All homes’ beauty comes from great maintenance and care. Hardwood floors enhance the classic beauty of your home; they are an element that makes your space glowy and attractive.
But even they need maintenance, to continue looking their best.
Here is all you need to know about sealed hardwood floors.
This article is all about hardwood floors, why they are important, how to seal them, and, in fact, even how to properly maintain them. It also explains the dos and don’ts.
Hardwood Floors? Why Does Care Matter?
Hardwood Floors are well known for their toughness and durability, but as the saying goes, anything that is not cared for deteriorates over time. The same is true for hardwood floors; they, too, require routine care.
Even if the hardwood floors are well sealed, they are subject to damage, which can be prevented to the maximum. Still, after a certain period of time, they would like a refreshment.
Doing It On Your Own V/s Experts
If we talk about maintenance, it is very affordable, but if we talk about repairs, let’s just not talk about them. So, why not just maintain the hardwood floors instead of letting them go to a stage of repair?
And certainly, it is not necessary to call on experts to do it; you can do it on your own, which is very cost-efficient.
If we classify the two, hiring a pro comes at a cost of money and doing it on your own comes at the cost of your time and effort but costs less in terms of money.
How Much Does It Cost?
Refinishing on your own might cost you around $500 to $1000. While hiring a professional might cost you around $1500 to $2000. These are just approximate numbers and can vary due to various reasons.
How To Seal Your Hardwood Floors?
To enhance the beauty of your home, you can follow the following steps to seal hardwood floors successfully.
Well-Ventilated Home Is A Must
While working with chemicals, you have the tendency to inhale harmful substances as the chemical use releases them. And there would be dust and grit all around.
So, to avoid any health collapses, it is suggested to make your home well-ventilated in sensible ways. And also to wear suitable personal protective gear.
Smoothening The Hardwood Floors
The first and foremost step is to smooth out the surface with sandpaper. This will remove scratches, dents, and other damage.
You can use either of the sanders, be it hand, or rotary ones. Choose as per your convenience.
Cleaning The Surface
Sanding the floors creates a huge ruckus; you would see dust and grit everywhere and anywhere your eyes go.
Now, you need to clean up the mess left behind by the floor smoothening. You can simply use a vacuum to clean up the mess so that your newly smoothened floors will not be damaged.
After vacuuming, wipe the surface with a fresh cloth to ensure no dust is left behind.
This is an important step.
Staining The Surface
The sanding of the floors might have just removed all the grace out of your floors as well.
You can stain the surface by applying a coat or two before beginning the sealing process. A penetrating stain would work best, and make sure to even it out throughout the space.
The only thing you need to make sure of is that the stain shouldn’t grain the wood as that would lead to another sandpaper job for you.
Apply The First Coat Of Sealant
Applying sealant is more like staining the floors, a very simple job. All you have to do is, use a roller to apply the sealant and follow the grain of the wood.
The sealant makes your floors shiny, attractive, and durable. Most sealants are made from polyurethane.
Usually, people prefer to apply two coats of sealant to achieve the look they desire.
You need to leave the first coat for at least about 6 hours before going onto further process.
Sand The Surface Gently
You need to sand the floors gently after the first coat is applied to prepare a smoothen base for the second coat.
Once done with the sanding of the surface, clean up the left-out dirt and debris with a vacuum and a piece of cloth, and technically repeat the steps.
Apply The Second Coat Of Sealant
Now, apply the first coat in the same way you are supposed to apply the second coat of sealant. Follow the grain with a roller to apply, all sorted.
The second coat would like to rest for about 8 hours at least. Or you could just leave it to dry overnight.
And you are done; good to go
The Pre-maintenance Prep Of Hardwood Floors
Even for the maintenance of hardwood floors, there is a pre-prep needed.
That is inspection, before you start your maintenance process, thoroughly inspect the surface for what requires your attention.
- Check for whether the floors are sealed or unsealed. Hardwood floors need to be sealed to make them look more attractive and protect them from damage.
- How to identify? Simply drop a water droplet. If it retains its shape, the floor is sealed, and if it is absorbed, it is unsealed.
- Examine the floor well for any kind of scratches, dents, or any other damage.
- Do note down anything that requires your attention while maintaining the process of the hardwood floors.
How to Maintain Hardwood Floors?
There are many aspects of a hardwood floor that require maintenance and regular care, and it is also essential.
Avoid Dirt Buildup
Your first priority should be keeping your floors clean of dirt and debris, which will eventually build up and be difficult to remove.
Sweep, mop, and vacuum the space on a regular basis.
Seasonal Disinfectant Cleanup
Even if you do the cleaning process regularly, there are chances of dust and grime staying behind. So, to be on the safer side, you can always opt for a seasonal disinfectant cleanup.
