Refinishing the hardwood floors in your kitchen is a great way to change the entire look of a room. It is also a very important upgrade in a kitchen that is subject to spills and moisture. You can keep the same wood on your floor, but make it look completely different with a new stain job. This article will explain how you can update your home style by refinishing floors.

Preparing the Floors

The first step is to prepare your floors to be stained by sanding them down. If you have a large floor, you will want to rent a drum sander. For smaller rooms you can just use a handheld disc sander. You will want to use rough sandpaper (try 100) grit on the first pass. Then, step up to finer sandpaper (try 260 grit or higher) for the second pass. You need to be careful so you do not sand the edges of your wall or the baseboard. You can tape it off, but that will not be enough to protect it from a large disc sander. When using a disc sander, stay away from the edge of your walls. One solution is to remove your existing baseboard during the sanding process. This way you can sand right up to the edge of the wall and not worry about scratching it.

Staining the Floors

There are several ways to go about staining your floors. The easiest and cleanest method is to stain the floor with a towel. Just wear latex gloves and dip a lint-free rag into the bucket of stain. Liberally apply the stain to the floor and rub it in. Make sure you do not leave behind any puddles of stain. Staining with rags is most effective when you have one wet rag and a dry one to soak up the stain. You will likely need to apply several coats to get an even, strong stain. Some people will even re-sand their floors between each coat of stain. This will make the stain stronger, and it will last much longer.

Protect Yourself

During the entire refinishing process, you need to wear a ventilation mask. The sawdust from sanding can be very harmful to your lungs. Likewise, the fumes from the stain will give you a serious headache in a matter of minutes. It is also a good idea to protect your eyes with goggles. If you suffer from allergies, you probably shouldn't try to handle this remodel. The stain and sawdust can cause serious irritation.

Refinishing your floors is a great kitchen remodel for those that can handle the work and want to change their entire style. If you need help, visit Alleva Construction.