Gym floors are generally finished with polyurethane, it sounds like it needs sanding if anything. We have a budget. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There are also tide marks everywhere. First, you sand the floors with sanding machine.. We typically do 3 sandings, each with finer grits (the grits vary based on the type of wood and age). Yes it is but brushes, rollers etc. This is a great, cheap and easy solution for people that want to know how to refinish a wood floor without sanding. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Do not try this, I can’t say it gravely enough. This article has been viewed 22,570 times. Does it go matt in time? Before we start I must warn you, it’s going to take a lot of hard work, but once done they are very easy to keep. How to Finish Pine Floors (Without the Orange) Just before delving into my pine floor research I was simply going to leave my pine floors raw after sanding them. It means the floor won’t be flattened (which may be desirable if you want to keep it rustic) and no dents or scratches will be remove. We need to get it done asap so quick drying is important., do you have any tips on the best way to do it?.. Sink all nails popping up from the surface of the hardwood … If you choose to give a second coat of paint, continue exactly as the first coat. WITHOUT SANDING! Plus we have couches and a large heavy piano and armoire we can’t move again. We have recently polyurethaned our floors and we aren’t happy with the result. Finally, to paint a wooden floor without sanding perfectly, give a second coat of paint to the wood floor, if you consider it necessary. Prepare the perimeter sanding by hand, then use the buffer, moving from side-to-side along the grain of the floor. If you have an oiled floor, just put hardwax oil over it and don’t risk it. I didn’t know whether to cry or punch him, It looks awful, We now have to restore this floor to it’s original condition, Can a belt sander take this dark tinted poly off of this floor? You cannot just sand a patch through to wood. Are you dreaming of lush, light Nordic floors at home just like the ones you see in Scandinavian homes? Does the buffing technique cause a lot of dust throughout the house? Can you tell me what is the main difference, between using a chemical stripper and a sanding machine, to clean a 100 years old pine floor that i have in my apartment? A newly refinished floor can beautify any room, but the process tends to get a little messy. He is a professional wood floor refinishing specialist with 15 years of experience. They were rubbing the floors down by hand between coats. 2 Determine if you want to lighten or darken your piece. The instructions say to put the Citristrip in a metal bowl and use it from there. They also tend to be darker, duller, and more “orangey” that lacquered floors. I see in the above comment that you recommend doing 1 litre per 110 square feet per coat. Rub the floor down going with the grain of the wood(as seen in the video above). You can read more about affiliate links here.) Hi Ben, I have a floor that has always been covered in carpet so all of the floorboards are in really good condition and was dressed before it was laid down. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Personally I would opt for the warm water and get on my hands and knees and scrub. Was this blanchon product an oil? My question is, did I need to apply any lacquer to hardwood to begin with and can i remove the lacquer without damaging my floor and stain? Brighter and much more reflective than surrounding wood. When mixing your bleach solution, … I wrote local floor guys last night and their prices were pretty insane. Unless the damage extends all the way through to the bare wood, sanding usually isn’t necessary to restore the floor. The floor will need to be re-sanded to lighten the color of a dark stained floor. Do you think we can avoid sanding? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 22,570 times. We can’t afford to have someone redo it and my mom doesn’t want to offend the handy man when he comes to do work. Sanding does help to lighten wood in many cases, but this only applies to surface soil or grime, and even then only if the discoloration has not penetrated very deeply. We have only done one coat so far-would more coats reduce the tide marks? In my experience the roller is best for that. Any more idea on telling if a floor has been done with oil or lacquer? Polyurethane is a finish layer applied after sanding or installing a new hardwood floor to … Read more. If your hardwood floor is only lightly worn, damaged, or scratched, you may be able to refinish it without sanding. Unfortunately, I don’t have any great advice for fixing this without resanding. Large stain oxidized on the hardwood floor that is deep 3 