How to Make Your Wood Floors Look New Again
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DIY HARDWOOD FLOOR REPAIRS + POLISHING
When we bought this house 2 years ago, nosotros were pumped to detect that the unabridged downstairs already had hardwood. We didn't realize, until after we'd moved in, that they were pretty desperately browbeaten. This domicile had been used equally a rental for some time and they seemed to be a niggling neglected. Adding to the problem is that nosotros've been remodeling every weekend since we moved in, which can be a doozy on floors. They were definitely in need of some love.
So today, I'thou showing you how I spruced upwardly our 20-year-old engineered hardwoods then they shine like new - without completely refinishing them. I'g also showing y'all how to brand hardwood floors polish with a natural cleaning recipe won't harm the terminate or give you that "deject" streak upshot.
THE HARDWOODS - Before
This is a photo from the 2017 real manor listing. The firm showed beautifully. The homeowners had done everything right - information technology was perfectly staged and we didn't run into a lot of the grimy details.
For case, this rug in the foyer was concealing stuck-on surface residual from an sometime carpet pad that had melted (???) to the floor. Information technology also concealed some surfact damage caused by moisture (probably moisture feet + carpeting).
When we refinished the foyer last Autumn (you tin can see that whole project reveal here: Updated Suburban Entryway Reveal), we knew information technology would exist simply a matter of fourth dimension before nosotros'd have to actually resolve these issues.
As we get closer to own our listing date, we've noticed some additional issues that we actually acquired ourselves! For instance, when we were applying the varnish to the stair treads, our true cat ran through the finish in the eye of the nighttime and tracked it all over the dining room.
The event? Dirty-looking true cat paw prints that couldn't be wiped away with a simple floor cleaner.
Plus, ii years of painting and wallpaper projects (the downstairs has been painted and re-painted at least a dozen times) has left a myriad of tiny paint specs and dried-on wallpaper paste. An sick-placed planter in the dining room left some surface harm from condensation. These floors were looking crude!
And then hither'south how to brand hardwood floors polish like new, just in time for the Jump real estate market:
Pace One: Prep the area by removing whatever surface dirt and dust with a vacuum. You are going to piece of work in 1x1' sections at a time. Don't wet the flooring inside half-dozen hours of employing this technique, as yous want the pigment to be completely dry and hard.
Stride Two: Making your mode towards the walls, utilize your scraper to apply moderate pressure to the floor. Do non push too hard. Start gently and if you need to rework sections, you can get back with more pressure level. Apply enough pressure to motion-picture show the speckles of paint but take care not to gouge your floors or create additional damage.
You will likely find your scraper will exist covered in grit and dirt. This is good! You're removing surface gunk buildup that your mop and vacuum can't remove! Just wipe your scraper with a dry towel between each swipe.
Step Three: Using your vacuum's detail or upholstery castor, apply gentle pressure to remove the loosened paint specks and dirt. Repeat steps two and three until all surface crud and paint has been removed.
Footstep Iv: Using a small detail paint brush, Apply Old English Scratch Cover to any gouges or areas where the varnish has been worn and blank hardwoods are credible. This will be particularly visible forth the edges of the planks.
Stride Five: Allow scratch embrace to dry for 24 hours before mopping or allowing surface to get wet. Utilise technique in 1x1' sections until entire floor has been cleaned. Pay special attention to perimeter of the floor, as this is where gunk tends to build-up fastest.
Step One: Prep the surface area to exist cleaned by wiping the floors downward with a hot, clammy cloth. Dry immediately with a dry out cloth. Look to see varnish appear. You lot may need to be at a particular angle to see the varnish, if it is clear or matches your existing stain. Utilize a lamp to spotlight the area, if necessary.
Step Two: Saturate a newspaper towel in boom smooth remover. Then concur the towel firmly onto the spot of varnish. Press for 10 seconds.
Step Three: Remove newspaper towel and immediately wipe surface with water-damped cloth. Then buff to dry. Echo steps until all varnish is removed.
Practise NOT ALLOW Boom POLISH REMOVER TO SIT ON YOUR HARDWOODS LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS AT A Fourth dimension. This could remove your flooring terminate. You can repeat steps on the aforementioned spot, only take care to wipe with water and thoroughly dry out between each application.
Earlier we become started, I desire to note the difference between surface damage and penetrative damage. Surface damage refers to harm that has occurred only to the finish of the forest terminate but has non penetrated the actual forest planks. The nigh frequent case of this type of damage is condensation from house plants.
THIS METHOD IS NOT RECOMMENDED - AND WILL Not WORK - FOR WOOD PLANKS THAT Accept RECEIVED LONG-TERM, PENETRATIVE MOISTURE. Floors that take been submerged in water (such every bit during flooding) cannot be repaired by a homeowner. They will demand to be reviewed by a professional to decide the best methods for repair.
This is also the example for flooring that has received long-term exposure to water from leaking appliances and bathroom fixtures. Do not attempt to repair this damage without offset consulting a professional person to insure your flooring is thoroughly dry and without rot. Rotting forest cannot be fixed and will demand to be replaced. If yous motility frontward with this method on a floor that has not properly stale, you will further impairment you floors by trapping the moisture inside the wood.
This tutorial is for pre-finished hardwood floors. On engineered / pre-finished hardwood floors, at that place is a very thick layer of polyurethane covering the stained wood. This is different from wood floors that have been stained in place (or fifty-fifty refinished). You may have success using some of this method on other types of flooring only I do not recommend moving forward until yous have consulted with a professional.