To prevent further damage to hardwood floors, it is suggested that a liquid solution specially designed for them be used.
But while using a disinfectant there are certain things to be kept in mind:
- Always read the instructions of the cleaning product thoroughly and follow them.
- Avoid using anything that might be harsh on the floors.
- You can also make your own cleaner.
- Test run the product first on a small patch to check for its efficiency.
- Do not use excess liquid as it can damage the surface.
Repairing
There are various methods to do the repairing of hardwood floors, you have a pool of options to choose from.
Patch Up Cracks With Wood Filler
You can always fill up deep cracks with wood, although they might need more TLC than usual to conceal. It is not impossible.
To do this, you would need a sponge, microfiber cloth, cleaning solution, wood filler, sandpaper, and wood stain.
Start by cleaning the space. Then, fill the scratch with wood filler and let it dry. Once it is filled and dried, sand the above surface to smooth it out and make it even. Now, stain it with a matching shade and seal.
Camouflage Scratches And Stains By Distressing Your Floor
This approach is well suitable if your floor has more light scratches. This seems to be a very new age and unique technique of repairing.
Distressing your floor would give it an antique appearance, making the scratches a part of the surface look.
Here is how you can purposefully make your floor look distressed.
- You can use a wire brush across the floor to mimic scratches.
- You can also use a screwdriver to create controlled small divots.
- You can use a hot iron piece to make marks and scars on your floor.
Or any other way that you find interesting and non-harmful.
Don’t forget to run a test before going ahead with any of the methods.
Buff Out The Scratches On The Floor
You can simply make up a homemade solution that would help you buff out the scratches.
Make a solution to help you through it, such as using a combination of baking soda and olive oil. Apply the solution to scratches and let it be, then buff it in a circular motion with a sponge. Clean it with a microfiber cloth afterwards. Then, rub a nut on it for the natural oil to soak into the wood flooring. Finally, clean it with a microfiber cloth after this to give it a clean look.
Regular Touch Up
Even if you take care of your hardwood floors to the utmost, you will need to refinish them after a certain period of time, which can range from 3 to 5 years.
It is equally essential as maintenance because if you let it sit for longer than it is required, the refinishing will be hectic. To follow through the refurnishing, you can go through the above-mentioned process of sealing the hardwood floors.
How To Prevent Hardwood Floor From Damage?
We have discussed how to maintain the floor and repair and refinish it in case of damage. But one thing we haven’t discussed yet is how to minimise the damage.
- Clean up any kind of spills right away. Leaving spills can let it soak into the woods, which is not exactly good for the floor. So it is better suggested to clean it up right away and also give it time to dry.
- Keep the area well-ventilated. It is always suggested to give the space air, as moisture can also damage the hardwood floors, especially when drying them.
- Avoid moving heavy furniture without proper protection. Adding protective pads under your furniture is one way to minimize damage.
- Using rugs to cover space. Rugs can provide a beautiful yet purposeful bottom. They can protect your floor from wear and tear and keep all the dirt and debris on it instead of directly touching it.
- Keep in mind your pets nails. Their nails are sharp and often scratch the flooring accidentally, so it is better to keep them trimmed.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be said that sealing the hardwood floors is important to protect them from outer damage and to give your home floors an attractive and shiny look.
People usually like to hire contractors for the work, but it is easy to do it yourself. Certain rules must be followed while sealing hardwood floors.
Knowing this process for yourself is a great way to contribute to maintaining your home. Make sure to follow all the instructions and dos and don’ts.
Your floor looks worn out, get started today, refinish your hardwood floors with this guide.
FAQs
How Often Is Refinishing Hardwood Floors Necessary?
You might think that you have taken good care of your hardwood floors and you might not need refinishing but it is not correct. Even with good maintenance, hardwood floors need refinishing every 5 to 7 years as per the condition of wear and tear.
Can You Do The Refinishing On Your Own?
Refinishing hardwood floors on your own is easy yet time-consuming. You would have to buy all the necessary materials and then spend a great amount of time on it, as it isn’t your regular job, and there is room for mistakes.
If you have that amount of time to spare, you are good to do it on your own. But if you want to save your time and labour, you can always hire a professional to do it.
What Is The Cost Difference Between Refinishing On Your Own And Hiring A Professional?
There might be a cost difference between refinishing on your own and hiring a professional to do it. Refinishing on your own might cost you around $500 to $1000. Hiring a professional might cost you around $1500 to $2000, depending on various factors like square foot area, quality of products, time taken, etc.
But technically if we see, hiring a professional saves your time and labour. So sometimes sparing the amount is no harm
