Refinishing Floors

Sanding and refinishing hardwood flooring is quite an undertaking. Doing so is completely worth it since it rejuvenates the floor and when done well, it essentially sets the clock all the way back to zero.  But like any great undertaking there are a lot of things that go into the process.  Possibly, the most important part would be the assortment of tools needed for the job.

One of the reasons why refinishing hardwood flooring is so difficult is because of all the steps involved and all the tools needed to complete them.  There is the potential to cause serious damage to your floor either by sanding too deeply or applying too much finish afterward.  If this is a project you’re looking to undertake then you should do as much research as possible.  Here I’m just going to go over a few of the tools you’ll need.  In no way is this list comprehensive but I think it can serve as a good start for someone.

Floor Sander:  There are several different types of floor sanders. High powered ones for bigger jobs and then smaller ones for smaller jobs.  It’s a good idea to have one larger sander for the majority of the job and then an edger for the sides of the room and then even maybe a hand held one to get into all the places the edger can’t reach.

Lamp Wool Applicator:  These are popular tools used to apply the finishes and the seals to hardwood flooring.

Hammer, pry bar: You would need these to remove shoe molding or any other types of molds from the walls surrounding your working area.

Vacuum: A vacuum will most likely never be as crucial to the well being of your hardwood floors as they are during refinishing.  Using a vacuum is a great way to eliminate much of the dust caused by refinishing.  They even make specialized flooring vacuums just for this purpose.  Eliminating dust is important because a build up of dust can cause finishes not to adhere properly and can cause unsightly blemishes and irregularities in the floor.

Sandpaper: The coarseness of the sandpaper that you need will likely be determined by the type of floor you’re refinishing and the amount of damage it has sustained.  But in the process of refinishing you want to have a coarse sandpaper to remove the finish and imperfections in the wood and then move on to progressively finer grades of sandpaper to eliminate the scratches caused from the coarser sandpaper.

These are just a few of the tools you’ll need for your refinishing project.  You should consult a hardware specialist for more information.