Old Hardwood Floor Finish TIPS

• Finish could be varnish - varnish can water stain
• Urethanes not widespread until after 1960
• Test for lead - lead was used in varnish. Get test kit below
• Don't sand floor until you know there's no lead
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: What type of finish was used on hardwood floors circa 1964? Does it need to removed or screened to apply a new finish such as oil or water-based urethane? Jim Heavey

DEAR JIM: Although highly unlikely, it's possible your finish is urethane. Urethanes were developed in the early 1960's. The widespread adoption of urethanes for floor finishes didn't start to happen until the late 1960s and the early 1970s.

CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Varnish Is Great, But ...

In all likelihood, the finish on your floor is traditional varnish. It is hard to discern the difference between the two with the naked eye, but you can test in a small out-of-the-way location. A large drop or spot of water will often turn varnish cloudy within 30 minutes or less. Urethane, on the other hand, is usually unaffected by water.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring restoration companies.

Check For Lead

The bigger problem might be the presence of lead in the varnish. Yes, lead was sometimes added to clear finishes years ago. I'd absolutely perform a lead test on the finish before I would create clouds of sanding or screening dust.

This is a handy and reliable test kit. Use it on paint or clear varnish to check for the presence of lead. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER THIS KIT.

Remove Wax First

Furthermore, it is also possible a past owner of the home applied wax to the finish. If wax is present, you must remove it before you do any application of a new urethane. The screening process will not remove all of the wax, if it is present.

Screening is the same as a light sanding and is meant to lightly scuff an existing surface to ensure a good bond between an older glossy surface and the fresh coat of floor finish.

DIY Floor Refinish Product

Here's a fantastic liquid refinishing product. NO SANDING required! No lead dust!!

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring restoration companies.

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Hardwood Floor Maintenance TIPS

• Water is hardwood's enemy
• New homes generate lots of water during construction
• Acclimate new hardwood so it swells to proper size
• Use Stain Solver to clean hardwood floors
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

Water - Public Enemy #1

Hardwood flooring's biggest enemy is water. Water causes wood to swell. This swelling can cause warping, twisting, cupping, edge crush, etc. to occur. Sometimes the flooring will recover and sometimes it won't. The trick is to avoid introducing water to your hardwood floor.

CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Vapor Just As Bad

Water can occur either as a solid, a liquid, or a vapor. The liquid and vapor states are the ones that cause the most problems for wood flooring. Water in the liquid state is easy to see and control. It can be from a roof leak, a broken pipe, or a spill.

However, water vapor is an entirely different story. This form of water is invisible and can originate from many sources. The damage it can cause can be widespread and considerable.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can restore your hardwood floors.

New Homes = LOTS Of Water

New home construction and major remodeling activities can create vast amounts of water vapor. Water vapor can be created by:

• curing concrete
• drying process of water-saturated rough lumber
• ceramic tile installation
• drywall or plastering activities
• painting activities
• concrete floors that lack vapor barriers
• crawl spaces that lack vapor barriers
• high humidifier settings on furnace equipment
• washing and cleaning activities
• indoor plants or large aquariums

High humidity levels in the air can not only add additional water vapor, but can also inhibit existing water vapor from dissipating.

The message is really very simple. Don't expose hardwood flooring to excessive levels of water vapor. This is especially true if you are installing unfinished hardwood flooring.

DIY No-Dust Refinish Product

Use this product to refinish your hardwood. No sanding - No dust!

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

Installation Guidelines

Oak and other wood flooring materials are milled from lumber which has been kiln dried to a specific moisture content. It is recommended that this moisture content be maintained at that level for the best installation results.

That means that you should not allow the wood flooring to gain or loose any additional moisture. As such, you should not transport, load or unload the material on rainy, snowy, or excessively humid days.

The flooring should be stored in a dry, weather proof building. The storage area should be well ventilated. Never stacked or store wood flooring materials directly on concrete flooring.

