Tag Archives: Refinishing

Tips For Refinishing Hardwood Floors

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With more Chicago condo and home owners deciding to remodel and upgrade their current residences instead of buying a new house or condo, one of the projects that many decide to tackle is refinishing hardwood floors. Not only will refinishing your hardwood floors give your home a great new look, it will add value if you ever decide to sell. Hardwood floors that have a beautiful finish are one of the top selling points that many prospective buyers look for when shopping for a new condo.

Refinishing your hardwood floors isn’t as complicated as you might think, although it can be time consuming and a little labor intensive. There are a few tools and supplies you will need though. Nearly all can be rented if you don’t want to lay out the money to buy them or think you won’t have a need for them in the future.

The basic tools you will need are some kind of sander, which we’ll cover in the next section, safety glasses, dust mask or respirator, ear plugs, sand paper, masking tape, drop cloths or plastic sheeting, stain and plenty of rags or tack cloths.

Before you begin sanding, you need to determine the thickness of your wood flooring. It needs to be at least 3/4 inch thick before sanding, otherwise you risk sanding too deeply and damaging the floor. Older wood flooring is normally fairly thick, but some of the newer engineered wood floor material can be thinner, so check before you start to sand.

Start by emptying the room of all furniture and sweeping your floor to remove any debris that might cause scratches while sanding. Since there will be a good deal of dust generated from the sanding process it may be wise to also take down any window coverings, pictures on the walls, cover ceiling lights and also put a plastic sheet barrier over any doorways to other rooms to prevent dust drifting. You should also tape off heating and cooling vents and electrical outlets. The trim along the edge of the floor should also be carefully removed and sanded by hand. If you can open some windows and even place a fan to draw out the dust it would help a lot.

You can rent a drum sander at most hardware stores. This tool takes some getting used to if you’ve never used one before, so it’s wise to practice a little in a part of the room that won’t be seen as easily until you get the hang of it. Always tip the drum sander up before you turn it on. Never start it while it is still flat on the floor. Gradually lower it and then move it back and forth or from side to side, never let it sit still or it will sand out a deep pocket and you’ll ruin your floor. Keep moving until you’ve covered the entire surface.

If your floor has a lot of scratches or needs a lot of sanding, begin with about 20 grit sandpaper. The lower the grit number, the coarser the grit and the higher the number, the finer the grit. So you should progress from low to high, and usually finish with about 120 grit. It’s best to save the edges for last and do them by hand. Once you are finished sanding, vacuum thoroughly and it’s also a good idea to wipe the floor down with a tack cloth to be sure you get all the dust up

Now you are ready to actually stain your hardwood floor. Depending on what type of water-based or oil-based stain you decided upon, you may have to apply more than one coat and do a light sanding between coats. Be sure to read the instructions on the product before starting. And remember that the color on the can label or in the store won’t be the exact color of your floor, so try out a small patch in an area that isn’t easily visible to make sure you are satisfied with the color. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation while staining as the fumes can be strong.

Once you have all the coats applied and the floor is completely dry, you should probably rent a buffer to really give the stain job a great finish. Just like the drum sander, start slow until you get the hang of using the tool. The final step then is to reattach any molding or trim you removed (after staining it of course) and apply a polyurethane finish. You may have to give the floor more than one coat with drying time between. You can do this by hand with rags, but using a tool with a long handle similar to a sponge mop will save both your back and time. Read the label for recommended drying time, but it’s always a good idea to wait an extra day or two especially in high humidity before moving the furniture and any rugs back into the room.

Refinishing your hardwood floors will add beauty and value to your condo or house. Most Chicago real estate agents have noted that units with hardwood floors like the ones listed in these new construction condos http://www.bestchicagocondos.com/new-construction-condos/index.html sell better than homes without hardwood floors. This not only is a great selling point that many buyers look for, but something you can enjoy yourself for years to come.

Paula Cherrist writes articles about Chicago real estate, Chicago condos for sale, housing-related topics and home trends.

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Refinishing Hardwood Floors: The DIY Process

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Improving the different features of your home is a necessity to maintaining your house’s value, though doing so may require a lot of energy and time on your part. Refinishing hardwood floors in your house, for example, will give your home the upgrade that it needs without needing you to replace your floors altogether.

