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I have a wood floor in my kitchen that needs refinishing. We have had no experience with this. Someone said you just sand it , and restain it. They also said to just use a polyurthane when thats finished. Is that really all there is to it, or can anyone tell me the steps to take. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks-Lynda
In a nutshell, that's it, however, each of those steps can take a lot of time and effort.
It would help to know what wood was used, and if it was solid or laminate. And what sort of finish, damage, etc.
Hard wood - solid - would be the best, however, softwood can also be refinished.
Laminate MIGHT be able to be refinished, but I would use a professional for that since the top layers are usually very thin and can be easily damaged beyond repair when sanding.
Thanks Bubba for your advice. It is hardwood. The damage is just normal wear over the years. I found a site on "This Ole House" and it gives step by step instructions. Theres even a video.
Thanks again,
Lynda
Just make sure you don't hold the sander in one place too long. You'll get ripples. Make sure the floor is totally dust free before you apply finish and don't let it pool in one spot. Polyurthane can be tricky, I always use Tung Oil. It soaks into the wood and doesn't sit on top. Happy refinishing.
Thanks Pastime for your info, as well.Things like that can make a big diference. You sound like you speak from personal trial and error. It's so nice we can all help each other on here.
Lynda
One old farmhouse we lived in had old, stinky carpet on the floor. We ripped up the carpet to find tar paper under it. It was there so long, the tar paper melted in spots and stuck to the floor. That was a sanding nightmare. DH did all the sanding. What a job. He must have gone through 20 sanding discs. The floor ended up being Spruce wood and turned out looking pretty good. Anything would have been better than that funky carpet.
The old farmhouse we are working on HAD severe pet odors. Fortunately when we removed the quarter round, and sanded the old paint, etc. off, we finally got the odor out.
Applied another coat of stain Saturday in the two biggest rooms.
Here is a shot of the front bedroom with one coat of finish over the stain.
Bubba!
That floor is absolutely beautiful. I only wish mine would turn out like that. What kind of wood is it? Do the other rooms have floors like that? Good luck with your redos.
Lynda
Nice job, it turned out really pretty. It looks like pine to me. Our Spruce floor had a long stringy grain. Go to a spot that's not finished yet and stick your finger nail into the wood. If it leaves a mark you probably have a soft wood floor. Whatever it is, it looks great.
Hard to believe anyone would have ever covered such a nice floor. So many people did so ,when wall to wall carpet was the rage. I love the dark wood. Mine is much lighter.
Thanks again for all your input and sharing the photos.
Lynda
