Hardwood Flooring Refinishing - Do-it-Yourself or Not?

Wood floors are absolutely beautiful if they have a good shine. Over time, life can happen to floors and it can cause scuffs, dulling and just basic wear and tear. The shine and luster can be restored, however, if you have the skills for it. Hardwood floor refinishing can breathe new life into your floor. It is a daunting task and it's not for the faint of heart. While it is something that you can do yourself often, it is often best to leave it to professionals.

If you plan on doing the refinishing yourself you will need a few tools. You'll need things like a broom, a floor sander, heavy and light sandpaper, gloves, finish, a roller with long handle, dust masks, stain, a shop vacuum, and a handful rags. All of these will be necessary if you're planning to do the hardwood floor refinishing yourself. First thing you'll have to do is remove any furniture and rugs from the room. The entire area will need to be free of clutter and debris and any nails, staples, or tacks should be removed prior to starting the project.

Once you are certain that anything that could possibly tear the sandpaper is out of the room is time to start standing the floor down. To do this you will need a full-size sander that looks something like a vacuum cleaner, it's a very important step in the hardwood floor refinishing process. This is an important step because it helps to remove all the stains that have seeped through the top layer of your floor.

Since hard wood flooring refinishing is such an involved process many people prefer to leave it to the professionals. This is not a bad idea because many of the tools necessary to redo flooring on your own will most likely have to be rented. These companies provide their own tools so that is one less thing on your mind. Finding one is simple because there are many available in larger areas. Before you hire a flooring professional, you should thoroughly check their background and credentials to ensure that you are getting the desired look. Whether it's a large corporation or family owned company, it's not inappropriate to ask for references. This way you can check with past customers to see if they are pleased with the outcome of their job.

Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, hardwood floor refinishing is a great option to revitalize the flooring in your home. Laying down a new floor costs a lot more money than revitalizing the old one. Rather than spending thousands of dollars to replace the whole thing, you can revitalize what you have for hundreds of dollars instead. In the long run it can make your floors last longer and look better. Should you have someone do the job for you, you can ask about cleaning techniques that will help make them look newer for a longer period of time which will also help to make your them last longer.