There is no doubt that refinishing your floors will require an extra amount of discipline from you. For this reason, most people choose to have the job done by a professional. However, doing so will also require you to shell out more money than you need to. You can save yourself from spending more than you want to by doing the refinishing job yourself. After all, it only involves a very simple process that will yield you results that will be better than what you expect.

The secret to being successful at refinishing hardwood floors lies in performing the process in the right time. Ideally, you should refinish your floors once they have started to show signs of aging.

Start the process by acquiring all the materials that you will need for the job. This includes the following: a floor edger, a buffer, a drum sander, a putty knife, a scraper, a sanding material, and different protection gear (like mask and gloves).

Because sanding may take a big part of your wooden flooring off, make sure that you do the sanding process as lightly as you can. You may exert extra force on the areas where cracks are apparent, in order to even the area out.

After sanding the whole area of, you may now use your choice of polish to restore the shine on your floors. There are different waxes that are designed specifically for tasks like this. Make sure that you choose the right type of wax that is suitable for the type of material used for your floorings.

Make sure that you maintain the right temperature in the room all throughout the whole refinishing process. Because you will be removing the topmost area off of your floorings, it will be more susceptible to contracting or expanding. Control the temperature to avoid incurring any untoward damage.

Since it is unlikely that you will need to perform the same task in the future, you better choose to borrow the necessary equipments if you do not own them yourself. This way, you will be able to save more money on your refinishing task.

Learn more about hardwood floors. Stop by Jerry Lepage’s site where you can find out all about engineered wood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring.

Redefine Your Prefinished Floors With Prefinished Floors Refinishing NJ

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Prefinished floors refinishing NJ offer flooring services to refinish your weathered, torn and aged prefinished floors. There are different types of prefinished floors such as laminated prefinished wood and engineered prefinished wood. Please take note that some of these types of prefinished floors cannot be refinished since they are not made of real wood.

It is the solid prefinished wood that can be sanded and stained if ever the need arises. A prefinished solid wood has a 5mm wear layer which can be sanded and stained several times during its lifetime. What most people believe is that prefinished floors cannot be sanded or refinished because of the nature of how they were manufactured.

Prefinished floors refinishing NJ use a special machine for sanding prefinished floors. All their wood technicians are experts and knowledgeable in the work they do and they only use quality wood products to get the job done right. You’ll be surprised how amazingly new and beautiful your prefinished floor looks after the work has been done.

If you are concerned that your prefinished floor might incur damage during the refinishing process, you should consider prefinished floors refinishing NJ. They do not start working on your prefinished floor until they have surveyed it and assessed it if it is capable of repair and refinishing.The quality of the wood used for a prefinished floor affects the outcome of refinishing. There are prefinished floors that are made of very thin wood and needs really great care when refinishing. If the prefinished wood cannot be refinished, their wood experts will advise you on other ways to have a new flooring system that suits your budget.

Prefinished floors refinishing NJ guarantees that you will have the same glory of your prefinished floor the first time you installed it and will cost lesser than the installation price. Sanding a prefinished floor does not take that long because of the special equipment that they are using. You may also choose the color of your prefinished floor during refinishing. There are plenty of shades to choose from so your floor will blend with your home décor.

After the job is done, your floor will look as if it is newly installed. What makes floor refinishing awful are the V-grooves that appear between the boards. This is mostly common in refinished floors but with the technology, proper equipment and expertise of prefinished floors refinishing NJ, your prefinished floors will be very even and really flat. When the finishing is applied, you get a really smooth surface, with gloss and shine that makes it stunning and glamorous.

The reason many prefinished floors end up with cracks and creases is because they are not fully assessed and evaluated before they underwent refinishing. Remember that any type of wood has a limit on how many times it can be sanded. If it has reached its limit, you must not push further as you may just damage the floor further. Prefinished floors refinishing NJ can help you refinish your prefinished floor without having to break them.

If you are looking for information regarding prefinished floors refinishing NJ, you can click on the link. Or visit http://hardwoodfloorsrefinishingnj.com/prefinished-floors-refinishing-nj/ today.

