Using a pole sander is a bit more time consuming, but also easier to use than a buffer and more affordable. Instead, mist the mop head lightly with a cleaner made specifically for hardwood. See typical tasks and time to refinish a hardwood floor, along with per unit costs and material requirements. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. You can rent a drum sander, which does the main floor, and edger for around $55 a day. Drill Brushes and Floor Sander: How to Refinish a Hardwood Floor. Also, draw light pencil marks a few feet out along the edges. But the dull paper isn’t cutting deep enough to remove the scratches left by the previous grit. Did you know you can read premium answers for this article? My cats leave hairballs and vomit! Let it dry and then lightly sand with 320-grit sandpaper. It’s very common to use some type of threshold or reducer when installing hardwood adjacent to another material. Here’s the problem: After the floor finish is gone, you can’t see whether the sander is doing its job. Then, once a month, mop your hardwood floors with a hardwood floor cleaner, using the minimum amount of product necessary. Floor Cleaning / By Alwin Sander / October 2, 2019 January 19, 2021. In general, one oiling per season is sufficient in an average home. It’s important to have a dust-free floor. Start by clearing the room of everything, including curtains, pictures and register covers. Make sure your home is ventilated. Afterward, vacuum thoroughly with a brush attachment. Some people rent an industrial floor buffer for this step, but a pole sander, pictured, is another great option. "I have a flooring company, I'm always looking for ways to educate my clients so they can maximize the life of their, "Just the overall reinforcement of not using a mop or water directly on the floor and keeping soil off. Look inside a vent or along a baseboard to see which flooring you have. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted. Support wikiHow by Expert Interview. Carpets covered our wood floors for 50 years. Many new pre-finished floors only have a small core of wood and can only be sanded once. Avoid sliding the furniture across the floor. (My preferred progression for a hardwood floor such as oak begins with 60-grit abrasive, goes to 80-grit, and finishes with 100- or 120-grit.) Use a damp mop on the floor to pick up any remaining particles. Move the floor sander as though you are mowing the lawn. House Cleaning Professional. Start rubbing the area covered with detergent until the whole area is clean/wet with water. Its sanding surfaces is 12" by 18" with an ergonomic handle for operator comfort. Can I use lysol in water to mop hardwood floors? Get fair costs for your SPECIFIC project requirements. You can also use a floor runner on hardwood or linoleum floors, but you may have to secure it down with double-sided tape. For the center of the floor, use the stain pad applicator. % of people told us that this article helped them. What We Like . Support wikiHow by When it comes to certain kinds of excessive damage, there may not be much you can do besides. It's best to call a professional for that. As they're removed and the wood cleaned, should we use a sealer/protector to ensure the wood is protected? You may … What We Don't Like. Avoid using water and vinegar to clean with, as well. The longevity and durability of your hardwood floors can be preserved with routine cleaning and proper maintenance. 5 Tips for Sanding Hardwood Floors. Stain makes sander scratch shockingly visible. It’s easier to handle, and the random sanding pattern won’t leave directional scratches on the floor. It is a massive piece of equipment, too heavy for most people to lift—two people are required to carry it. $400 to $600 for an average size room. Great customer service and fresh products make us a great choice for buying hardwood floor and concrete floor supplies. The cost to Refinish a Hardwood Floor starts at $4.63 - $5.67 per square foot, but can vary significantly with site conditions and options. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. We just put. Contact Us; About Us ; Sign In; My Account; Create Account (0) Cart . We have a huge inventory of hardwood flooring and concrete flooring products in stock. Follow our seven-step process to sand your hardwood floor. How can I clean vomit out of a hardwood floor? Before you start sanding, remove everything from the room and vacuum the floor. Buffing with a screen will smooth out fine scratches. When dusting with a microfiber mop, lift it off the floor as little as possible so that the dirt stays securely trapped on the pad. Tools & Materials. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. By using our site, you agree to our. Lumber Liquidator's house brand, Bellawood, includes prefinished solid and engineered hardwood flooring at highly competitive prices. To determine if your floor needs to be refinished, place a few drops of water on it. Edge sander. Daily dusting is your best line of defensive against scratches and surface damage. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SAVE YOUR PRECIOUS HARDWOOD FLOOR FROM DOG URINE. Will this almost daily occurrence harm the wood? Staining is only needed if you want to change the floor color. The Best Floor Sander for Beginning DIYers Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime, your best choice of floor sander is the random orbital sander from one maker in particular. The disks for the drum sander typically cost $3 each; for the edger the disks run $2 each. 1. You can rent these from home improvement stores. 3-inch x 21-inch Dragster™ Belt Sander Featuring a high-performance, seven-amp motor, this electric belt sander sands close to the edge of adjoining surfaces. How to Paint a Stenciled Pattern on Hardwood Floor. Work the drum sander back and forth over 3- to 4-foot lengths. Do some prep work by taping nearby openings like windows and doors, since sanding is a dust-laden process. Can you clean hardwood floors with just vinegar? Don’t trap yourself in the room. Finish up with a thorough cleaning — window sills, walls, etc. Water and a paper towel are typically adequate to wipe up the mess, but you can use a wood cleaner to make it really clean, safely. Shake the mats out regularly to prevent debris build-up. Also use 60-grit paper with the hand sander along the edges and the detail sander for the corners. As a graphic designer, I appreciate the illustrations. Sanding eliminates scratches and stains from a hardwood floor, but may not be able to alleviate the deepest gouges or discolored patches of wood. See professionally prepared estimates for hardwood floor refinishing work. It may be made of a third material, such as marble if butting against a tile floor. If so—and you're fine with the 137 square feet on offer—it costs mere pennies per square foot. What are my options? Start it up and immediately begin moving — letting it run in one spot will damage the floor. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Can you use vinegar to clean hardwood floors? Vacuum the entire room again and clean the floor with a tack cloth. If your hardwood floor passes the above test, your floor is ready for sanding. Rated to last up to 25 years in a single application, it makes the surface much less likely to scratch or fade. Last Updated: July 13, 2020 Difficult to move due to its weight. Particular cleaning protocols need to be followed to prevent damage to the floor’s surface. Work along the grain, getting as close as possible to the walls. Use a random-orbit sander for flat floors. Floor protectors usually come in 5 or 6 sizes which provide a lot of furniture versatility. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Neither device reaches into corners fully, so you’ll have to scrape these areas with a razor-sharp floor scraper. Never use ammonia or regular household cleaning products to clean up a spill. Are rubber-backed rugs and cushioning rugs OK to use on hardwood? By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 280,761 times. Check local fire regulations for disposal instructions. Label the shoe moulding and use painters tape to mark the corresponding wall. Check the manufacturer's recommendations for polishing products and follow the instructions exactly. If it beads or soaks in slowly over a few minutes, you can probably just clean and polish. 4.4 out of 5 stars 149 ratings. Both can dull the finish and damage the wood. Do a third pass with 100-grit sandpaper. Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors. It shouldn't harm the wood, but it's possible. (I wanted to paint the floors, but hubby wanted them natural- he thinks painted floors will always look dirty). Strongest floor sander available. 10 to 12 hours over one or two days. Polyurethane has a strong odor. Clean up the dust with a vacuum and brush attachment. Never wet-mop or steam mop a hardwood floor. Aluminum oxide is the finish you buy when you don’t want to deal with it at all. Always wear a dust mask, safety goggles and ear protection when using a drum sander. If your floor has protective sealant on the surface, check the manufacturer's recommendations before using a … Use caution when vacuuming hardwood floors. So you keep sanding. Then, get a new cloth and soak it with just water. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/59\/Care-for-Hardwood-Floors-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Care-for-Hardwood-Floors-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/59\/Care-for-Hardwood-Floors-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/aid157827-v4-728px-Care-for-Hardwood-Floors-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":484,"licensing":"