Dry Flooring

The job site where the flooring is to be installed must be dry. The interior climate conditions (temperature & humidity) should be at or very near those which will be maintained during normal occupancy.

Acclimate The Wood

These conditions should begin at least five days prior to the delivery of the flooring material. The flooring material should be distributed into the rooms where it will be installed and allow to acclimate for four - five days. The interior climate conditions should be maintained at normal occupancy conditions from this time forward.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can INSTALL your hardwood floors.

Insulate Large HVAC Pipes

If hardwood flooring is to be installed directly over the home heating plant or main duct or piping trunk lines, these lines or the subflooring should be insulated to prevent low level infra red heat from drying out the wood flooring.

Check Rough Lumber Moisture Content

Rough framing lumber should be checked for moisture content prior to flooring installation. Rough lumber can absorb vast quantities of water because of being exposed to the weather during construction. Moisture readings should not exceed 12 - 14%.

Wood On Concrete

Wood flooring can be installed on concrete floors that are on or above grade level. Installations below grade (in basements) are not recommended!!! The concrete MUST be dry.

There are several ways to test to see if the concrete is dry. The associations listed below will gladly provide you with information which will help you perform these tests.

Concrete floors must have a vapor barrier installed over them prior to the hardwood floor installation. Remember, hardwood flooring is almost never finished on its bottom side. Moisture can enter the wood from below and cause a multitude of problems. A properly installed vapor barrier will almost always stop this water vapor.

Solid Sub-flooring

Hardwood flooring must be installed on solid, approved sub-flooring materials. Non-veneered panel sub-flooring products (OSB, flakeboard, chipboard, etc.) are sometimes not recommended for use below hardwood floor installations.

If in doubt about your sub-flooring, be sure to check with your hardwood floor supplier or installer prior to the construction of your subfloor!

The organizations listed below have excellent, detailed installation manuals available. Contact them for availability. The National Wood Flooring Association, listed below, has several free pamphlets that they will mail to you concerning proper installation techniques.

Care & Maintenance of Hardwood Flooring

Never use lots of water on wood flooring to clean it. Mopping wood floors with soaps, wax removers, 'oil soaps', etc. can easily harm wood flooring. Some cleaners can leave residues which will discolor the flooring or make refinishing extremely difficult.

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

You can clean hardwood floors using oxygen bleach like Stain Solver. The key is to just mix up a solution and use a sponge mop putting a light film of water on the hardwood.

You don't want lots of water to soak into the cracks between the pieces of the hardwood flooring.

Stain Solver is certified organic, it's Made in the USA with USA ingredients and it's a family-owned business.

Avoid Waxes and Easy-To-Use TV Products

Never use 'self-polishing' waxes, unless the product specifically states it is safe for hardwood floors. Many of these waxes contain water.

Be very careful of the miracle products heavily advertised on TV that show how a horrible hardwood floor is renewed by one swipe of a miracle liquid. It's easy to fool people on TV.

Don't over wax floors. Always try to buff floors to revive the shine. If this is unsuccessful, then and only add additional wax. Consider adding wax to the traffic areas only, not the entire floor.

Never apply a surface finish over prefinished factory materials. Prefinished products are often waxed at the factory.

Don't wax floors that have a clear or colored finish (urethane / varnish) on them. The presence of wax may make recoating extremely difficult. Clear finishes can not be applied over wax. Only apply wax to floors that you know have had wax applied from the beginning.

Remove Grit FAST

Vacuum wood floors frequently. Keep dust and grit off of floors. If you walk on grit like fine sand, you're just sanding the floor with your feet. This is a huge mistake.

Clean Spills Fast

Food and beverage residue can be cleaned with a damp (fully squeezed) cloth or sponge.

If hardwood flooring is used in a kitchen, dry mop the floor after meals to pick up any water droplets. Always use an adequate area rug in front of sinks and dishwashers. Aside from protecting the flooring, the area rug will make standing at the sink more comfortable.