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Dustless Refinishing of Hardwood Floors

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Dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ is one way to keep the house free from pollution and airborne contaminants. About 99 percent of airborne dust is eliminated with dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ and sanding. Wood dust is potentially carcinogenic and may be harmful to people with asthma and allergies. Dust-free technology enables floor refinishing companies to refinish one’s floors without the conventional mess. The technology also protects personal belongings and families.

Dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ should not be a do-it-yourself project as special equipment is required for one to undertake such a task. For one, this task requires specialized trucks that contain the latest in dust-free technologies.

In case one’s floor has undergone considerable wear and tear and has been damaged because of high traffic flows and patterns, floor refinishing specialists and the latest dust-free techniques in refinishing and restoring hardwood floors can restore the floor’s excellence. The process is initiated by sanding the floor down to bare wood while employing a specialized dust-containment system that eliminates virtually the generation of debris as well as creates a refinishing experience that is dust-free. The hardwood floors are stained next. If desired, the floor gets a final finish coat.

Dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ eliminates a lot of mess. Most of these refinishing companies serve the New Jersey and New York areas. Refinishing and sanding hardwood flooring may be a messy procedure. This is unless the homeowner’s favorite refinishing company uses a floor sanding system that is virtually dustless. This particular kind of systems keeps airborne particles and dust to a minimum.

Dustless sanding is great in the refinishing of hardwood floors in: dustless sanding in retail stores, malls’ floor sanding that is dustless, shops that need floor refinishing for hardwood, outlet malls that have damaged hardwood floors, gym hardwood floors that need to be finished and sanded, refinishing of oak floors in sports facilities, and hardwood floors of skating rinks that call for large dustless sanding procedures.

These companies use the latest in techniques in sanding, collecting, and containment that allow workers to sand hardwood floors throughout Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey without the issues linked to the conventional sanding for hardwood floors. These companies can offer dustless sanding and refinishing services in these areas. The dustless procedures can be done on hardwood floors like: red oak, heart pine, barrel, antique, cherry, mahogany hardwood, maple hardwood, plank floors, floor boards that are damaged, and flooring that has been previously repaired.

With dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ in New Jersey and other states, companies can guarantee that no dust clings to walls or drapes/carpets, no dust drifts into other areas of the house, there is no need to quarantine rooms or hang plastics, and companies can assure of a safe and clean environment for living after the refinishing work is done.

These companies also offer services that are environment-friendly. The hardwood floor is sanded and then applied with one coat of Rubio Monocoat finish. The product has 0 VOC and comes from natural waxes and plants.

If you are looking for information regarding dustless hardwood floors refinishing NJ, you can click on the link. Or visit http://hardwoodfloorsrefinishingnj.com/bamboo-floors-refinishing-nj/ today.

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Refinishing Parquet Floors

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Parquet flooring is one of the more popular flooring types across the United States, even in New Jersey. Parquet flooring is not thick like solid floors. Parquet is thinner and it may be difficult to be restored or sanded. This is why parquet floors refinishing NJ is not a do-it-yourself job and there are a lot of professionals around New Jersey who specialize in this job.

These companies offer various options so that the homeowner makes his or her decision on what kind of parquet floors refinishing NJ the homeowner wishes to have applied on the floor. Offerings are the conventional oil-based polyurethane and water-based polyurethane. A newer option is the Rubio Monocoat floor finishes (natural).

If the homeowner’s floor is damaged and really old and the homeowner may not think of a viable solution to resolve the problem, then he or she must think again. Flooring repair companies in New Jersey provide the necessary refinishing work to make the floors look perfect and new-looking once again. There are various designs of older parquet floors; thus, parquet floors refinish NJ companies can make old floors look now new. Refinishing may also eradicate marks and scratches.

What are the advantages of refinishing parquet floors? The cost of refinishing old floors is considerably less than a new hardwood floor installation. Another advantage is time as companies can refinish old floors in one day or two. As for the design, parquet floor restorers can keep intact the house’s interior design setup. No unnecessary mass would be created. In the installation of a new floor system, one would have to remove the old floor. This would create a lot of garbage and dust. Sanding the old floor would be more sensible.

