Hardwood floors tend to lose its looks and luster after years of wear and tear. However, it is possible to regain this luster of hardwood by refinishing hardwood floors. Though it is better to have your refinishing of hardwood floors done by a professional, it is possible to do it on your own.

You only need some basic supplies for refinishing hardwood floors like a ready strip deck stripper, plastic scraper, deck brush, auto brush and applicator. All of these supplies are easily available at any hardware store.

Start by sweeping floors clean

The first thing to do is to sweep and mop all floors clean. This done, you have to pour Ready Strip Deck Stripper into a paint tray. Then with the help of an auto brush, you have to apply the Stripper on the floor using dabbing and not brushing movements.

The stripper has to be left to work on the floor for about half an hour after which it has to be scrapped off the floor with a large, plastic scraper. Once most of the stripper is removed, a deck brush has to be used to remove leftover residue.

The floor then has to be left to dry after which a power sander is used to sand away imperfections. Then any dust on the floor has to be vacuumed off, after which stain and polyurethane has to be applied using a brush or applicator pad. This thus completes the process of refinishing hardwood floors.

Trewax Hardwood Floor Refinisher

Sale price: 9.33

32oz hw floor refinisher The easiest finish to apply for beautiful wood floors and factory finished wood floors No buffing, no offensive odors Safely deep cleans as it restores and aids in the repair of light and medium abrasions of heavily traveled flooring Long-lasting, lustrous shine, durable protection and wear 32 fl. oz. bottle Brand #: Beaumont Prod. 887122299 UPC: 070755222996 Keywords: acrylic finish wood floor cleaner trewax

Ok maybe this is a dumb question but I am remodeling an old house and the owner told me he wanted the hardwood flooring left untouched. However theres an old clawfoot tub in the bathroom and the floors and walls look like they keep getting soaked and I dont want the wall to rot through. What do you suggest I do?
Thanks.

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Do you have hardwood floors? If so, make sure extra care is taken when cleaning them. In order to keep your hardwood floors looking beautiful, there are not only things that you should do - there are also things that you should not do. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when you are cleaning hardwood floors:

Don’t clean all of your hardwood floors the same way.

Different hardwood floors need to be cleaned in different ways. It is very important to learn how to clean each hardwood surface in your home. When you have it installed, make sure to ask about the proper method to clean it. Make sure you do your research before you start cleaning. Sealed floors, oil-treated floors, and so forth all need to be treated in different ways. If you are moving in to a new house that has hardwood floors, contact the old owners about how to clean it properly or head to your local home and garden supply center and talk to a professional about cleaning your hardwood floors. Remember, it all starts with a little research.
Don’t use tools that you use on other surfaces.

You can use mops, brooms, dustpans, cloths, and more to clean your hardwood floors. However, keep in mind while cleaning your hardwood floor, these tools should only be used for this process. Other surfaces can cause the tools to wear down or become damaged. This in turn can damage your hardwood floor. To be safe, you may want to make sure these tools are only used to clean your hardwood floor. This should include soft-bristle brooms, vacuum attachments, and more.
Don’t use cleaners that aren’t made for hardwood floors.

Some cleaners are advertised as "multipurpose." However, these are not always the best options for your hardwood floors. Some cleaners are too harsh and can actually remove the finish from your hardwood floors. This can be hard to fix once damaged. In addition, some cleaners include "micro scrubbers," which work well on linoleum and tile, but create tiny scratches on wood. The wrong cleaners can also cause your wood look dull and dirty. If you want to use soaps and other cleaning products on your hardwood floors, make sure you are using products made specifically for hardwood floors. Ammonia cleaners and oil soaps can be especially damaging
Do not allow your hardwood floors to air dry.

Wood expands and warps when it gets wet. Although your hardwood floors are probably sealed, they are still susceptible to water damage. You can use water to clean your hardwood floors, but make sure that you do not use more than you need. In addition, as you are cleaning your hardwood floors, make sure to wipe up all excess water. If you leave the water there, you are causing underlying damage and you could cause the wood to weaken and splinter below your feet.
Don’t try to fix major damage yourself.

As you are cleaning your hardwood floors, you might notice some real damage. If this occurs, it is always a good idea to call in the professionals. Although you may want to try to fix this with a do it yourself project, real damage will only get worse if you do not know what you are doing. Make sure that the damaged area is noted so that everyone in your household avoids stepping on the effected area until it is fixed by hardwood flooring professionals.
Do not ignore your hardwood floors.

