Posted on: February 12, 2020 Posted by: Carly Klein Comments: 0

A wooden floor has advantages, not least its natural, unspoiled beauty. It’s much easier to take care of than carpet, and it’s less likely to harbor germs and dust mites that can trouble people who have allergies. A wooden floor is a sound and often an environmentally friendly option and looking after one needn’t be a chore either.

What kit do you need?

If you ‘ve gone to the trouble of buying a high-quality floor, from an industry expert like woodfloors-farnham.co.uk, then it won’t need much in the way of maintenance aside from making sure it’s properly swept and given a thorough clean with a steam mop once a week.

Every few years, it’s worth looking at carrying out a bit of long-term TLC to your floor to keep it in tip-top condition for as long as possible.

To do this, you’ll need an electric floor sander and a specialist varnish brush to apply a good quality wood stain with once the floor is clean and sanded. Pick one with synthetic fibers and make sure you must hand a mop and bucket too to make sure everything around you is free from dust and detritus when you start to varnish.

Sanding and Treating: A How-To Guide

  • Inspect your floor

Remove the furniture and rugs from the room, close the door take a careful look at the floor. Make sure no nails are sticking out, as you don’t want to get the sander caught in them. Ensure that the floor is clean and dry and free from debris.

  • Fill in any gaps in the floor

If there are any gaps in the floorboards, fill them in by using small strips of wood covered in wood glue. Leave these too dry before you attempt anything else.

  • Sand the floor

If you’ve invested in a floor sander or rented one from a hire shop, make sure you find the right grade of sandpaper for the job in hand. Fit the sandpaper tightly around the drum. Then start at one end of the room, making sure you always have about two-thirds of the floor exposed in front of you.

Make sure the drum of the sander is off the floor and gently lower it as you walk forward. As you finish the strip, you’re sanding, carefully raise the drum off the floor. Repeat this process until the room is sanded.

  • Clean everywhere

It’s important to leave a period after you’ve sanded so that the dust can settle, and then you can clean up. Once all the dust is removed, then wipe the floor over with white spirit and leave it to dry.

  • Apply varnish

You can either apply your varnish by hand with a brush, or you can use a floor pad. Put the pad into the container and make sure it is well loaded with varnish. Always start at the corner of the room furthest from the door.

Varnish in the direction of the wood grain and make sure you apply two to three coats, making sure there are at least two to three hours of drying time in between.

The process can be done over a weekend if needed, and once it’s sanded and varnished, the results should last for years.

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