byAlma Abell

Hardwood floor refinishing in Manhattan is a job that takes a great deal of specialized equipment as well as operators who are highly skilled and patient. Wood floor refinishing is a common home improvement job but it is one that takes a considerable amount of research as well as time and “know-how.” Although a very ambitious DIYer might be able to do this job, for the majority of homeowners this is something to turn over to the professionals. The entire process can take a considerable amount of time as the job must be evaluated and then the floors must be prepared, sanded and sealed; there are just too many places where an error can take place that will be a long lasting problem.

The first thing to do is to determine whether the planks in your existing hardwood floors are even good candidates for refinishing. You need to determine to what extent, if any, the floors have suffered from pet urine or water stains as well as deep gouges or scratches; the baseboard needs to be removed to see whether the floor boards are thick enough to be sanded and you need to determine what the finish was that was last used on the floors, was it wax, varnish or polyurethane?

If the floor slats do not have deep scratches or gouges and are at least ¾” thick then the first hurdle has been passed. The next stage of floor refinishing in Manhattan will take a number of days. The entire floor surface must be cleaned; any holes that are found from nails, staples or deep scrapes are to be filled. During this phase there may be boards that are beyond repair and must be replaced, at this time you have to find boards that closely match those that exist. Pull up the door thresholds and baseboards. If adjacent rooms use the same wood flooring you will want to refinish them both even though the floors in one room are still in excellent condition, otherwise they will not be consistent and will be quite noticeable at doorways.

The floor is then sanded with a heavy drum sander; this machine looks more like a miniature steam roller than anything else. After two or three passes with this machine the floors will be flat but raw wood. After a thorough cleaning the final step in floor refinishing in Manhattan is to give the floors multiple coats of high quality polyurethane which is the best sealer to combat shoe scuffs and sunlight.

Even the best maintained floors will begin to show the effects of age and use, when this happens floor refinishing in Manhattan is recommended. The experts at New York Wood Flooring can bring your old hardwood floors back to life.