Hardwood floors can last a long time, but when they begin to show wear, refinishing is an effective option. Hardwood Floor Refinishing Bergen County NJ is done by sanding the floors and applying a new finish.
Staining is optional during this process, but it allows homeowners to change the color of their hardwood floors for a fresh look. It is best to choose a stain with low or no VOCs.
Hardwood floors are a gorgeous addition to any home, but they can also make for an eco-friendly choice. Many hardwood flooring companies use sustainable forestry practices, planting more trees than they harvest each year. Choosing a darker wood such as walnut, mahogany, or oak can also help reduce the amount of sunlight that your home receives, preventing the wood from becoming overexposed to UV light and losing its color over time.
When refinishing your hardwood floors, opt for a low-VOC or no-VOC finish to minimize the impact on indoor air quality. This type of finish will also help to eliminate dust, which is one of the main sources of air pollution during refinishing.
Refinishing is more involved than resurfacing, as it involves sanding down the entire surface of your wood floor to remove deep scratches and old finishes, then applying a new stain or varnish. This breathes new life into your wood floors and gives them a fresh look without the need for an entirely new hardwood installation.
If you want to give your hardwood floors a new color, be sure to use a low-VOC stain or varnish with a tinting base that lets you adjust the intensity of the color. It’s important to choose a high-quality stain and varnish, as these are the products that will ultimately protect your hardwood floors from scratches and stains in the future.
Another way to go green when refinishing your hardwood floors is to use reclaimed wood or salvaged boards. This allows you to save the hardwood from the landfill while creating a unique, one-of-a-kind floor that’s perfect for your home.
If your hardwood is scratched or stained, you can take steps to minimize damage during the refinishing process by placing mats or rugs at entrances to trap dirt before it can scratch the floor’s surface. Placing felt pads under furniture legs can also help prevent scratches. It’s also a good idea to sweep or vacuum frequently and rearrange furniture often to distribute wear evenly.
Refinishing your hardwood floors is a great way to breathe new life into your home, but it’s important to work with a company that practices eco-friendly methods. Be sure to ask your contractors about their refinishing processes, and whether they use low-VOC or no-VOC finishes that will help to minimize air pollutants and ensure a healthy environment for you and your family.
Reclaimed or Salvaged Wood
Reclaimed wood is a great option for those looking to achieve a vintage, rustic look in their home. It is a sustainable alternative to new lumber that helps cut down on deforestation. Reclaimed wood can also be used for a variety of projects, including flooring, wall paneling and furniture. It has a unique character that will add warmth and depth to any room.
There are many ways to achieve the look of reclaimed wood, from using a clear finish on the floors to staining them with a dark color. It’s important to know the type of reclaimed wood you’re getting before making a purchase. Different types of reclaimed wood have different colors, textures and grain patterns. For example, reclaimed southern yellow heart pine has an aged look with a tight texture and minimal nail holes. Maple reclaimed wood is creamy white with a subtle, consistent grain pattern. It’s a durable hardwood that can stand up to heavy traffic and stains.
The most common way to refinish your hardwood floors is to use a water-based stain or clear finish. When using this type of finish, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for application. This will ensure the stain or finish dries evenly and won’t leave any discoloration on your floors. It’s also important to keep your floors dry to avoid warping or swelling. This can be done by placing mats or rugs at entrances to catch dirt before it hits your floors, using felt pads on furniture legs, and regularly sweeping and vacuuming.
Another option for refinishing your hardwood floors is to use a low-VOC oil-based finish. This will give your floors a rich, warm color without adding any VOCs to your home. When choosing this type of finish, it’s important that you use a high-quality product that is tested and certified to be safe for your floor. Choosing an environmentally friendly refinishing process is one of the best ways to protect your environment and your family’s health. It is also a great way to prolong the life of your floors and help reduce the need for frequent refinishing.
Low-VOC or No-VOC Finishes
VOCs are volatile organic compounds that contribute to air pollution and ground-level ozone. They also are known to cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory conditions like asthma and dizziness.
Due to this, low- and no-VOC finishes have gained popularity in recent years among home and business owners looking to protect their health and the environment. These finishes contain fewer chemicals and emit fewer harmful gases when dried and cured.
Many traditional wood stains, paints and topcoats contain VOCs because they are necessary to help the product do its job. Thankfully, technological advancements have allowed manufacturers to create low- and no-VOC options that are just as effective and durable as their counterparts.
Typically, low- and no-VOC paints are water-based and contain a small amount of VOC to help the product adhere to the surface. The low- and no-VOC coatings dry quickly and emit minimal odor, allowing the painting process to be completed in a shorter amount of time and enabling rooms to be used sooner after application.
Zero-VOC and low-VOC coatings are more environmentally responsible than conventional urethane or varnish-style flooring finishes because they eliminate the need for the use of petroleum-based solvents to create a durable coating. These coatings contain natural oils like linseed, tung and soybean that penetrate the wood grain and bond with it to form a tough protective finish without the need for chemical solvents.
These finishes are also much less toxic than urethanes or varnishes because they are not made with synthetic polymers and therefore do not off-gas as readily. They also are more resilient and will not require refinishing as often, making them a more sustainable option for floors that need protection.
When choosing a no-VOC or low-VOC floor coating, be sure to read the label carefully to avoid products that claim to be eco-friendly but actually contain more toxic components than their non-eco-friendly counterparts. Check for certification from reputable third-party organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Greenguard, which ensure that the wood used in the coating has been harvested and produced under rigorous environmental and health standards.
Green Cleaning Products
If you’re going the green route on your hardwood floors, you should only use cleaning products that are certified safe for wood flooring. The best way to do that is by checking for third-party certifications like UL Ecologo, Green Seal and USDA Biobased. These certifying agencies have strict standards that they use to assess the safety and sustainability of products. If a product meets these standards, it will be labeled as green.
Refinishing your hardwood floors will give them a fresh new look. It will also help to hide any damage caused by wear and tear or from stains or watermarks. Refinishing your wood floors can also extend their lifespan and save you money by avoiding the need to replace your floors.
The first step in refinishing your hardwood floors is to sand them down to the bare wood. The sander will run over the entire surface, but it’s important to be very careful not to go too far into the grain of the wood. After the sanding process, the floors must be buffed and vacuumed to remove any debris.
Next, your floor will be stained with a color of your choice. It’s important to test your stain on a small section of the floor before committing to it, as colors can look different in different lighting conditions. Once you’ve decided on a stain, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply it.
Generally, your refinisher will need to wait between each coat of stain to allow it to dry. It’s best to start staining in the corner furthest from the door, working in small areas and using a paintbrush for hard-to-reach spots. Once the stain is completely dried, you can re-install your baseboards and cover vents and doors. You should also wait a few days, or more if the manufacturer’s instructions suggest it, before you start walking on your newly finished hardwood floors.
A final note, it’s important to understand that refinishing your hardwood floors will not be able to remove deep scratches, gouges or serious stains. Professionals usually advise homeowners to lower their expectations for what a floor refinishing will accomplish.