the new topcoat, it will be a good idea to lightly sand the boards again with 80-grit sandpaper. This will make the surface of the wood very smooth and help the polyurethane adhere to it better. It is also a good idea to sand the edges of the boards so that they will be less likely to chip or splinter.

Once the sanding and staining are complete, it is a good idea to vacuum and sweep the floors to remove any remaining dust or dirt. Then, the floor can be wiped down with a clean rag and a little mineral spirits to remove any grease or oil. After this, the floors can be buffed with a sander or buffing machine to get a beautiful, shiny finish.

If you want to refinish your hardwood floors, it is a good idea to ask a professional to do it for you. Refinishing can be messy and requires a lot of patience, so it is not a project that should be done on your own. There are many advantages to hiring a professional, including the fact that they have the right equipment for the job and the experience to get it done correctly.

Sealing

Sealing is the final step to protecting your new hardwood floors. It helps to keep them beautiful and looking new while protecting them from moisture, wear and tear, and UV damage. Choose a water- or oil-based polyurethane. A low-VOC (volatile organic compound) finish is best if you have sensitive indoor air quality. It takes about 24 hours for the finish to dry completely. You should wear protective footwear, such as sneakers or rubber boots, while working with this type of finish to prevent slipping and tripping. Also, cover your shoes and nose with a respirator that has organic vapor canisters to avoid breathing the finish fumes.

To test how well the finish protects your floors, mask off two 6-by-6-inch areas on the floor. Clean the area and roughen a small area with a 120-grit screen. Then apply a coat of polyurethane and let it dry. When dry, scrape the surface with a coin. If the wood is protected, no residue should come up. If it does, the refinishing process will need to be repeated.

You can use a natural-bristle brush for oil-based urethane or a synthetic brush for water-based urethane. You can also purchase an applicator pad attached to a long handle for applying the finish. Apply the first coat slowly and thinly, so you don’t get lap marks. Then apply additional coats until your floor is smooth and shiny.

Whether you decide to refinish or resurface your wood floors, it’s important to do your homework and have an experienced contractor on hand to guide you. A professional will have the right sanding and staining equipment as well as high-quality finishing products. They can help you make the best decision based on the current condition of your wood flooring and your personal aesthetic.

A solid wood floor can be refinished four or five times before it’s time to replace it. Resurfacing is much less expensive than refinishing, but it doesn’t offer the same dramatic improvement. If you want to save money and still bring your old wood floors back to life, resurfacing may be the right option for you.

Installation

When the refinishing process is complete, it’s time to install the new finish. First, the floor is thoroughly cleaned using a degreasing product like TSP or hot water and bleach. Then, the floor is vacuumed to remove dust and debris. If the room is being remodeled, this is also the time to install trim or paint. This is not included in refinishing, and homeowners should check with their contractor to see what is expected.

Before the installation begins, all furniture must be moved out of the room. The refinishing company will usually charge for this, but homeowners can save $20 to $50 per room by handling it themselves. They should also ask the refinishing company what their policy is on area rugs. Most will allow rugs to be put back on the floor after the finishing coats have dried, but it is best to wait a few days before doing so.

In some cases, the refinishing process may be enough to correct a problem with the wood that can’t be addressed any other way. For example, if the wood is prone to cupping (which is often caused by water damage), sanding will even out the planks. In other cases, a deep gash or ding can be filled with trowel filler after the sanding stage. This will fix the problem and make the floor look good, but it is not a long-lasting solution.

Many people confuse refinishing with resurfacing, and this is understandable since the two processes are similar. However, the difference is important: refinishing involves stripping the old finish off the wood, and resurfacing uses a machine to rough up the surface of the existing finish. Resurfacing is much less labor-intensive, but it will not last as long as refinishing.

The type of polyurethane used is another important consideration. Most contractors will use a water-based formula because it stays clear longer than oil-based finishes. However, some customers prefer the smell and durability of oil-based urethane.

A refinisher will usually apply three coats of polyurethane, although some will go as high as four. Homeowners should also pay attention to the color of the urethane they choose. If the flooring is light-colored, for example, a natural or amber-colored finish will look better than a white-based one.