Strip and re-stain old wood floors to hide scratches and renew the color.
Before applying a new stain or finish to an old hardwood floor, strip old coats of wax, surface stains and other finishes so that new finish goes on evenly. When choosing a new stain, pick a penetrating oil stain to let the most natural wood grain show through or pigmented oil stain for more color and less visible wood grain. Tinted latex finishes can also contain tint, but obscure the wood grain and may flake and peel more easily than oil-based stains. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Stripping the Floor
1. Remove all furniture from the room and apply protective tape over baseboards.
2. Open windows and doors to ventilate the area, because wood strippers contain harsh fumes.
3. Put on rubber gloves to protect hands from the harsh chemicals in the stripper.
4. Paint a layer of get or paste wood stripper onto the floor using a paintbrush with polyester bristles. Nylon bristles may dissolve or soften in the stripper.
5. Let the stripper sit and wait until the old finish starts to soften and bubble.
6. Scrape off the stripper and the old finish with a putty knife before the stripper dries on the floor. Discard the sludge in an empty container.
7. Scrub off any extra stripper or finish with steel wool.
8. Apply another layer of stripper and repeat the process until all of the old finish comes off.
9. Apply a chemical stripper neutralizer to the floor to neutralize the harsh chemicals in the stripper. Chemical strippers should come with manufacturer's instructions explaining which types of neutralizers will work with the stripper.
10. Let the floor dry.
Sanding the Floor
11. Put on safety glasses and a dust mask to protect yourself from dust. Use a respirator while using an electric sander.
12. Sand the floor with a coarse 20- to 60-grit sandpaper either by hand or with an electric sander. The coarse sandpaper removes major scratches and imperfections in the wood.
13. Sand the floor with a 120-grit sandpaper to smooth its surface in preparation for the stain.
14. Vacuum the floor to keep dust out of the stain.
Staining the Floor
15. Stir the stain to distribute the color evenly throughout it.
16. Read the stain's manufacturer's instructions to determine the correct way to apply it. Most oil-based stains will say to use a paintbrush, but some will say to rub stain into the wood with a rag.
17.Paint or rub stain onto the wood's surface, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
18. Wipe away any excess stain that does not soak into the wood, and repeat the application process to darken the color.
19. Allow the stain to dry completely before moving furniture back into the room.
Tags: manufacturer instructions, wood grain, chemicals stripper, electric sander, finish with
