If you have an older hardwood floor with scratches and a worn finish, you don’t have to replace it. Hardwood floors are built to last, so consider refinishing your beautiful floor to bring it back to new. But first, be aware of these refinishing tips!
1. There are different types of finishes
• Polyurethane: oil or water based with varying degrees of lustre
• Varnish: matte to glossy finish and easily spot repaired
• Penetrating sealer: provides a natural-looking finish and may darken over time
2. Stay away from DIYing
Refinishing hardwood is labour intensive and difficult. From buffing unevenly or thinning your floors with too much buffing, there are lots of things that can go wrong if you try to do it yourself. Professional floor refinishers know what they’re doing.
3. To sand or not to sand
Depending on the amount of damage your floor has incurred, you may not need to sand it. Sanding is only required if the wear has reached beyond the finish and into the wood itself.
4. Stay away from oil soap
Floors that have been cleaned or waxed with oil based soaps cannot be buffed until it’s been stripped off. This usually involves ammonia and water, so try to avoid oil cleaners.
Have you been cleaning your hardwood floors in your Guelph home wrong all this time? Find out!