Waxes Are Tough To Use And Maintain

Floors that receive waxes should be done in strict accordance with the wax manufacturers guidelines. Apply thin coats of paste wax. Remove old wax periodically with strippers that do not contain water. If these strippers contain flammable solvents, beware of explosion or fire hazards!

Add Maintenance Coat

Consider 'screening' your hardwood floors every year or every other year. This process involves lightly scuffing the old finish and applying a new, single coat of finish. If this is done on a regular basis, the floor may never have to be re-sanded and finished.

Refinishing usually has to occur if the original finish has been abused. The 'screening' process, when done by professionals, can usually be done for a fraction of the cost of refinishing. The result is a brilliant finish which looks new almost all of the time. Please give it serious consideration.

The liquid systems mentioned below yield the same results with no dust!

Old Hardwood Floor Finishes

CLICK HERE to read my column on finishing older hardwood floors.

Wood Flooring Organization

Consider contacting this organization. They offer pamphlets for proper installation, care, and maintenance. Some of the pamphlets are free. This are an extremely helpful organization.

• National Wood Flooring Association
  111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard
  Chesterfield, MO 63005
  800-422-4556
  http://www.woodfloors.org

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can restore your hardwood floors.

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Hardwood floor inlay located in the The Wiedemann Hill Mansion. PHOTO CREDIT: Roger R Henthorn

Hardwood Floor Inlays TIPS

• Hundreds of designs and shapes available
• Mixing wood species produces best effect
• Simple strips of border wood work too
• Can be retrofitted into an existing floor!
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

Inlay In Convents

My Aunt Clara is a nun. The convent she lives in is in a huge old mansion in an older part of Cincinnati. I believe the house was built in the 1870's or so. The oak staircase from the first to the second floor has a handrail that is 12 inches wide. It's a slide, not a safety device!

The parlor and dining room floors have an exquisite inlay pattern. I remember as a child visiting my aunt and marveling at the different patterns and the variety of colors in the wood. Ever since then I've been a big fan of hardwood inlays.

CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Not a Lost Art

Inlays were popular when labor was less expensive. Producing an inlay floor takes time, hand-eye coordination and patience.

To do one by hand today would cost a king's ransom. New computer aided design combined with laser and precision mechanical cutting devices have made a huge difference in bringing the cost of the floors down and making sure that this craft does not die out.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Affordable Patterns

You can buy affordable inlay patterns that will easily install with standard hardwood flooring. You can also buy thinner inlays that can be added to an existing hardwood floor. It's a product that will become more popular as more people realize it is available.

Medallions And Other Art

Borders are the inlay items that get lots of attention from people. But you can also buy medallion pieces that work well in an entrance hall or any other open space where you want to make a statement.

They come in all sorts of styles, sizes and looks. One of my favorite medallions is one that actually looks like a staircase going down to the next level. Seriously, things like this are available!

Here's a stunning medallion. There are many similar inlay products like this. Not all are circles. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS STUNNING PRODUCT.

Care and Installation

You care for inlay products just as you would any hardwood floor. The wood used to create them is similar in nature to standard flooring.

The urethane used on the floor coats the inlay as well. All you need to do is vacuum dust from the floor on a regular basis and wash the floor with a lightly damp sponge or mop that has been moistened with a solution of white vinegar and warm water.

That is an excellent hardwood floor care tip. NEVER use an oil soap product or anything else that leaves a film!

Somewhat DIY Friendly

Inlay products can't be easily installed by a rookie or even a serious do-it-yourselfer, in my opinion. You need precision cutting tools and experience in dealing with inlays.

Some of the products that are intended to be used with existing flooring require high-powered routers and special router bits and templates. Leave this type of work to the pros. Let them make the mistakes, not you!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Different Wood Species

Inlay products use amazing wood species. You can often find Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Makore, Imbuia and Honduran Mahogany, Pink Ivory, Ebony, Wenge, Curly Maple, Quilted Maple and Bubinga. Strange names to be sure, but breathtaking beauty.