The homeowner may be surprised when his or her parquet floor looks new again. Parquet restoration companies offer regular sanding, dustless refinishing, polyurethane varnish (oil-based or water-based), monocoat finishing (natural), and various stains.

Parquet was invented as a replacement for marble flooring, which needed a lot of washing. This process tended to rot the floor joisting beneath. Parquet flooring normally lasts longer and requires minimal maintenance. Maintaining parquet flooring is easy and simple.

While the parquet floor maintenance process is easy, a DIY project for parquet installation is not. Installation requires considerable and specific training and homeowners may be at a loss for finding the right machinery to conduct such a painstaking and complicated parquet flooring installation.

Parquet floors refinishing NJ also needs professional help. A DIY refinishing can result in a shoddy job, which may lead the homeowner to consult the help of a specialized contractor. This process would even cost more. Before considering DIY refinishing, the homeowner is strongly advised to call the services of a professional.

Companies normally have more than 40 parquet stain colors available for the homeowner to choose from. With water-based and oil-based polyurethane and Rubio monocoat flooring, the homeowner is assured of a perfect restoration job. The homeowner would also be surprised how affordable parquet floors refinishing NJ is.

If you are looking for information regarding parquet floors refinishing NJ, you can click on the link. Or visit http://hardwoodfloorsrefinishingnj.com/parquet-floors-refinishing-nj/ today.

Advantages of Refinishing Hardwood Floors

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Many home buyers have faced the challenge of being left with ugly and damaged hardwood floors. Some are so discouraged by the bad condition of their floors that they immediately think about ripping them out and replacing them with new ones. However, not all damaged floors are in need of replacement. In fact, there are certain advantages of refinishing hardwood floors.

1. Costs Less. The number of workers, time frame and the nature of the job done all add up to the costs of a project. That’s why one of the advantages of refinishing hardwood floors over replacing them is cost. Refinishing is easier to do, hence it takes less time and fewer people to do it. This is important if the homeowner needs work done on a wide area.

2. Saves Time. Replacing an entire hardwood floor even in just one room can take weeks. That’s because the individual processes of removing the old flooring, ordering the new panels and installing them all take days. With refinishing, the entire project takes only a few days. This is important for business owners who can lose a lot of money for each day that their office or store is closed.

3. Less Work. Another one of the advantages of refinishing hardwood floors is less work. For instance, it’s easier to strip away the layers of a floor rather than to yank out each and every floor board. Similarly, it’s faster to apply some stain and finishing compared to kneeling down to place new wood planks.

4. Saves Intricate Wood Work. Some floors are just meant to be refinished. For example, parquet floors are considered to be the royalty of flooring. Hence, it’s a definite taboo to replace them. The only acceptable ways to deal with parquet floors are to either refinish them or cover them with a rug. The ability to save some intricate wood work is one of the greatest advantages of refinishing hardwood floors.

5. Retains House Value. Some floors add to the value of homes. For example, old and rugged floor planks add value and character to an ancestral home. That said, replacing the entire floor will decrease the over-all age of the house. Consequently, this decreases its authenticity and by extension, its value. Refinishing and restoring may be the only ways to save these wood planks.

6. Environmentally Friendly. Those who know the advantages of refinishing hardwood floors understand that the process is much more environmentally friendly. That’s because new wood planks require more wood to be cut down. That said, refinishing helps decrease the demand for new hardwood floors; hence it hinders the cutting of a few more trees.

7. Complies with Apartment Standards. Most apartments that offer hardwood floors have rules against replacing them. Usually, they only allow the floors to be refinished. That’s because they often consider hardwood floors as a selling point. This means any changes to the floor can greatly decrease the apartment’s value.

Similarly, replacing a hardwood floor involves a lot of noise. This will generate noise complaints from the neighbors. On the other hand, one of the advantages of refinishing hardwood floors is that it’s only noisy aspect is the sanding. This means the building mates only need to endure the noise for a single weekend.

It’s clear that there are numerous advantages of refinishing hardwood floors. That said, it’s best to consult professional wood installers or contractors to see if the floors of a home or building can handle refinishing.

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