Tips on Restoring Wooden Floors

No matter how much you work at keeping fitted carpets clean, dust has a habit of insinuating itself, especially in the corners.  Today, many householders are finding that getting rid of carpets altogether and exposing the underlying floorboards offers tantalising opportunities for transforming the whole look of their homes.  Floorboards are often in excellent condition, but they can still be completely freshened up with some simple maintenance and expert sanding followed by addition of a wood stain and finally a durable varnish.

Refinishing wood floors and Wood Floor Sanding are becoming highly fashionable.  DIY tool hire shops have all the equipment necessary if you want to do the job yourself.  Hire an upright sander and a smaller one; you should only need them for a day.  The upright is used for the first five or more sanding sweeps and the small one for finishing off around the edges and corners.  They are both very heavy so get someone to help you carry them.

Prepare the floor by hammering loose nails back in and filling any wide gaps with slivers of wood.  The upright machine should first be used at an angle to the boards and then run parallel with them, whilst the small sander should always be used parallel with the boards.

In order to achieve an even finish, try not to tilt either sander too much as their edges can dig into the wood and cause gouge marks.  After the two sanders have done their job, use a hand-held sander to finish off the details.