Here's a square hardwood inlay medallion. There are just too many to show you. CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE MORE AND TO BUY ONE.

Fortunately it takes very little material to make inlay products. The exotic wood used is very rarely more than 5/16 inch thick. This is the amount of wood that is commonly above-the-tongue in most hardwood floors. Once you sand down to the tongue, a floor is toast. The inlay people use less expensive woods beneath the inlays that are glued up to make a full thickness product.

Existing Floors Can Be Retrofitted

Inlay products used in existing flooring is always glued into the pocket created by the precision router. You would never, ever want to face nail an inlay pattern! If your installer says he wants to drive a nail here or there, you better stop him!

Furniture Use

Some of the inlay products are available for use in tables and other pieces of furniture. If you dabble in this craft, then call the manufacturers and see what they have in the furniture inlay line. You can really dress up a table with a medallion or a small border. They make the difference!

Inlaid Borders and Medallions

The following illustrations are courtesy of most, if not all, of the hardwood inlay manufacturers mentioned in this bulletin. Suffice it to say that the illustrations you see here are just a very tiny sampling of what is available.

Prices for the different borders and medallions can range from several hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. If you are building a mansion, there are some incredible entrance hall medallions that will literally take your breath away when you see them. They are striking.

Affordable Choices

Fortunately, many of the simple borders are within financial reach of many of us. Although my wife and I went for a more expensive border for our family room, we could have picked a great one for an installed and finished price of less than $495.00.

I urge you to visit a hardwood flooring store that sells these goods. Your trip will not be wasted. I guarantee that you will be amazed! At the very least, be sure to call the manufacturers and get as much free literature as possible.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Related Articles:  Hardwood Inlays, Hardwood Inlay Manufacturers

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This hardwood repair is going to take some effort. The interlocking pieces of flooring need to be carefully removed. ©2017 Tim Carter

Hardwood Repair TIPS

• Toughest repair job in the average house
• Hire a pro to get it done correctly - very frustrating for a DIYr
• Cut out center of damaged piece carefully
• Stain and finish challenges face you after difficult repair!
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I'm faced with a hardwood floor repair. Water seeped under my front door and caused the floor to warp. What's involved in a hardwood-floor-repair job like this?

I'm usually not too timid when it comes to home repair issues, but I'm feeling out of my comfort zone. I realize the hardwood floor is made up of interlocking pieces, and for the life of me I can't figure out how to remove single pieces much less install new ones. Dan B., San Jose, CA

DEAR DAN: I'll tell you what's involved in a hardwood repair like this, lot's of frustration and pain.

Very Tough Job

This is a task that's often best left to a hardwood-flooring professional. You can probably work your way through the job, but a professional will probably be able to complete the task and be on the road to the next job while you are still futzing around with the wood chisel.

CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Interlocking Pieces of Wood

Hardwood-floor repair is difficult because of the shape of each piece of hardwood flooring. Full-size pieces of hardwood flooring are typically three-quarter-inch thick and they have either a tongue or groove profile on each of the four side edges. The tongue interlocks into the corresponding groove on an adjacent piece of hardwood flooring. This means you can't just pry up a piece of flooring as you might pull up a board on your outdoor deck.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can do this repair.

Remove Center Carefully

Different hardwood-flooring professionals may have different techniques for removing a single flooring board, but just about every one of the pros will start by carefully removing the center one-third or so of the damaged floor board. By doing this, you can pull the remaining two pieces sideways away from the adjacent flooring towards the center of the space.

If you try to pry up the pieces of flooring, you can crack off the tongue and or groove of the good pieces of flooring you're trying to salvage.

Frustration Guaranteed

You'll become extremely frustrated early in the hardwood-repair process. You'll probably use a circular saw to start the process of removing the center of the damaged piece of hardwood flooring. Carefully set the depth of the blade so it cuts the hardwood flooring only and not into the subfloor beneath the hardwood.

