How To Refinish A Pine Floor
If your pine floor is faded or scratched, you don't have to replace the floor. Pine floors are a soft wood, which means the grain is less dense than solid hardwood floors. However, pine can be refinished to look new even by a beginning DIY person. Here are some tips to refinish pine flooring.
Prepare to Work
For this project, you need:
- work gloves
- face mask
- safety glasses
- broom
- mop
- plastic
- hammer
- 80 -grit and 100-grit sand paper
- 150-grit sandpaper
- belt sander and palm sander
- foam roller or bristle brush
- stain and sealer
Close the windows and doors, then seal entryways with plastic to keep dust from spreading. Hammer in loose nails. Soft wood is prone to contracting, which may loosen nails.
Remove vent plates in the floor,,and lay plastic cover them. Remove as much furniture out of the room as possible, and cover non removable items with plastic.
Sand the Floor
Sweep or vacuum the floor, then damp mop the floor, and let it dry. Keep the sander moving at all times on soft wood, or it will cause marks.
Attach 40- grit sandpaper to the belt sander, and begin sanding at one end of the room several inches from the wall. Sand the length oft he floor; following the grain of wood. For newer flooring, start with 100-grit sandpaper.
Change to 100-grit sandpaper, and repeat the process. For newer flooring, change to 150-grit sandpaper. Use the hand sander on edges and corners.
Sweep sand dust, and damp mop to ensure all the dust has been removed. You may save sand dust to use as wood filler for dings or scratches. When you need to fill a scratch, mix the dust with lacquer thinner.
Apply the Stain and Sealer
Plan a path to apply stain and sealer , so you won't be walking on the floor after staining. Add sealer first on wood that is completely exposed using the brush or roller, and let it dry. This will help the stain set evenly, since pine absorbs stain fast.
Apply the chosen stain with a brush or foam roller; following the wood grain. Let the stain dry, which commonly takes about twenty-four hours.
Sand the stain with 100-150-grit sandpaper, since it will feel rough after drying, but do not sand too hard to avoid removing the stain. Clean sand dust. Apply a second coat of stain, if desired, and let it dry.
Refinishing pine floors helps them last longer, but it takes patience. If you don't trust your skill, or you think it's time for a replacement, hire a contractor or company like Painting By Jerry Wind.
