Hardwood floors are one of the most popular flooring options used in many Australian homes, thanks to the warm feel that they give under the feet, as well as their rustic look. In addition, hardwoods offer excellent durability even in high traffic areas and can be restored with an occasional refinishing job. Most hardwood floors can be made to look nice again by sanding and polishing the surfaces.
DIY homeowners who want to revive the good looks of their hardwood floors by sanding and polishing can use these tips to ensure the job is carried out properly.
Sanding
Proper sanding of old hardwood floors is critical to making the surface smooth so that the polish can be uniformly applied. For effective sanding, the correct tools have to be used — a drum floor sander, an edge floor sander, and corner floor sander will be required. Each of these floor sanders will have to be fitted out with various grits of sandpaper and compatible sanding discs.
As the names suggest, use the edge sander on the edges of the floors, corner sander on the corners, and the drum sander on the easy-to-reach parts of the floor. Homeowners can start work by sanding the entire floor with the drum sander, making diagonal runs as you go. Moving the drum in the direction of the wood grains will ensure they create smooth, uniform patterns on the floors. Once they are done using the drum sander, they should pick up the edge sander and work around the hard-to-reach edges of each room. They can complete the sanding job by grabbing the corner sander to smooth the corners of each room.
All sanders should be equipped with dust bags in order to collect excessive dust that may cause the sanders to become clogged while they are being used.
Polishing
Once floors are smooth and level, a vacuum cleaner can be used to rid of any dirt that may not have been trapped by the sanders' dust bags. Once the floors are completely clean, the chosen wood varnish can be applied. For best results, at least two coats of varnish should be applied; the first coat to help protect the substrate wood from the elements, and subsequent coats to provide extra protection and enhance aesthetics.
If you do not feel confident about carrying out this job yourself, it is best to let an experienced timber floor repairer to do it for you.