Vibrating Multi-Tool

Because the saw blade is circular, it will not be able to cut full depth to the outer edges of the hardwood strip flooring. You'll have to finish that task carefully with a router or a wood chisel. You may also decide to use a vibrating multi-tool equipped with a wood blade.

This operation will require extreme patience, skill and precision as you can't touch the adjacent pieces of finished hardwood flooring with the tools. If you do, then you'll be replacing multiple pieces of hardwood flooring.

Exact Size Required

Once you've got the old piece of ruined flooring out, it's time to conjure up every ounce of master-finish-carpentry skill you have. You have to produce a piece of new hardwood flooring that is the exact size of the one you removed. Your tolerance for error is perhaps the thickness of a piece of paper.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can do this repair.

Cut Off Bottom Groove

But note that you have to get the new piece of flooring into a rectangle that has two tongues and two grooves. The only way you can do this is to cut off the tongue on the short edge and cut off the bottoms of the two grooves on your replacement piece of hardwood flooring.

Even with these advantages, it can be a tremendous challenge to insert the new piece of hardwood flooring without damaging the tender edges of the new piece as well as the adjacent pieces you are working against. This stage of the project will require every bit of patience and skill you possess.

Face Nail

Once you have the new piece of hardwood flooring nested into position, it needs to be face nailed. Because you've worked so hard to get to this point, don't ruin the wood by splitting it. I recommend drilling pilot holes that are slightly smaller than the diameter of the special blunt point finish nails you need to use.

Special Blunt Nail

Don't use regular finish nails. There are special finish nails that have a tip that is fairly blunt. You can get these from a real hardware store or from a professional that regularly installs hardwood flooring. While you are picking them up from the pro, be sure to ask him if he has an opening in his schedule to bail you out. My money says you will be calling him to finish what you start.

Hardest Repair Job Ever

Hardwood floor repair ranks as one of the hardest repair jobs I know of in the typical house. It's so technically challenging, you simply can't believe it until you try it. The margin for error is razor thin.

Stain & Finish Challenges

Even if you succeed at getting the new piece of hardwood flooring in, you now have to get the stain and finish to match the adjacent pieces. This is sometimes even harder to do than getting the wood strip into place! It's a true gift the talents a pro finisher has in matching the stain color and level of sheen on the floor finish. If you succeed at doing this yourself, you either have great skills or you should immediately go purchase a lottery ticket.

DIY Refinish Product

If you want to refinish the floor around the repair, here's a NO SANDING method. It's all liquid. Magic in a bottle.

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can do this repair.

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Hardwood Over Radiant Heating TIPS

• Wood is hygroscopic - be sure concrete slab is dry
• Control humidity - allow hardwood to acclimate
• Use high-performance vapor barrier under concrete - SEE BELOW
• Narrow wood strips are best over radiant heat
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I am designing a home that will have a monolithic concrete slab foundation. My radiant heating system will be an integral part of this slab.

Is it possible to install hardwood flooring over the concrete, or will I be forced to use ceramic tile? What needs to be done to make sure the wood floor will not develop cracks from the radiant heat?

Am I pushing the envelope by installing wood in this situation? Brian D., Albuquerque, NM

DEAR BRIAN: You are not pushing the envelope hard at all.

Plan Ahead

Hardwood flooring and concrete slabs can get along just fine if you make sure your builder follows some easy, but important, guidelines at various stages as your home is being built. Concrete slabs that contain radiant heating can limit the style of wood floors that you have to choose from, but all in all, I feel you can create a dazzling look in your new home by mixing a few wood species and being creative with the actual layout of the hardwood flooring.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can put wood over radiant heating.