years old. It’s important to remove the entire upper layer of the wood paneling and reveal the fresh wood beneath. To refinish a floor without sanding, you need a floor that’s already in quite a good condition. Someone told me that after sanding off the finish, clorox bleach can be applied to lighten the floor. This means there are no deep scratches or dents, things that can only be removed by taking off a millimetre or 2 from the surface of the wood. To refinish a floor without sanding, you need a floor that’s already in quite a good condition. We are gutted. Would this be a good idea, or is oil the only way to go for the finish coat? I hate the orangey colour but don’t mind the dents and old wear look. I noticed that the old dark brown varnish?/oil? I tried to oil it, in order to make it slightly more matching, and protect it from kitchen stuff. Hi, I just applied some osmo wood wax finish (I live where they make it!) in their relatively dark oak color to a new oak hardwood floor. Finalize with 100 grit pad for a perfectly smooth surface. He also owns a floor sanding and restoration company. Today I'm sharing how I removed the stain from my dining room table top without sanding. Lighten a dark hardwood floor by sanding. If so what method for sanding and what product is recommended? The surface doesn’t wear quite so quickly and easily. Oiled or Hardwax Oiled floors tend to wear faster on the surface. Sand the center of the floor: When you make it to the other end of the room, overlap the path where you sanded to keep an even surface. either way will take a couple of minutes. Really hoping not to sand it back down again as we have already done this twice.. Usually sub par coats can just be recoated. Just make sure you key it thoroughly with the 120grit so you don’t get delamination. Americans can call alcohol or other acid/solvent-based products ‘oil-based’, whereas in the UK we call it solvent-based. And it’s very easy to do. Wipe a white rag over the spot; if it turns brown or yellow, the finish may be wax. Thanks. What is it that you are unhappy about with the poly? It’s really idiot proof. To lighten the color of the floor, you must sand off the existing finish and stain with floor sanding equipment. Here are some differences that can help you tell the difference. The surface is usually shinier. When applying a second coat of lacquer, or oil should I just repeat the sanding at 120 grit or should I use a higher grit like 220? I recommend 150 grit now. You will need to mix a two-part wood bleach solution to make this happen. What a drag, such a small mistake can cost so much extra work! Hello there. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This will make the stain lighter. It is good condition, just the usual wear from foot traffic, no scratches. They also tend to be slightly more of an orange color and slightly darker. It looks like you could hand sand the whole room in just few minutes. cheap lacquer, thin coats, insufficient coats. I had no idea oak could stain so horribly just from water! Usually when using a stripper you are also using a scraper to remove the softened substance, the scraper takes off a very thin layer of wood that reveals unaged wood. Your email address will not be published. If this idea wouldn’t work, is there something else I can do? Are tide marks normal or is it our application? This is something that I have never considered and something I will have to look into. Floors in great condition otherwise. And last of all, oiled floors tend to feel a little more rubbery or waxy. places where edge sander was used , after applying first coat of oil with color, looked muuuch lighter (picture framing effect). Thanks, Dan. Dunno if that would work here. I’ve done it many times myself on a lot of the hardwood floors in my house because what that does it that just sort of takes off and roughs up the upper surface of the finish. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. 1. Norton ... For new wood floors the floor should be sealed with two coats of PolyWhey 3000 sealer before applying EasyWhey. Before we start I must warn you, it’s going to take a lot of hard work, but once done they are very easy to keep. Can you lightly sand hardwood floors? unfortunately, it sounds like its going to need a fair bit more than that. Stains in wood floors that have gone through the finish and soaked into the wood itself can be difficult to remove and may require sanding and refinishing. But is it really true? So we’re thinking about varnishing in a cherry wood color, varniishing to cover up a few dark spots Is this possible without sanding? Worst thing is that I already do not have time to resand entire floor due to family visit in our house. Just lightly abrade the floor by hand with a 120, vacuum and away you go! This type of bleach will