How To Finish Wood Floors Yourself

Wipe down walls to prevent dust from falling to the floor as your finish is drying.

How to finish wood floors yourself.

Watch how to refinish hardwood floors instead of having to replace them. You ll need to sand the entire floor not just one section. 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. When applying a finish it s always best to apply several thin coats rather than a heavy one.

When each coat dries sand the floor lightly with 220 grit paper or 000 steel wool. Close the windows and doors to keep dust contained in the room you re sanding. Apply the final coat. Follow the directions on the finish container for drying time between coats.

Remove shoe moulding the wood trim where the wall meets the floor. Unlike waxes or other hardwood floor refinisher products that provide a short term shine this added coat will last for years and extend the life of your floor. Sanding the floor will kick up a lot of dust so protect light fixtures and tape over electrical outlets. Apply the first of two coats of finish wax or other floor finish such as polyurethane or varnish.

One in a high traffic zone the other along a wall or in a closet. Wait at least 24 hours after the final coat dries before moving furniture into the room. Consider three coats of oil based finish or four coats of water based finish. Find the detailed instructions on sanding and refinishing hardwood flooring here.

Clean each area with a wood floor cleaner and roughen a 6 x 6 in. Options for clear film finishes include oil or water based polyurethane acrylic urethane shellac. Area with sanding screen. Be sure to provide plenty of ventilation and wear a respirator.

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. Before you start sanding remove everything from the room and vacuum the floor. Pick at least two test areas on the floor. Use a shop vacuum with a brush head to clean the floor thoroughly and then follow with a sticky tack cloth to remove any remaining particles image 1.

If you oiled the wood you can also use floor wax. Gently wipe the floor with a terry cloth mop or a towel wrapped around a mop head. A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish. Roughen up two test areas and then coat them with urethane to begin refinishing hardwood floors.