Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors? Avoid These 4 Mistakes!
Are you looking to spruce up your home with DIY hardwood floor refinishing? You need to know the potential pitfalls of doing so. Refinishing your hardwood floors can be a rewarding and satisfying experience. Still, many common mistakes can lead to costly repairs down the line. This blog post will look at 4 major hardwood refinishing mistakes and how you can avoid them.
1. Not Testing for Moisture Levels Beforehand
One of the most common mistakes in hardwood refinishing is not testing for moisture levels before beginning work. Hardwood is sensitive to moisture, and if too much of it is in the air, it can cause warping over time. You’ll need a new hardwood floor installation if this happens. Before staining or varnishing, use a moisture meter on the subfloor and existing wood.
2. Skipping Over Sanding Steps
Another mistake when refinishing hardwood floors is skipping sanding steps or using the wrong sandpaper grits. This will inevitably lead to an uneven finish where some areas are smoother than others, with visible scratches left behind after staining. To ensure an even finish throughout your entire floor, go through all the stages of sanding.
3. Applying Too Much Stain or Polyurethane
Applying too much stain or polyurethane will leave your floor looking overly glossy or darken its color beyond what you originally intended. These two issues can be difficult to reverse without redoing some sections entirely. To get a better idea of how your finished product will look, always use test samples on scrap pieces of wood first.
4. Not Protecting Surroundings from Stains
Before starting any refinishing project, cover nearby walls, cabinets, and other furniture from any potential stains with plastic sheeting or drop cloths as necessary. Otherwise, you could end up causing more damage than you bargained for! It’s also important not to forget about yourself; wear protective clothing, eyewear, and masks.
Avoid All And Any Mistakes With A Pro Solution
With these four tips in mind, you should know better how best to approach your next DIY hardwood floor refinishing project! However, if all this sounds like too much hassle for you, then just remember that our team at Hudson Hardwood has the expertise needed to help you. Our hardwood floor refinishing and installation services are perfect for home and business owners in the greater Philadelphia, PA area!
Get in touch today for more information about our services!