| |
| |
|
Home Improvement Information |
|
|
|
Get New Floors And Save A Bundle When You Do It Yourself
After years of use, your floor will need to be refinished and that can cost over $1000 for just one room! But if you want to put in a little time and elbow grease, you can refinish the floor yourself and have the beautiful look of warm wood in your home for a fraction of the cost. Contrary to what you may have heard, the finish doesn't take weeks to dry. It's quite simple actually. You can get the supplies for sanding at your neighborhood home improvement store. You'll need a drum sander and a belt sander. They will be able to advise you on the sandpaper you need, how to use the machine and what kind of stain and finish you'll need to finish off the floor. Sanding creates fine particles of dust that will get everywhere and on everything so you may want to pick up some dust masks and drop cloths while you are at it. The first thing you'll want to do when refinishing your floor yourself is to learn how to run the sander. The key to stripping a floor is learning how to get the sander working smoothly. The sanders are very easy to use. But they're a bit on the loud side. The key is to keep it moving at all times. The sander gets very hot and if you stop in one spot for any length of time, you run the risk of burning or denting your floor. Running the sander is the fun part of refinishing, but you must be cautious as the machine is self propelled. You may feel like a Zamboni driver smoothing ice after you get the hang of it! When you start it up, hold on firmly and make sure you keep it in control at all times. After the old finish is removed, you need to apply the stain and new finish. Think of this as the same as doing your nails - first you remove the old finish, then basecoat, color and topcoat. Sometimes you don't want color on your nails so you skip that part. In your floor you might also skip that part (the stain) but you still want to use a finish to protect the floor. When it comes to the finish you have 2 choices - oil based or water based. Oil-based is available in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish. Satin works well on a hardwood floor because it will bring out the natural glow of the wood without too much of a shine as well as help hide any flaws. Oil-based also produces a warm amber look that gives you the traditional glow of wood floors. Water-based polyurethane dries clear and resists yellowing. Water-based also dries quicker. Either way, make sure you let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. Follow the manufacturers instructions on the product for drying times. Give your floor at least 24-36 hours before moving furniture back on it. It will continue to harden in the first couple of weeks. Refinishing your floor is simply a set of tasks which can be done easily if you take them one step of a time. Your flooring can get a whole new look for less when you refinish it yourself - you'll save over 80 percent of the cost. Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for home improvement resources such as Refinishing-Hardwood-Floors.com. Visit our site and learn more about Refinishing Old Hardwood Floors.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Mexican Artisans Promote the Use of Recycled Copper in the Fabrication of Their World Famous Copper For many years copper has been the main raw material used by the Mexican artisans of Santa Clara del Cobre for the fabrication of their beautiful artisan items. Originally artisans relied on the natural supply of copper of their lands for the fabrication of their items. Vinyl Replacement Window Terminology With so many homeowners in the market for more energy efficient windows and doors for their home, I thought I would use this week's article to cover the more common terms used to describe a window's ability to insulate your home from the elements. There is an organization called The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Ridding Your Home of Geopathic Stress Just as there are solar magnetic stresses that come from the sun and the galactic "soup" that supports the universe, there are geomagnetic stresses that come from within the earth. The field of geobiology, or geopathology, is a science that has its roots in Europe and has slowly gained popularity in the United States over the past 25 years. Pool Supplies Should Also Contain Safety A swimming pool with attached spa has just been installed in your backyard. Now you are ready to invite your friends for a big splashy pool party - or are you? Do you have all of the pool supplies you need to maintain your new fiberglass pool? Do you have the chemicals, pool toys, covers, automatic cleaners, pool heater, ladders, liners, slides, diving boards and on and on? You can see pool supplies can add up quickly. "5 Fast Ideas to Freshen the Look of your Room "Company's coming and my place doesn't look right?"You know how it goes, you have visitors coming tonight. You've cleaned every room in the house (well, maybe not the bedroom). How to Care for Laminate Flooring It's hard to damage and easy to care for laminate floors. Here are some tips on how to properly maintain them:1. Laminate Flooring Is Attractive And Long Lasting Laminate flooring is perfect for people who want to install a floor covering that is easy to install and combines the rich look of hardwood with the easy care of a laminate counter top. Laminate floors that have been constantly gaining popularity since their creation a few years ago. How to Finance a New Extension? Want to improve the look of your property? Want to add value to your property?The extension plans are ready but the finances are not.Rather than waiting another year why not consider a Home Improvement Loan. Wood Panels and Humidity Coping with wood movementAll wood workers need to be aware of wood movement when building furniture projects. Failure to consider this important factor can cause wood panels to crack or split. Age Old Question: Buy New or Remodel Existing Home? Your house doesn't have enough storage space, bathrooms, or counter space! Not too mention your kitchen is old, small and poorly ventilated. Now you are trying to decide between remodeling your current home to address some of these needs and buying a new bigger home. Light Up Your Life With Feng Shui Feng Shui (pronounced Foong Shway or Fung Shoy) is the ancient Chinese art of luck management, which works by maximising the flow of energy (known as 'Chi') in your environment. Every object, inanimate or living, possesses its own energy field and also has an affect on the flow of Chi in your environment. Guide to Bathroom Design The first step is to plan the design - as with kitchens, your local supplier will run off a computer-generated plan based on the room's dimensions and your particular requirements.If you're sticking with the same layout, measure your bathroom suite carefully before you go shopping for a replacement so that you know the new items will fit. Keeping Stone Floors in Tip Top Condition I had a customer call me to make a complaint about the Limestone floor we had restored and sealed for them. The building is a state of the art facility in the heart of Covent Garden, in London. Planning Your In-Wall Speaker System So you've finally decided to get your favorite music throughout your house. What's next? Where do you go from here? That depends upon your requirements and weather this will be an installation in an existing home or a music system in a new construction home. Refining Your Area Rug Choice As a Managing Partner of www.exquisiterugs. How to Select the Best Laminate Flooring for You Hardwood flooring - its' traditional look is almost timeless, its' beauty is unmatchable. However, it's pretty hard to maintain a hardwood floor, not to mention the price you have to pay for it. Planning Lightning When you are choosing a color scheme for any room in your home, the first thing to take into account is how that room will be used and, thus, the type of lightning you will need. Light is very important in a room, because it affects colors and makes them seem lighter or darker. Improving Your Bathrooms Appearance can be as Simple as Changing Your Bathroom Cabinets Your choice of bathroom cabinet can affect the look and feel of your entire room. If your bathroom could benefit from a fresh new look, then consider replacing your old storage cabinets with stylish new ones. Pool Decks - Add Ambiance to Your Above Ground Pool Above ground pools are beloved by many and have gained in popularity over the years. Pool decks could be one reason why this is the case. Tearing Down the House Last year, we bought this big ol' 1887 house. We are just now coming to grips with the magnitude of the "upgrades" planned.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
