Wood Floors: Refinishing Handscraped Hardwood Flooring

Refinishing Handscraped Hardwood Flooring

When it comes to handscraped wood flooring, one of the most important things that one must remember would be making sure that it keeps its luster even after years of use. Sure, it is well known for having distressed and worn down look but you also have to do a bit of maintenance so that it remains aesthetically pleasing. One of the ways through which this can be done is by refinishing it. Keep in mind that the uneven level of the planks also means that it would absorb stains differently hence there are certain areas which would be darker whilst others would be lighter. For example, if the finish is to worn down or shiny, you would be able to easily remove it and refinish the wood. Other than that, one may also opt to use a floor polisher to remove the polyutherane on the wood flooring without the need to sand it down. This would help you keep more of the texture without needing to apply another finish. Shall we do this step by step?

What you will need:

Mask and goggles, plastic sheeting and painter’s tape.

Getting started:

Make sure that you clear the room out of any furnishings that might be in it as this would only get in the way and make your job a bit harder to accomplish. After doing so, add plastic drop clothes along the doorways and the air vents. Secure these in place using painter’s tape. Before you start anything, put on your mask and goggles as these would be for your own health.
Make use of 100- and 120- grit floor polisher screens. When you begin sanding, make sure that you cover the whole surface of the floor. Follow the grain of the wood as well to avoid damaging its appearance. Do this slowly and deliberately.
After using the 100- grit, exchange it for the 120- and simply repeat process #2. For any hard to reach areas such as corners, use a palm sander and do it manually. This is to ensure evenness and that you’re able to cover everything.
Once sanding is done, sweep the walls for any dust and vacuum the floor clean. This would make sure that none of the sanded down wood would be left behind. As a last cleaning measure, wipe the flooring with a tack cloth.

So there you have it, a simple but effective process for refinishing handscraped wood flooring.