Turn Your Wood Floor Into A Showpiece

Turn Your Wood Floor Into A Showpiece

Just about everyone loves a hardwood floor. Whether it's a simple oak or maple strip installation or a complex parquet pattern, the rich variation in the color and the texture of wood add warmth, character and a feeling of substance to any home.

And, with a little care, a good hardwood surface can last as long as the house it serves. The type of maintenance your floor will require depends on the amount of use it sees. Low-use areas, such as a living room or home office, may require only regular vacuuming and occasional damp mopping with a hardwood floor cleaner. High-traffic areas like a kitchen or hall may need a periodic recoating or occasional sanding and refinishing.

Before deciding on a plan, first determine the condition of the old finish. If the floor has discolored areas, or if the finish is chipped or peeling, the best approach is sanding and refinishing. This involves using a heavy-duty drum sander and a small edging sander to grind off the old finish and to smooth the wood before several new coats are applied. While you can rent the tools and do the work yourself, it's not a bad idea to leave at least the sanding part of the job to a pro. Without some experience with a sander, it's possible to damage the floor. Once the finish has been removed, you have the option of applying the new finish yourself.

If your old finish is merely scratched and dull, you can skip the sanding and go right to recoating the floor. The job should take only a couple of days and, if you recoat the floor every three or four years, you may never need a complete refinishing job.