If cleaning your wood floors wasn't enough, or the current high gloss finish is blinding, perhaps you're entertaining the idea of having your wood floors professionally refinished? The New York Times explains the basics of the process and talks to experts who highlight the questions and concerns that should be at the top of a homeowner's list before you hire a contractor...
Overall a great introduction to the process with helpful information — check it out: Refinishing Floors With Less Mess.
(Pics: Yvetta Federova)
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Comments (3)
We refinished the 50 year old hardwood floors in our house...it's really not as hard as they tell you. If you've ever refinished any wood furniture, the same principles apply. It's dirty, dirty work, but just mentally prepare yourself and it will be ok. Plus you will save thousands.
i'm in the process of doing mine now. floors are probably around 50 years old in a house old enough that it actually has 2 hardwood floors, one laid over the other, plus it's a katrina floor--had a few inches of water in the house following the storm. my contractor just finished sanding, and i'm waiting for plumbers and electricians to finish their stuff before staining & sealing them. it IS dirty work, but they sure do look good when they're done.
Q. How many times can you sand a floor?
A. As per the NOFMA calculations, the sanding operation should remove no more than 1/32”. You should thus be able to sand a 1/16” hardwood layer on an engineered floor 1-2 times if correctly done. It is not recommended to sand a 1/32” thick hardwood layer.Solid wood floors can only be sanded to 1/32” above the tongue to maintain the stability of the tongue and groove joint.
www.thecanadianflooring.com