lighten the stain and also lighten the natural wood’s color. I wanted raw wood (unfinished) floors for two reasons. Most kits will contain enough for two coats on over 225 square feet (20.9 m. A second coat may be a good idea to further hide any scratches. I doubt if they can take another machine sanding. Ben is responsible for almost all the content on this website. Im not sure what you mean by dull, can you elabourate on that? Assuming you have oak cabinets or some sort of stained cabinets from the 90’s you probably have an abundance of wood tones in your space. The sanded spots were shining like a of ufos. Thanks for the information. Thanks, if you do it by hand like i demonstrate in the video, almost non at all, but you definitely have to hoover the floor. It is through the naked wood surface that the bleaching solution will penetrate and lighten the paneling well. Screening is the method generally used by professional hardwood … Thanks in advance, Even when they are first finished they are darker and more orange than floors that are lacquered. How To Refinish a Wood Floor Without Sanding, How To Clean Hardwood Floors (advice from a Wood Floor Pro). If you dont have a buffer then rub it down by hand. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. By using our site, you agree to our. Firstly I would like to clear up on definitions. I decided to patch sand these places, did it already three times and can’t get same color and shine. It won’t remove any wood. WITHOUT SANDING! The professional floor guy used a brush, my neighbor used a soft rag, is it best to use a brush, roller or a rag? The oil has darkened the colour and made it look wet! The allergy thing is quite important too as I have possibly reacted to oil based paints before when I was doing up the rest of the place. Next, proceed with sanding by using 220 and/or 150 fine-grit sandpaper. Hi. I just decided to try stripping it with my housemate’s cheap hand sander and though I’m using hordes of paper, it works. We have just sanded and varnished our pine floorboards with antique pine water based varnish. When you are sure that all dark stains are removed, use an 80 grit pad with both the drum and palm sander. Walnut, mahogany, cherry and an assortment of exotic species are naturally colored dark, and even without stain, can only be lightened to a certain degree.Ash, maple, oak, pine, birch, fir and cedar are light in color, and easier to lighten. that protected the entire floor(i think the floor was stained) is almost gone, and now wath is left is the wood with dirtiness. I want to get some nice heavy OIL-based poly on it this time. Can pet stains be sanded out of hardwood floors. thank you, if they are new, you probably didnt need to do it. If the floor you have has an oil-based finish, I recommend using a ‘Hardwax Oil.’(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If your floor is lacquer based, I recommend using a Polyurethane lacquer (not acrylic or part acrylic). Just had our old pine floors professionally sanded stained and lacquered and they have come up darker than we would like and quite orange (it looks different than the test patch we saw). Raw wood floors feel beautiful beneath your feet unlike finished floors … The first thing I usually reach for when removing the stain from a piece of furniture is my handy dandy sander. When I finished the wax job and came back for a look, I got another shocker. We recently installed a new kitchen, and a small part (2 foot, maybe) of our floor, which was previously hidden under the old kitchen and was never oiled in the first place, is now visible. make it more red or brown) without darkening it, PolyShades® can help. References. I would prefer to use the buff and coat technique and finish with a lacquer coat, being that this area gets a considerable amount of foot traffic. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/realestate/making-your-wood-floors-look-like-new.html, https://www.profloortips.com/hardwood/hardwood-floor-refinishing/, https://www.oldhouseonline.com/articles/7-steps-to-like-new-floors, http://refinishingfurniture.net/refinishing-hardwood-floors-without-sanding/, http://howtosandafloor.com/how-to-refinish-a-wood-floor-without-sanding/, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-refinish-wood-floors, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP1GPm9c5Bs, https://www.familyhandyman.com/floor/hardwood-floors/refinish-hardwood-floors-in-one-day/view-all/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Just sand the whole lot, if you try to do just one area it won’t look very good, you can never refinish patches of the floor. Thanks for any help! The floors were in pretty good conditon, however when we were working a lot of plaster dust fell on the floor and has removed the existing oil. My buffer