More often than not, owners of hardwood Scottsdale flooring redo their floors by completely sanding the coating and getting down to the actual raw wood. This can be a time intensive and expensive process. However, if your floor does not have very deep scratches or damage which run through the coat and into the actual wood layer, you can redo your wooden floors by simply screening the coating, roughening it up a bit, and then recoating the surface.

By using the screening process over the sanding, you not only save time and money but also preserve your bare wood layer. The process of sanding actually removes some of that wood along with the coating, while the screening process avoids getting deep into the actual wood.

However, the screening option does have its limitations. For example, the recoating material available these days will not stick to any old coating layer which was applied prior to 1970. The reason for this is because the old finishing coats were wax or shellac based, and new coatings available currently tend not to stick to such materials. If you still want to avoid sanding on such older surfaces, then you will have to wax the flooring Scottsdale AZ to get the right kind of shine. However, the life of waxing is not very long.

If you do decide to proceed with screening, then you should follow the steps below:

Test for Adhesion

After you roughen up the old coating, apply some polyurethane in a test area. For truly testing the adhesion in different conditions, use two types of test areas: one with high foot traffic and one with low foot traffic, near the edge of the wall or near a closet. 24 hours after coating in the test areas, apply moderate pressure and check if the coating scrapes or comes off. If the coating remains, and if the layer of the coating is smooth, then your urethane is good for recoating. If the coating does come off or you notice cracks in the test area where you applied the coating, then you have no option but to sand the floors all the way to the raw wood layer.

Get the Right Materials

Next step is to gather all the tools and materials that you will need to recoat your floor. Most of the materials are available in home improvement stores. You can also try to get them at a wood flooring dealer. You will need a floor cleaner (liquid), scouring pads, a brush for applying the varnish, an applicator pad, a respirator which will filter out any harmful fumes, mineral spirits (1 gallon) and a buffer.

Clean the Floor

After you have all the materials at hand, start by cleaning the flooring Scottsdale with a puffy knife or a scouring pad. Make sure you mark all deep scratches and tough marks with masking tape because you will have to use mineral spirits to mask them.

Buff the Floor

Start the buffing at one wall and then move backward across the room. Make sure that you do not go over any one area more than twice, or else you might cut through the finishing layer. Try to keep the room dust free when buffing, as any dust that sticks to the polyurethane might create an uneven surface with bumps and craters.

Choose a Finish

Polyurethane coatings are of two types: oil based and water based. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, water-based polyurethane is clearer and easier to see through. So there is less chance of you missing out on any spots while refinishing the floor. However, they dry fast and hence are harder to apply.

The oil-based coating, on the other hand, takes longer to dry, gives a nicer looking finish, but also gives out a strong vapor. You should choose the right kind of polyurethane coating depending on your needs.