Walking All Over It

If your hardwood floor doesn't look as good as you'd like it to, you might think it's time for a replacement. Luckily, that's not necessarily the case. You may just need to refinish your existing hardwood floor. You might not realize this, but refinishing your hardwood floor can restore the shine and bring back that brand-new appearance. However, before you refinish your hardwood floor, there are some steps you'll need to take. Here are four of those steps to get you started with the project. 

Give Your Floor a Thorough Cleaning

Hardwood flooring attracts a lot of dirt and grime. If you clean your floor as part of your household chores, you might think that you're seeing the true wood grain. However, that might not be the case. That's why you want to give your hardwood floor a deep cleaning before you start your refinishing project. A deep cleaning will allow you to see any blemishes that might be hiding under the dirt and grime. Not only that, but you'll have an easier time stripping the old finish away if you start with a clean floor. 

Repair the Damage and Blemishes

Once you clean your hardwood floor, you'll want to conduct a thorough inspection. During the inspection, you'll want to check for signs of scratches or gouges. If you find any damage, you'll want to take care of those repairs before you refinish your floors. Luckily, most scratches and gouges can be erased during the sanding process. However, you do want to avoid sanding mistakes. These include using the wrong grit for the sandpaper, sanding in the wrong direction, and sanding too deep into the wood grain. 

Choose the Right Time of Year

If you're going to refinish your hardwood floors, you want to plan your project for the right time of year. If you try to refinish your hardwood floor during the wrong time of the year, you could end up with some serious problems. If you have the time to plan, spring and summer are the best seasons to refinish your hardwood floors. First, the temperatures are warm enough to speed up the drying process. Second, the warm temperatures allow you to open the windows for cross ventilation. 

Consider Color and Finish

Finally, now that you want to refinish your hardwood floor, make sure you choose the right color and finish. If you want to hide the dirt, you might think you should choose a darker color, but that's not necessarily the case. In fact, darker colors tend to magnify the dirt. To maintain a clean appearance, you should choose a lighter color for your hardwood floor. You'll also need to choose between a high-gloss finish and a satin finish. If you want to ensure a non-slip surface, it's a good idea to choose a satin finish for your hardwood floor.

Contact a local flooring contractor to learn more about hardwood floor refinishing.