refinishing hardwood floors

refinishing hardwood floors

refinishing hardwood floors

Archive for January, 2009

Hardwood Floor Finishes for Visual Appeal and Protection

Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 2:06 am  
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Owning your own home can come with many challenges.  One of these challenges is keeping a beautiful hardwood floor finishes protected and shiny to last and add value to the home as it stands the test of time.  Surface hardwood floor finishes make it possible to secure the protection and quality of your hardwood flooring.

There are about nine different types of finish available for most hardwood floors.  It is important to protect your floors now, especially if you have children or pets, as it will ensure that the beauty and value will be retained for many years to come.

Oil modified urethanes are the most common petroleum based and resin blend floor finishes that produce a durable surface which is also moisture resistant.  These types of finish become amber in color with age and can come in various levels of sheen for your flooring.  Other types of urethane finishes are moisture cured urethane and water based urethane.

Moisture based urethane cures with a special chemical process that occurs with humidity and provides a very durable finish.  Water based urethanes are usually more expensive but provide equal or greater quality finishes to those of oil modified and moisture cured urethanes while providing a faster drying period milder odor.

Varnish type finishes and sealers use vegetable oils and curing processes that cause chemical reactions that protect wood.  These will not protect the floor very well, but do help to reduce moisture absorption and other types of wood damage that occurs naturally.  Varnishes were in use before urethanes were introduced into the hardwood floor finishing market.

Penetrating sealers use oils that seep deep into the wood and provide extra protection from moisture and damage.  They contain additives that improve the quality of the finish and ensure that the wood does not dry out and does not become damaged from the deep penetrating oils.  Wax can be used to coat these types of floor finishes to get a better shine and better protect the floors from damages.

Lacquer and shellac can also be used to help protect floors that use penetrating sealers.  The problem with lacquer are that it is highly flammable making it a fire risk, and it may ***** with high stress or high impact damage.  Shellac made with natural wax is not being used as much in hardwood flooring anymore and de-waxed shellac is being used more as a sealer type finish than a shine boosting finish and protectant.

Tools for hardwood floor resurfacing?

Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 1:44 am  
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Luke asked:

Tools for hardwood floor resurfacing?

Reply;

you will need a large rotary sander for your main sanding, a drum or belt sander for the perimeter, possibly a pad sander or a sanding block for the hard to reach places, a shop vac to get rid of the sawdust and debris, tack cloths to wipe the floor clean, a sponge float to apply the new stain, a different float to apply the polyurethane. thats about all i can remember off the top of my head. go to True Value or a similar hardware store and they can recommend what you need and you can also rent the equipment there…

Cost of refinishing hardwood floors ?

Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 am  
Comments (1)

Annie asked:

I have a section of flooring in my house that is approximately 300 square feet. The flooring material is oak solid hardwood that is nailed directly to the sub-floor.

I want to refinish this to due to a bunch of surface defects and to change the general color to a darker stain. I do not want to do this work myself. I want to have a contractor sand it, stain it, coat it, etc. How much would this cost approximately? You can tell me by sq. ft. or total.

I realize there are many dynamics that can cause estimates to be higher or lower. I have no clue how much this would cost to do and am looking to ballpark it.

Thanks in advance.

Reply:

$2.00 to $3.00 a square foot minimum 2 coats and a 3rd coat optional for a little more,3 coats if its a high traffic area.Good luck on your floors glad i could be a help. Wood flooring contractor Michigan.

Source(s):

That smurf guy is nuts on those prices,and if he bids like that he must find himself sitting at home with no work.Forgot to mention staining will cost an extra 50 cents a square foot.