One of the best things about owning a hardwood floor is that you can refinish the surface whenever you want. That is, if you have the right type of hardwood, you can sand away the existing stain and then apply a new finish to completely change the look of your floor. This article explains how to determine whether or not you can refinish your own hardwood. It will help you not only figure out if you have the right type of planks to be refinished but also what tools are needed for the job.

Is Your Hardwood Thick Enough?

Hopefully, you have a spare plank of the original hardwood you have that is installed on your floor. This way, you can look at it to see if it can be refinished. Just want to make sure that the top layer of hardwood is thick enough to be sanded. In most cases, you will be able to refinish your hardwood at least once or twice. However, with each time you do it, you sand down some of the top layers, making it thinner. You don't want to risk sanding off all of the hardwood and exposing the layers of composite wood underneath. As long as your top layer of hardwood is 1/8" thick, you shouldn't have any issue refinishing your floor.

The Best Sanding Methods

The process for refinishing hardwood is straightforward, but the work can be messy, Dusty, and very tiring. You need to spend a lot of time down on your hands and knees doing physical labor. Usually, if you have a few people equipped with handheld power sanders, you can get the sanding part done very quickly. If there's only one person doing the sanding, you should consider renting a standup drum sander or dustless sanding machine. Dustless sanding machines are equipped with high-powered vacuums, so they suck up 99% of the sawdust during the sanding process. This can make the job far less messy, so you don't need to do as much masking off, prep work, or clean up. The sanding process is definitely the hardest part of refinishing your floor.

Applying the stain can be messy, but it is pretty easy to work. In most cases, you will just rub the stain onto the floor using rags. If you have the right type of planks that can be refinished, this can be a great DIY home remodel. On the other hand, if you just want to leave the work to professionals, it shouldn't be too costly.

Contact local home builders for more information and assistance. 

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