While waxing and buffing can provide a decent shine, refinishing hardwood floors is usually the only way you can regain the original richness and beauty of the wood. While refinishing hardwood floors is relatively hard work, it can be done without having to call a professional in to do the job. Most of the necessary equipment is available at your local home center, and the steps are pretty straight forward.

Refinishing Hardwood Floors

The first step in this process is that of actually deciding whether or not your floor is a good candidate for refinishing. This is important because sometimes, a floor with shallow scratches or a dull surface needs only to have a top coat of finish.

Other times refinishing hardwood floors simply won’t be enough, and often whole boards will have to be replaced. Boards should be replaced if they feel spongy, saggy, or if they are buckling or warping.

The next step is to deal with any gaps or cracks in the floor. Although there really isn’t any definitive procedure for filling in cracks and gaps in hardwood floors, there are some guidelines which can be followed. For instance, during the dry winter months cracks and gaps are more visible, while the humidity of the summer months cause some cracks to virtually disappear.

The equipment you require for refinishing hardwood floors includes: drum sander, floor edger, buffer, orbital/palm sander, putty knife and scraper, shop vacuum, ear protection, dust masks, safety goggles, lamb’s wool and natural bristle brush, or foam applicators, and tack cloths.

Before beginning, you need to remove absolutely everything that isn’t nailed down and then follow up by sweeping the floor thoroughly. Leave the baseboards unless you plan to replace them, and you should hang plastic over the room’s doorways and put rags or towels under any doors and over any vents.

You must then sand the hardwood floors, and finish this up by another sanding and a buffing of the entire floor. It is only after this that you apply the stain color, from which the two basic options are: water-based and oil-based.

Water-based stains have just recently become more popular, while oil-based stains are old time favorites because not only are they easy to use; but they look nice as well. They are reliable, available in an array of colors, and are basically considered the prime choice in stains.

Installing a red oak hardwood floor in your home is a great way to increase its value. In addition to the financial benefits, red oak hardwood floors are strong enough to last a lifetime. Red oak is considered a symbol of strength and its color is a reddish-gold color that is unmatched by any other hardwood.

Red Oak does make a Difference

When you install a red oak hardwood floor in your home, you’ll be amazed by the difference it makes. Your friends and family will gasp at the luxurious reddish-gold color. The gleam and shine makes your floors stand out and it’s the first thing that the eye is drawn to. A red oak hardwood floor brings a homey, grand style to any room.

A red oak hardwood floor is also strong enough to handle years of wear and tear as it is one of the strongest woods around. When it’s made into a red oak hardwood floor, the result is a floor that can take a beating and still continue to shine. Of course, just like any other hardwood floor, your red oak hardwood floor requires care and careful maintenance in order to stay just as beautiful as when you installed it.

Take Care of Your Floor

To care for your red oak hardwood floor, you should make sure that it is always free of dirt, sand and grit. These substances act like sandpaper when stepped on and can cause scratches or other blemishes after long periods of time. Use a damp cloth or mop to always keep it free of dirt. Also, you should always use water based cleaners with a neutral PH. These simple care tips will cause your floor to last for as long as you own your home.

Red oak has for a long time been a symbol of strength and by making this strong wood into a floor, the result is a floor that’s built to last. Installing red oak hardwood flooring requires special tools since it’s so hard to cut and work with. However, when you are looking for a hardwood floor that will last for years, then you definitely want a red oak hardwood floor in your home.

To find your very own red oak hardwood floor, ask your local floor retailer. They’ll likely have what you’re looking for or they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. Red oak is a little more expensive per square foot than traditional hardwood floors but if you’re looking for strength, durability and quality, then the choice is clear.

Get yourself a red oak hardwood floor and be the talk of your neighborhood.

Technology has invaded every part of our life so there is no reason why flooring should be left behind. Today, you can get a pre-finished hardwood floor right from the factory and avoid the mess and stress of waxing or sanding it in your home after installation.

Pre-finished Hardwood Floor

The manufacturers of a pre-finished hardwood floor deliver urethane-based durable finishes in the factory itself by using ultra violet lights. With this advanced technology, they can apply several coats of urethane in a matter of minutes; and in the process saving the customer money and adding to the life of the wooden floor. Another recent invention is adding aluminum oxide as part of the floor’s finish as this process increases the life span of the urethane finish dramatically.

A Pre-finished hardwood floor has developed high standards which are difficult to equal manually. For example in the factory, with the help of ultra violet light, urethane can be applied up to six times on a wooden floor. This would be extremely expensive and hard to achieve manually and would be a process that took several days to finish. In contrast, a pre-finished hardwood floor can generally be installed in one day depending on the area you have in mind.

Care and Maintenance of a Pre finished Hardwood Floor

The care and maintenance of a pre-finished hardwood floor is the same as with the floors that have been sanded. The fact that they are pre-finished and have a couple more coats of urethane does not protect them from sharp objects or harsh detergents.

Avoid dragging any furniture on wooden floors and remember to immediately dry any liquid spills. Place mats at all entrances as those are the most used areas and prone to damages. Also, try to place felt pads under the legs of heavy furniture that is placed on wooden floors.

Advantage of a Job-Site Finish Hardwood Floor

The main advantage of a job-site finish hardwood floor and the reason why some still use this practice is the fact that at times wooden floors are uneven and the slight differences between them can only be corrected through sanding.

Depending on one’s requirements both job-site and a pre-finished hardwood floor are easily available both online and in home stores. It is up to each person weighing the pro and cons to decide which will be the best choice in the long run.

Wooden floors are a lifetime investment which should not be made in a rush. It is an addition to the overall value of your property as well as an enhancement to your home. Take your time and make the right choice.