Issue 34.14
Wood Floors; most people have them and it’s generally an area that needs attention. But the idea of refinishing a wood floor is very intimidating for most of us. It can be a huge, stinky, messy, long, invasive process. I see more people try to hide them then talk about fixing them. We add rugs, move furniture, close the blinds and get creative to hide a lack luster wood floor. But renewing your wood floor can also be a very manageable, rewarding process when done correctly.
Most wood floors in Southern Utah are not solid wood nailed down to a wood subfloor from the 1930’s. Most floors are engineered with a factory applied finish and glued to a cement slab at installation. This limits the refinishing options and how many times a wood floor can be refinished. Hand Scraped, or distressed flooring is extremely popular around here. These can be almost impossible to sand and refinish. For engineered, distressed, even traditional wood floors, Renewing instead of refinishing is a great way to make your floors like new.
Renewing a floor consists of preparing your existing floor to accept a nice new topcoat of finish. Dies, stains, wood fillers and stain removers can restore the color. Degreasers and in depth cleaning can prepare the surface for a new coat of finish. Renewing wood floors is a dustless procedure. This is a huge benefit when you live in your home. Using a water based product will keep you from being blown out of your house by fumes.
DIY’ers can renew your floor with good water based polyurethane, proper prep work and elbow grease. Consult your home improvement or local paint store for the best product and how to get proper adhesion to the existing finish.
Sanding and stripping is a last resort to revive a wood floor. If changing the color is your goal that maybe your only option. For everything else consider renewing the finish on your floor. Thanks for reading.
Nhance is available to renew your wood floor. In home consultations are free in the Saint George area, or visit our Showroom at 595 N. 1300 E. Saint George, UT 84770, M-F, 8-5. Call our Office 435-669-7080 for more information or to schedule a consultation.