Many people love the look of hardwood floors but have concrete slabs. You can install hardwood over concrete if you follow certain guidelines. Image by: Hardwood Council

Wood Is Hygroscopic

Hardwood flooring and wood in general are hygroscopic materials. Liquid water and water vapor can enter wood which causes it to swell and change its shape and size. If and when the water leaves the wood, the wood can and does shrink, but not always to its original size and condition.

It may warp, develop small check cracks in the surface, twist, bow or even develop cups or dips within each piece of lumber. Cracks in between pieces of wood may open up as the wood dries. In other words, if you want a wood floor to look very good for many years, you need to keep the wood in a state of dynamic equilibrium with respect to the indoor humidity and temperature.

Control Humidity

Controlling indoor humidity and temperature is easier to do in some areas more than others. In my opinion, you happen to live in one of the most user-friendly parts of the nation for hardwood flooring.

The overall year-round humidity of the air in the Southwest is often very dry. Once wood acclimates to the dry air, it retains it shape and size very well. If, on the other hand, your new home was in the humid Midwest, the hardwood flooring might shrink and swell two or more times a year as humid summer air is replaced by dry winter air.

AC Helps

Air conditioning helps stabilize hardwood flooring by keeping the indoor humidity levels close to winter levels.

Concrete Must Be Dry

In your case, you need to make sure the concrete slab is fully cured and has released as much moisture to the atmosphere as possible before the flooring is installed. Ask the builder to keep as much air flowing through the house as possible during construction to aid in this drying process.

Simple Moisture Test

You can check moisture content of slabs by taping a piece of 15-inch square clear plastic to the slab. Tape all four edges with packing tape that is moisture resistant. Wait 24 hours and inspect the plastic. If it is clear with no visible fog or water droplets, the slab is dry enough to proceed.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can put wood over radiant heating.

High-Quality Vapor Barrier

A high quality vapor retarder must be installed under the concrete slab and preferably over the concrete slab just before the flooring is installed. The vapor retarder should meet the fairly new ASTM standard E 1745. These vapor retarders are the best and offer the highest level of protection.

This is the special vapor barrier that meets the ASTM standard. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER IT.

CLICK HERE to order this amazing vapor barrier now and it can be delivered to your home. The addition of the second layer over the top of the slab is an insurance policy against any rogue water vapor that tries to exit the slab at a later date.

Use Narrow Pieces

The radiant heat that emits through the slab can wreak havoc on hardwood flooring pieces that are greater than 2.25 inches wide. Some installers will say it is safe to install widths up to 3 inches, but smaller widths will have less overall movement in response to the radiant heating.

Try to stay with wood widths as close to 2.25 inches if at all possible. The heating system needs to be turned on for several weeks before the wood is installed. The actual hardwood must be stored in the house where it can acclimate for seven to 10 days for the best overall results.

Stable Hardwood Species

Use wood species that offer the greatest stability. White and Red Oak, Teak, American Walnut, Mesquite and American Cherry are excellent choices. Adding an accent border of walnut or cherry in an oak floor is gorgeous. If you are lucky enough to find a creative hardwood installer, he will show you many options.

Coordinate Subcontractors

Be sure your builder coordinates a meeting between the radiant heating contractor and the hardwood flooring installer before the slab is poured. These two sub-contractors need to tell each other what they need to make each of their systems work flawlessly for years. All too often these meetings happen after a hardwood flooring nail is pulled from a leaking radiant heating tube.

Use Seasoned Pros

Installing hardwood flooring over concrete is more difficult than installing it over a wood flooring system. Smart homeowners and builders only work with flooring installers who can demonstrate that they know how to do it.

DIY Floor Refinish Product

Here's a great product to do hardwood refinishing with NO SANDING. All liquid method. Magic!

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor installers who can put wood over radiant heating.

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These simple liquids may save you time and money when restoring hardwood floors. They also extend the useful life of the wood floor. ©2017 Tim Carter

Restoring Hardwood Floors TIPS

• Two methods - traditional screening or multi-step DIY liquids
• Refinish before you wear through clear finishes to bare wood
• Deep gouges need a professional sander
• Change color of floor adding pigments to finish
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I have a significant amount of gorgeous hardwood flooring in a home I just purchased. Some of it is in perfect condition and other places that receive heavy foot traffic have some minor scratches and the finish is dull.

