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Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe they just need a refinishing job. It can be a daunting task, but here are some ideas to make it a little easier.

If your hardwood floors are in dire need of
refinishing, get a few estimates from professionals.
You may be surprised at the figures. You’ll want to
sit down when they tell you it will cost you $1200 to
have your living room redone. You could carpet over it
for less, but doesn’t carpeting over beautiful hardwood
floors seem, well, wrong?

Contrary to what you may have heard, the finish doesn’t
take days and days to dry. It’s quite simple actually.
Go to your favorite local home improvement store,
Lowe’s, Menard’s, Home Depot or other. Rent a sander.
You’ll need a drum sander, a belt sander or both. They
will explain to you how to use the machine and tell you
what kind of sand paper to purchase. They will also
tell you what kind of stain and finish to get. Make
sure you also pick up some dust masks because you will
have saw dust everywhere.

The sanders are very easy to use. They’re a bit on the
loud side. The key is to keep it moving at all times.
Do not stop or you will get a divot in your wood.
Think of it like a clothes iron. You need to keep it
moving or you will burn your clothes. Same deal with
the sander. It creates a lot of heat and you will
burn or dent your floors if you hesitate in one place
too long.

You will feel like a Zamboni driver smoothing out your
surface. Word of caution, you do need to maintain
control of the machine at all times. It is self
propelled, like a lawn mower or a basset hound on a
leash. When you power it up, hold on to the machine
tightly. Don’t be afraid of it and after a few passes,
you’ll start to even have fun.

First you need to remove the old finish, basecoat,
color, and top coat. You may opt to forgo the color
(stain) and just use the nature color of the wood. You
will still need to apply a finish to it.

There are basically two types of floor finishes: one is
oil-based and the other is water-based polyurethane.
Oil-based is available in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss
finish. Satin works well on floors because it hides
small flaws and lets the natural beauty of the wood
show without a bright shine. 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.

Make sure you let each coat thoroughly dry before
applying the next; same as you would nail polish. 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.

Don’t be overwhelmed. Instead of looking at
refinishing your hardwood floors as a humungous job,
look at it as giving your room a manicure, one step at
a time. You’ll also save yourself as much as $1,000
by doing it yourself.

Luz Madera loves to work with wood. She is the
webmaster of http://www.funwoodworks.com which is the
premier woodwork and woodworking site on the internet.
Please visit http://www.funwoodworks.com for some
excellent woodworking resources.

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With the advent of new wood treatments and synthetic products such as laminate, flooring choices have become more varied in recent years. Formerly a simple selection between basic carpet samples and hardwood, choosing materials for flooring has grown complex. In fact, it has developed into an entire industry complete with professional designers to aid in the selection process.

Interior design centers can be overwhelming with the sheer volume of wood and laminate samples. There are thousands of combinations of wood types and colors. The grain variations alone are enough to send a shopper back to beige carpeting. Despite the plethora of choices available, however, there is an obvious winner when it comes to function, style, and price. Hardwoods, laminate products and carpet can not compete with the durability and simple beauty of bamboo flooring.

Wood floors are considered a classic design element. The sheen and expanse of the wood denotes quiet sophistication. Unfortunately, this class and polish comes with a heavy price tag and social burden. Hardwood flooring is expensive to install and difficult to maintain. In addition, the creation of hardwood flooring contributes to the destruction of forests around the globe.

If a room design requires the beauty and style of hardwood, bamboo flooring can offer or improve upon this vision without the guilty conscience and high price tag. Flooring created from one of the world’s most prolific natural sources, bamboo, is almost identical in appearance to many hardwoods. Ironically, bamboo is considered a weed by many, but it is quite possibly the most attractive weed in the world. In fact, bamboo has become the preferred material for many designers simply for the attractive range of shades and styles available.

Designers attempting to achieve the subtle look of hardwood floors, but with greater durability, use bamboo flooring. The bamboo is also considerably less expensive. The spectrum of colors available in bamboo flooring for design projects range from blonde to mahogany. There is another expansive range consisting entirely of variations of grain appearance. The sheer volume of variety accommodates any design project.

Dark, wide planks of bamboo flooring create the traditional feel of antique and richly textured homes. Urban contemporary styles are complimented by pale colors and interesting textures. Warm honey tones are crucial to classic Americana and country styles. Bamboo flooring is perfect for every design.

Traditional hardwood floors are easily marred and require substantial maintenance. This maintenance involves special cleansing products and even refinishing on a regular basis. The construction of bamboo flooring and the finishing products used make bamboo closer to laminate flooring in its durability and ease of care. There is no substitute for the quality, price, and durability of bamboo flooring. It simply has no equal.

Discover more great things about functional and stylish Bamboo
Flooring and how it can transform your living space, visit http://www.bambooflooring.biz

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