Some people are afraid to clean their hardwood floors. However, this does more damage than good. Although you definitely need to make sure that you are being careful, if you let dirt and grime build up on your hardwood floors, you will find that the tiny pieces of rocks, food, and other dirt will cause scratches that you can’t fix without resurfacing. Ignoring your hardwood floors is never a good idea. You should clean them as soon as they are dirty or at least once a month. Hardwood floors do not have to be a big issue when it comes to cleaning your house. Although they do require a bit of care, the extra time and effort is definitely worth the trouble. If you have hardwood floors in your house, make sure that you learn how to clean them properly. Learning what not to do is the first and best step you can take. As always, conducting a bit of research before you clean is a good start, and the more you learn the easier it will be to maintain the beautiful finish of your hardwood floors.

Here are some great hardwood flooring auctions happening now on ebay:

Spring Water Cherry 3/4 inch Solid Hardwood Flooring

US $49.38 End Date: Thursday Dec-03-2009 8:27:10 PST Buy It Now for only: US $49.38 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Kingsmill Click-Together Midnight Oak Hardwood Flooring

US $31.08 End Date: Thursday Dec-03-2009 8:27:53 PST Buy It Now for only: US $31.08 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Kingsmill Handscraped 6.5" Hardwood Flooring Lapacho

US $67.60 End Date: Thursday Dec-03-2009 8:27:56 PST Buy It Now for only: US $67.60 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Kingsmill Handscraped Engineered Hardwood Flooring

US $67.60 End Date: Thursday Dec-03-2009 8:27:59 PST Buy It Now for only: US $67.60 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Kingsmill Handscraped Hardwood Flooring Brazilian

US $60.81 End Date: Thursday Dec-03-2009 8:28:02 PST Buy It Now for only: US $60.81 Buy it now | Add to watch list

It\'s a place to get hardwood flooring deals!

Many of the old houses employ hardwood flooring. The use of hardwood for floors was popularized in the circa 1960s. Today, there is a resurgence of hardwood floors because people find these floors to be very relaxing to the eye. Hardwood floors are very attractive because of their natural look.

For people who purchased an old house with withered hardwood flooring, they would probably want to look into refinishing the flooring. Carpets cannot hide the hideous truth forever, and at some point, these homeowners need to refinish the flooring. A bad hardwood floor can literally ruin the whole theme of the house therefore lowering its value.

Refinishing a hardwood flooring is a great idea. Yes, it is a great idea indeed and that is why professional refinishers of hardwood floors charge exorbitant fees to their clients. These clients can't do anything but to succumb to the demands of the contractors because they don't have the know-how of proper hardwood refinishing.

Given the proper know-how and techniques for hardwood refinishing, homeowners can be liberated from the financial burden of paying professional contractors to refinish their hardwood flooring. If one is able-bodied and can follow simple instructions, then there would be no reason at all why he can't refinish the flooring himself.

Let's take a look at the pertinent steps that one needs to do to be able to successfully refinish his hardwood flooring.

1) Do the preparatory stuff

Before engaging into sanding the floor or being too excited and buying all the necessary equipment and tools for the refinishing process, one needs to lay down the foundations and do the preparatory steps in the process.

First, one needs to decide what look he would want to give his hardwood floor. There should be a design and color scheme plan that should be laid out before one starts to sand. Knowing what one really wants is as important as doing the process properly. This is to ensure that he knows what he would want to do so that he knows how he can achieve his desired look.

After the plans have been laid out, make sure that all the furniture and other things in the room are taken out and stored properly.

2) Take out the nails

Sanding is perhaps one of the most important steps in the whole process of refinishing a hardwood floor, but don't get too excited yet. Before sanding, make sure that all the nails in the hardwood. The nails need to be taken out because they will eventually damage the sand paper or the sanding discs and perhaps one's hands if they are not taken out. The holes that are left by the nails should be filled with wood fillers that are of the same color as that of the wood.

3) Sand, sand, sand!

If the area of the flooring is not too big, then one can actually sand the floor manually (by hand). But if one deems that there is a need to use an electric sander, then he has two options: one is to buy a new one, the other is to rent. One can buy a pretty decent hardwood floor sander for under 100 US dollars. This can be seen as a good investment, but it really depends on how frequently it will be used. One can also choose to rent a sander from the local home depot or borrow from his neighbor.