How can I make the floors look like new? Do they have to be sanded and refinished? Is there an easier way? I dread the thought of clouds of dust rolling through my home. Cathy F., Fort Worth, TX

DEAR CATHY: I absolutely understand why you want to restore the hardwood flooring.

Wood Is The Best

Wood flooring is one of my personal favorites. It is warm, durable, appealing to the eye and it adds value to your home. What's more, it is a very environmentally friendly building material. The hardwood tree forests are abundant and growing, and we actually have more trees today in North America than we did just 25 years ago!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor refinishing companies.

Not Walking On Wood

When a hardwood floor is sanded and coated with layers of protective urethane or varnish, it can withstand a considerable amount of abuse. You actually walk on the clear finish, not the wood.

Dust & Grit = Bad

Dust and small dirt and grit particles are a floor finishes' worst enemy. As you walk across a hardwood floor that is slightly dirty your feet act as sanding pads. If the grit particles are large enough, you will actually scratch the finish.

Over time, normal foot traffic can and will erode the layers of clear finish exposing bare wood. This is to be avoided at all costs if possible.

DIY Restoration Possible

The good news is that you can restore the hardwood floor. The even better news is that dust can be kept to a minimum and possibly eliminated completely.

Because the clear finish on your floors has yet to wear through to the wood, you have two choices. The traditional method used for many years by professional hardwood floor refinishers is screening. You can also choose a no-sand method using simple DIY liquids.

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

Low-Speed Buffer

A low speed buffing machine, equipped with a special pad, lightly scuffs the clear coat. The scuffing removes minor imperfections and prepares the floor so the new coat of urethane will adhere.

Once the floor is scuffed, the small amount of dust is vacuumed and any remaining dust is removed with a rag soaked in mineral spirits. The professional then applies a new coat of urethane with a lamb's wool pad or squeegee and you can walk on the floor the next day. After three to seven days, the new finish will have cured so that it can accept heavy traffic.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor refinishing companies.

Special DIY Products Fast 

The floor restoration industry has introduced some wonderful new products that allow a professional or a do-it-yourselfer to renew a hardwood floor finish without creating any dust. A three-part system allows you to use a liquid to chemically sand the existing finish. Once this step is complete you then apply a bonding formulation followed by an environmentally friendly water-based clear coat that can be walked on in just eight hours. An average size room that contains a little over 200 square feet of floor area can be completely restored using this dust-free method in less than three hours.

Here's the liquid system I'm talking about just below.

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

Restoration too tough? Install a new hardwood floor using my Hardwood Flooring Installation / Refinishing Checklist and avoid costly mistakes. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Hire A Pro

If you have a professional come into your home to do a traditional screening or use the no-dust chemical method, expect to pay hundreds of dollars for an average-sized room. The cost can be higher or lower depending upon the size of the room or rooms to be restored.

DIY Possible With Practice

If you are inclined to try the job yourself, you can find the chemical system at some home centers or hardwood floor stores. With practice a semi-skilled homeowner can achieve nearly professional results. The biggest challenge is learning how to apply the final clear coat. Often the rookie will apply this too thinly.

Magic Color Trick 

If you want to change the color tone of your floors it is sometimes possible without refinishing the floor. A light floor can be made slightly darker by adding color pigments to the clear urethane. Oil based urethane accepts nearly all pigments.

If you use water-based urethane, be sure that the pigments are compatible. If you decide to colorize the urethane keep in mind that a second coat with no pigment needs to be applied over the color coat. This extra step gives added protection to the wood and it is well worth it if you want to change the look of your gorgeous wood floors.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor re-finishing companies.

An important reminder was given in the September 16, 2009 newsletter. Be sure to check it out.

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