If you have a home with hardwood floors, you almost certainly know firsthand how much upkeep they need. They intensify your decor but since they receive regular use they're quite susceptible to wear and damage. The very good news is this damage does is not always permanent. There are many techniques of regenerating hardwood flooring, one being recoating hardwood surfaces. A few individuals confuse recoating hardwood flooring with refinishing hardwood surfaces, but they aren't the same process. Refinishing hardwood surfaces is a way more in depth process than recoating and involves at length sanding the floor till the wood is exposed - required when there are deep scratches, damage, or if the floor has been waxed.
Recoating floors, by contrast, only involves applying next coat of finish. To establish whether your floor can be recoated, do a tiny patch test in an inconspicuous area. It's better to test along a wall where cleaners could have amassed. Thoroughly clean the area employing a wood floor cleaner, then gently sand with fine (120 grit) sandpaper.Wipe away all traces of dust. Apply polyurethane floor finish to the area and wait twenty-four hours. The finish should be smooth, not an orange-shell texture or rippled. Scratch the surface with acceptable pressure employing a coin; it should not flake or peel away. If the surface does not pass these tests, the floor will have to be absolutely sanded and refinished. If you're doubtful whether the floor has a wax coating, wipe a little area with a rag dampened in paint thinner. If the thinner takes away the existing finish, the floor has a wax coating and will need complete sanding and refinishing. To recoat your hardwood surface, it first wants to be gently sanded employing a screen disk. Screening disks are unclosed mesh abrasive screens that are used on rotary three hundred revs per minute rotary buffing machines. Floors in good shape can be screened with 120 grit screens.
If the floor is in poorer shape, one hundred or eighty grit screens can be employed. If one of those more assertive screens is employed, it is a good idea to re-screen the floor employing a 120 grit screen to get rid of some of the swirl marks. This may guarantee a nice smooth surface. Once the sanding is done, sweep and vacuum the floor to get rid of wood dust and mud. Next, moisten a tack rag with pure mineral spirits and run the rag over the floor to pick up any fine dust and oily remains. Avoid using rags treated with less refined oil-based materials like kerosene or wax-based treatments - they could leave a remains and cause poor adhesion and peeling. Recoating hardwood surfaces could seem like lots of work, nonetheless it is far superior than having a broken floor. As well as being unpleasant, scratches and wear can and will get worse. After they do, you will have to do even more work to revive them to good condition.