has a dust extractor so virtually no dust. I have an old property (which leads me to believe it was most likely done with an oil base a long time ago) that has seen a lot of wear and tear. Poly should usually be put down at a rate of about 1 litre per 110 square feet per coat. I bet there’s a knack to it but I will give it a go, thank you. Sink all nails popping up from the surface of the hardwood floor with a nail set and hammer. Even if you simply want to change the tone of your color (e.g. But you could tone it down by using something like Loba Invisible, Bona Naturale, Pallmann Pure or Blanchon Bare Timber. Many wood floors are finished with hardwax oil. Hi, so i recently bought a house that has finished hardwood that is a dark colour and a friend recommended me to lacquer my new hardwood floor to protect it from scratches and scuffs. we actually want to keep the old warts and all look of the floor (it has a dark stain all around the outside and a big gap in the middle where the rug used to be put) and all we want to do is add a protective layer on top. Vacuum or broom; Bona Hardwood Floor Spray Mop, includes 28.75 oz. Hi Ben thanks for posting your video on how to spruce up a wooden floor without sanding. I’m just doing the best I can to answer a common question. Great site and videos.You’re making it look easy! One thing that stood out to me in this article is looking for the difference between an oiled floor or a lacquered floor. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. The floor will need to be re-sanded to lighten … Do the same application instructio ns apply? So, for stripping the hardwood without sanding, I used my trusty Citristrip (not sponsored), just like I did on the stairs. Would you recommend trying to take it of with just a buffer? If I can match the stain I think it will go ok. I’m going to be doing something between a full sand & this video. There are two basic methods: buffing or abrading the existing coat before refinishing, or, alternatively, applying a chemical “etching” kit. Sanding hardwood floors is an expensive and arduous job that most of us would like to avoid. Required fields are marked *. Let the wood dry, then sand to … If you touch the surface with anything sticky, like Sellotape, it lifts off the wax! Resanding and refinishing specifically! Tedious, but cheap. Thoroughly clean the floor with a pH-neutral cleaner and lightly rub it down to provide a key for the next coat. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Apply part one of the wood bleach with a paint brush and allow it to dry for 10 minutes. If you want to change colour, you need to resand, unfortunately. The easy route—and one you could do yourself—is to apply a pigmented penetrating oil like Rubio Monocoat . Follow with another sanding, using 120-grit sandpaper to smooth the wood fibers, which are rough after bleaching. I have been looking at osmo polyx oil as it seems to have a good reputation but I don’t know if the cost of it is worth it as it is not like we are going to be obsessing about damage as the floor is extremely marked already. Any suggestions for how we can tone them down without doing it all again much appreciated. You can then apply it to the wood after it is your preferred color. can be cleaned with water. What can we do to get rid of them? Be sure you know whether your floor has an oil- or lacquer-based finish. The paint takes about around 20% of the floor. Do we need to resand it all back down and re varnish it so that it’s fairly thick or can we just go over the top of it do it as a fourth coat? There are two basic methods: buffing or abrading the existing coat before refinishing, or, alternatively, applying a chemical “etching” kit. Last year my 15 year dog passed away and i decided that this summer i will have to clean the entire floor of the apartment. You need to work in small areas. I have a semi hardwood floor about 12yrs old marked quite badly by daughters and high heels. Personally I would sand it back, stain it the colour I want, then coat it with polyurethane. No offense if that’s what you charge, haha. Just make sure you key it thoroughly with the 120grit so you don’t get delamination”, Given this statement, why would Ezra’s idea cause any problem, Im replying to this question without reading the previous, I think it was an instance where someone had applied lacquer to oil before coming here. Renew the finish on your wood floor without the hassle of sanding. Not happy with the result, my husband decided to apply a dark tint poly coat over it. Dip a 2 in (5.1 cm) paintbrush with natural bristles into the finish stripper and paint it onto the wood that you’re lightening. It also works on plastic laminate floors. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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