As a rule, you shouldn't be walking on freshly sanded floors. This is because after getting buffed down and smoothed over, these timber floors are basically unprotected.
We recommend waiting 6 hours before walking on your new floors in socks. After 24 hours you can walk through with shoes on. Allow 48 hours before setting furniture and returning pets. Carpets and area rugs can be placed after 1 full week.
After you are done refinishing your hardwood floors, you must wait before walking or putting furniture onto the flooring. You should wait at least 24 hours before walking on the floors with no shoes on. If you have a dog, try to keep them off the floors for at least 24 hours, too.
This can easily disturb you, your family, or your pets. The best solution to this problem is to be out of the house as much as possible when the sanding occurs or to distribute hearing protection. Pets should be placed in an area distant from where the sanding is occurring and monitored to make sure they stay calm.
After sanding, fill in holes in the floor with wood putty or wood filler. Spot test the stain or finish to see what it looks like on the floor before applying a coat. Apply the stain or finish so your final steps are at the exit door and you don't have to track through a wet floor.
DON'T: sand against the grain, UNLESS you feel skilled enough to sand diagonally or across the grain. DO: start with 20 grit paper and work your way up to 120 grit paper. DON'T: Go too high in grit or it can cause you to over sand your floors leaving them unable to absorb stain or poly adequately.
Refinishing these floors more than once poses a risk of wear-through. Solid boards that have a 1/4- to 5/16-inch covering over the nails and a 3/4-inch-thick body can sustain, on average, up to 10 minor sanding jobs that mostly affect the finish or four major reworks that remove more substantial amounts of material.
For oil-based polyurethane, it can take up to 24-48 hours for the finish to dry and up to 72 hours for the fumes to dissipate completely. Therefore, it is recommended that you stay out of your home for at least 72 hours after applying an oil-based polyurethane finish.
Wait 48 to 72 hours after the hardwood has been refinished/ finished before "PLACING" furniture back in its place.
However, one of the biggest challenges of sanding hardwood floors is dealing with the dust that results from the process. It's no secret that sanding creates a lot of dust, and if you don't take the proper precautions, you could end up with a big mess.
Unfinished wood floors need to be sanded and finished on-site and the time to walk on your new floor will depend on the finish used.
So how long does it take to sand a floor? If you're using both the electric sander and the edger in 140 square-foot floor space, it will take you roughly 5 hours to do three sanding passes. Another thing you must take into account is how old your house is.
For a natural (no stain) sanding job with 3 coats of a water based polyurethane, we can complete a job of 100 - 1,500 sq ft in one day. We recommend a minimum of 3 coats of water based polyurethane as it coats in thinner, but harder layers, than an oil based poly.
After your hardwood floor refinishing project is complete, wait a minimum of two weeks to clean them.
If you move your furniture back too early, these edges can cause irreversible damage to your new hardwood flooring in Decatur, impacting both its longevity and aesthetic appeal. To prevent this from happening, wait at least 48 hours before moving your furniture back.
The reason for waiting seven days to put your rugs back in place is that both film and hard-wax finishes need air to cure (this is different from drying). Putting your rugs back down early will lock the moisture into the finish, preventing it from hardening, and can have some undesirable results.
How often can I refinish my floors? Depending on a floor's thickness and the experience of the flooring professional, a floor can be sanded around 4-6 times in its entire life. Hardwood floors can be refinished every 7-10 years, making the 4-6 refinishes more than enough.
Your floor can be walked on with stocking feet in 3-4 hours and furniture can be placed back on the floor (not dragged) in 48 hours. Area rugs can be put down in one week when the finish is fully cured.
Dust and hardwood floors don't mix. Particle debris like dust can scratch and damage a floor's protective finish.
Unfortunately, floorboards are only so thick. Too much sanding can wear them down until they're too thin.
Yes, refinishing your hardwood floors is worth it. It keeps them looking their best, and it's always less expensive than replacing them.
Type of Finishing coat
The length of time it takes to refinish a room is determined by the size of the room and the color and finish you select. Sanding 1,500 square feet of the floor takes around a day.
Sanding. On average, sanding hardwood floors can cost between $0.50 and $3 per square foot. Sanding is done with large drum sanders for most of the area and belt sanders around the perimeter.