Buffing your floor is a great way to breathe new life into it without having to go the whole hog and resand it. In very simple terms, a buffer is a machine with a heavy rotating pad that uses its movement to create a professional looking finish on tired wood flooring.
Buffing a hardwood floor with a buffer is an easy and efficient way to restore its shine without sanding. Make sure that all areas are dry before you begin buffing. Put on the appropriate protective gear and attach the buffing pad to the buffer. It's important to give each area equal attention for a uniform shine.
Almost all old floors can be salvaged and refinished by skilled contractors. Termite-damaged planks, insect-infested boards or delaminated strips can be replaced if there aren't too many. Squeaky floors can be tightened and quieted, at least temporarily, with nails or dry lubricant.
Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.
Olive oil naturally hydrates and polishes wood floors without leaving behind the dirt-attracting film common with store-bought products. It can clean and polish your floor at the same time or allow you to quickly buff dull areas back to a stunning sheen.
Water, Vinegar, and Plant-Based Liquid Soap
Similarly, for a vigorous hardwood floor cleaner solution, mix one part plant-based liquid soap and one part white vinegar with 10 parts water. The liquid soap will break apart any stubborn dirt and grime.
To condition and shine when done cleaning, add some vegetable or olive oil to a little undiluted white vinegar and rub into floor—kind of like adding a finishing product for shine after you shampoo!
Yes, refinishing your hardwood floors is worth it. It keeps them looking their best, and it's always less expensive than replacing them.
All hardwood floors, whether made from new or recycled wood, or even vintage floors that have been in place a century or more, need periodic waxing. Floor wax helps seal the porous wood surface, protects it from stains, hides scratches and dents and increases shine.
Generally speaking, it is almost always less expensive to refinish your hardwood floors than to replace them. That's because replacing them involves paying for additional wood, the installation itself, as well as labor costs for tearing up and hauling away the existing hardwood.
Hardwood flooring can last a lifetime, but the glossy shine of original wood flooring will fade over the course of its life. You'll notice fading after about 25 years. Hardwood floors, if installed properly, can last 100 years.
With regular wear and tear, the finish on your hardwood floor should last about 7-10 years. Floors in high-traffic areas or that are exposed to a lot of sunlight may need to be refinished more often. So if we do some quick math, your hardwood floors will last up to 60 years with being refinished every ten years!
Mix ¾ cup of canola oil with ¼ cup of vinegar. Mix it thoroughly and apply the mixture to the scratch marks or any minor damaged areas. The marks will slowly disappear, and the wood will look as good as new.
Never use Methylated spirits or any other type of petroleum distillate as it will degrade the floor coating and make your floor look very dull. Wipe up spills as soon as they occur with a dry cloth or paper towel.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
Tung and Linseed Oil
Tung and Linseed oil are the best natural penetrating oils for hardwood floors. The technical term for these oils is drying oils because they polymerize, forming a long-lasting protective layer on wood and stone. Tung provides the most durable finish of the oils and linseed is not far behind.