Step Ane: Confirm your woods flooring plank has not been penetrated. Surface damage will crusade the summit layers of varnish to pare back. The result will be a flakey appearance that will look white in some spots while darker in others. You may likewise see a "rippling" effect in the finish.
To confirm that your hardwood was non penetrated by moisture, take a scraper across the surface to gently remove the peeling varnish. If your scraper begins to penetrate or flake off chunks of the wood - no affair how small - stop straight away and call in a professional. This is indicative of woods rot and you cannot use this method to repair your flooring.
Once you've confirmed no woods is coming loose, y'all may go along scraping the varnish until no additional flakes appear.
Pace Ii: Vacuum the loose varnish, using a detail or upholstery brush and light pressure.
Pace Three: Use a coarse castor or paddle to remove whatever additional flakes.
Step Four: Gently sand with a 120 dust sandpaper. A palm sander can be used, only don't apply much pressure. Sand only the areas with afflicted varnish. Don't sand in a circular pattern. Rather, run your sander lightly with the grain.
Pace V: Vacuum all dust and residual, using your upholstery or fissure detail attachment.
Your surface should now be smooth. If information technology's non, repeat steps 1 - 5 until it is smooth to the bear upon.
Step Six: Using a small detail arts and crafts brush or a clean rag, apply your stain + poly in i to the now unfinished floor spots. Utilise in the direction of the grain.
Allow to dry out 12 hours. Then repeat process until the refinished spot looks as closely in color to your existing flooring.
Remember to stand up back equally yous are working. While the floors may never look perfect up-close, y'all will observe that this will camouflage the problem area very quickly. You may ever know it's there, but anyone who isn't looking for it won't run into it.
STREAK-FREE NATURAL WOOD FLOOR CLEANER
It's the eternal quest for a lot of people who accept difficult surface floors - finding a natural cleaner that doesn't make your floors await all foggy is really difficult. In fact, I've never constitute one at the shop that works. Then I had to go crafty and develop my own. I've now been using this recipe for almost a decade and accept passed it on to countless friends and family unit members who have sang its praises also.
It's simple and like shooting fish in a barrel just before I give you the recipe, I want to exist sure to point out one thing about how you clean your floors that may be damaging them or even counterproductive to the goal.
In one case yous begin employing this cleaning method, you must commit to it fully. You lot tin can't become back. Hither'due south why: the fogginess traditional cleaners leave behind is actually dried residue from the actual cleaner itself. It's not dirt. So it takes a few mopping cycles to go all of the excess cleaners you've deposited over the years to actually fully deliquesce. Once they're gone, yous don't want to use those cleaners over again or you're back to Square One.
I know that Mr. Clean floor cleaner with Febreeze is genuinely the best-smelling stuff on the planet so it'southward really difficult to give it upwardly. Trust me, I speak from experience. If you nonetheless crave that smell, and withal accept some bottles left, feel free to make full your sink with this cleaner whatever time y'all want. Just don't put it on the floor. And don't even become me started on those dispensable systems that hardly clean your flooring but cost an actual arm and a leg. Just walk away from all of that.
Second, if you're using a traditional mop head - the kind that looks like a cabbage patch doll's hair - Terminate. These things are lies. They don't work that well and they leave a ton of water on your flooring, which is super dissentious to hardwoods. Instead, you want to use a mop with a flat, washable, microfiber caput (similar this one) and you want to make sure you lot use it correctly.
Here's my mopping method:
Add together i/2 c floor cleaning solution to your sink. Then fill with hot water. Not warm. HOT. Vesture cleaning gloves to protect your hands from the heat because you want this to be REALLY HOT (these are mine and I've had the same pair for over a year and nevertheless kicking). Identify your mop head in the sink and permit to soak for at least 30 seconds. Then, wearing gloves, remove it and wring it out thoroughly. Information technology should be Damp but not WET. Attach it to your mop handle and begin cleaning your floors, going with the grain.
Mop in 5x5' sections at a time. Between each department, apply your sink'due south sprayer hose to rinse the mop head. Wring. So saturate in the hot solution for an additional thirty seconds.
This recipe volition get your floors shiny without harsh chemicals and leftover residuum that could damage the wood. Blend all the ingredients together thoroughly before mixing with water to insure they are properly distributed.
NATURAL HARDWOOD Floor CLEANer RECIPE
one loving cup white vinegar
1/2 cup rubbing booze
x drops essential oils for olfactory property (I really like this Harmony blend for cleaning my floors)
The alcohol is especially important because it allows the h2o to evaporate faster than water would on its ain. Lots of household cleaners comprise alcohol for this very reason. Well-nigh household cleaners also contain soap that leaves a residue. This doesn't so it won't. You can actually even utilize but booze and water to clean your windows and mirrors but I utilize the vinegar on my floors so they don't dry before all the dirt has been removed.
My favorite parts? This cleaner is safe for pets and kids plus it's super cheap to brand! I discover this method actually helps cut down on the frequency with which I have to mop my floors too. I sweep my kitchen every day, around repast times, and because I utilize this small broom/dustpan combo, I'm able to utilise the scraper on the end of the broom to remove any food particles that might be stuck to the flooring. It'due south a pretty genius pattern, if you lot ask me!
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HAPPY Spring CLEANING!
xoxo
Teri
Source: https://www.tmoorehome.com/blog/how-to-make-hardwood-floors-look-brand-new
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