One should sand the floor at least 3 times. The first should be made with a heavier grit and the grit level goes down each time. This will ensure that the wax and the coating will be removed thoroughly.

4) Stain the floor

Try to get the correct color that you would want to apply to your hardwood floor and test it in a small wood plank that is similar to the wood that is used in the flooring. Make sure that the stain is applied equally to the floor.

5) Refinish

Refinish with a polyurethane finish. Make sure that the container is stirred and not shaken to prevent bubbles from forming. Apply the solution equally throughout the flooring and wait for it to dry. It usually takes about 3 hours for the solution to dry.

Refinishing your own hardwood flooring is not an impossible task. One only needs the right materials and the right implementation of his plans to be able to successfully refinish such floors.

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Secrets Of A Professional Installer.

need help chosing a carpet and vinyl color that does not show stains and dirt easily. I am so getting a new living room set so trying to match it to that it is not a issue. I just want the vinyl floor and carpet to complement each other. The vinyl in dining room and carpet in the living room and hall way which will be carpet meets up. The kitchen and breakfast area is attached to the dining but you can't see those areas from the living room. I have no one to go look at samples with. Should the kitchen, breakfast area, and dining room all have the same type of vinyl and color or separate. Help I am open to any suggestions. All I know is that I am get a leather sofa and loveseat.

Many of the old houses employ hardwood flooring. The use of hardwood for floors was popularized in the circa 1960s. Today, there is a resurgence of hardwood floors because people find these floors to be very relaxing to the eye. Hardwood floors are very attractive because of their natural look.

For people who purchased an old house with withered hardwood flooring, they would probably want to look into refinishing the flooring. Carpets cannot hide the hideous truth forever, and at some point, these homeowners need to refinish the flooring. A bad hardwood floor can literally ruin the whole theme of the house therefore lowering its value.

Refinishing a hardwood flooring is a great idea. Yes, it is a great idea indeed and that is why professional refinishers of hardwood floors charge exorbitant fees to their clients. These clients can't do anything but to succumb to the demands of the contractors because they don't have the know-how of proper hardwood refinishing.

Given the proper know-how and techniques for hardwood refinishing, homeowners can be liberated from the financial burden of paying professional contractors to refinish their hardwood flooring. If one is able-bodied and can follow simple instructions, then there would be no reason at all why he can't refinish the flooring himself.

Let's take a look at the pertinent steps that one needs to do to be able to successfully refinish his hardwood flooring.

1) Do the preparatory stuff

Before engaging into sanding the floor or being too excited and buying all the necessary equipment and tools for the refinishing process, one needs to lay down the foundations and do the preparatory steps in the process.

First, one needs to decide what look he would want to give his hardwood floor. There should be a design and color scheme plan that should be laid out before one starts to sand. Knowing what one really wants is as important as doing the process properly. This is to ensure that he knows what he would want to do so that he knows how he can achieve his desired look.

After the plans have been laid out, make sure that all the furniture and other things in the room are taken out and stored properly.

2) Take out the nails

Sanding is perhaps one of the most important steps in the whole process of refinishing a hardwood floor, but don't get too excited yet. Before sanding, make sure that all the nails in the hardwood. The nails need to be taken out because they will eventually damage the sand paper or the sanding discs and perhaps one's hands if they are not taken out. The holes that are left by the nails should be filled with wood fillers that are of the same color as that of the wood.

3) Sand, sand, sand!

If the area of the flooring is not too big, then one can actually sand the floor manually (by hand). But if one deems that there is a need to use an electric sander, then he has two options: one is to buy a new one, the other is to rent. One can buy a pretty decent hardwood floor sander for under 100 US dollars. This can be seen as a good investment, but it really depends on how frequently it will be used. One can also choose to rent a sander from the local home depot or borrow from his neighbor.

One should sand the floor at least 3 times. The first should be made with a heavier grit and the grit level goes down each time. This will ensure that the wax and the coating will be removed thoroughly.

4) Stain the floor

Try to get the correct color that you would want to apply to your hardwood floor and test it in a small wood plank that is similar to the wood that is used in the flooring. Make sure that the stain is applied equally to the floor.

5) Refinish

Refinish with a polyurethane finish. Make sure that the container is stirred and not shaken to prevent bubbles from forming. Apply the solution equally throughout the flooring and wait for it to dry. It usually takes about 3 hours for the solution to dry.

Refinishing your own hardwood flooring is not an impossible task. One only needs the right materials and the right implementation of his plans to be able to successfully refinish such floors.