How to Refinish Faux Distressed Hardwood Floors

 Distressed hardwood floors have a unique appearance that it is impossible to replicate. If your home has a distressed wood floor, you already know how attractive they can be. However, it is far too easy to accidentally damage the finish on a hardwood floor. Unfortunately, if this occurs it can be necessary to refinish the whole thing. While this process is long and requires a lot of work, it is simple enough that you can do it yourself. If you know what you are getting into, you can have the seal of your hardwood floor back in perfect condition.

What You'll Need:

• Adhesive Stripper
•  Broom
•  Mop
•  ShopVac
•  Floor Sander
•  Stain
•  Sealer

Step 1 - Preparing the Area

Before you can do anything, you will need completely unobstructed access to your floor. Remove all furniture and other objects from the area you plan to work in. If your floor is carpeted in any area, you will need to remove the carpet as well. If it is not, simply skip to step 3.

Step 2 - Removing the Carpet

To begin, remove the carpet from your floor. Take out any tacks and staples. Be very thorough, as you will need to have them all out, and it is easy to miss one, especially if your floor is dirty.

Next, you will need to remove the carpet adhesive. There are plenty of commercial carpet adhesive strippers that you can buy at your local hardware store. While the exact procedure will vary from brand to brand, you will usually need to ventilate the area, apply the adhesive stripper, and wait several hours for it to do its work. Once you have done this, you can continue. Consult the manufacturer's instructions carefully before using an adhesive stripper.

Once the stripper has done its job, remove the weakened adhesive with a metal scraper. This may damage the finish on your wood floor, but this is unavoidable.

Finish up by sweeping or vacuuming your hardwood floor. This may reveal more tacks or staples that escaped your notice the first time around. If so, remove them before you continue.

Step 3 - Preparing the Floor

Use your floor sander to sand the floor. Do so using long, straight strokes that cover the entire length of the floor. Keep the floor sander moving as steadily as possible as you do this.

Start out with your heaviest sandpaper. When you have finished sanding the entire floor with it, move on to a lighter grade of sandpaper.

Finish up by using your broom, shopvac, and mop on the floor to remove any debris. Small particles left behind during the sealing process will be trapped, making your finish less attractive and functional.

Step 4 - Refinishing the Floor

Use a cloth to apply your stain of choice to the floor. This may take multiple coats; base your judgment on a combination of the manufacturer's instructions and your own personal opinion on your preferred appearance for the floor. If you need to apply multiple coats, clean the floor between coats to avoid sealing dirt into the finish.

Once you are done applying stain, apply sealer and wait 3 days. You can now move your furniture back into the area.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Replace a Steel Floor Joist

Learning how to replace a steel floor joist may look daunting at first, but all it takes is a bit of patience and a lot of elbow grease.

Step 1 - Inspect the problem

The first order of business is to determine what the source of the problem is. The old joist can be cracked, twisted, or have some problem at the rim-joist connection. If your floor is sagging, it might be that you just need to replace the joists. If the old joists are made of wood, you might want to replace them with steel joists. If the joists are already made of steel, bracing will strengthen them for the demands of your floor. Before starting actual work, do consult with a structural engineer to see if the finished construction will be within the building code standards of your area.

Step 2-Get the correct joists

Ensuring you have the correct load-bearing joists will save you time, money and future headaches. A joist is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a section of your house’s floor. It may be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Be sure to consult with a trusted steel joist manufacturer when purchasing your joists. They supply you with load tables so you can calculate for, and determine, the correct size of the joists you will need.

Step 3-Reinforcing and Replacing a Joist

Before you can take out the old joist, you have to install a new one beside the old one in order to bear the weight of the floor above it. Use the same length of joist and place it beside the old one. You may want to use rafter ties to tie them together first before taking out the old joist. Attach the new joist to the frames of the floor or structure firmly on both ends using bolts in an X-pattern.

Step 4-Bracing the Floor

Allow the new joist a bit of time to adjust to the weight before you slowly remove the old joist. This can be done by bracing the floor with a hydraulic jack. Connect the 4x6 inch beam across the underside of the old and new steel floor joists in order for it to run perpendicular to the joists. Utilize screws and rafter ties to hold the beam in place. Use 1-inch thick steel panels in between the jack and the beams to ensure equal weight distribution. Once the jack is secure, you may untie the old joist from the new one and dismantle from end to end slowly.

You may want to use a spirit level to ensure your progress is not wasted by having new joists but uneven floorboards.

How to Remove Trapped Moisture From a Floating Subfloor

 A floating subfloor is the layer of flooring installed above concrete and under the finished flooring. The floating subfloor may get moisture trapped and cause cracks in the cement flooring. In order to prevent damage to the concrete and the finished flooring, follow the steps below to remove any trapped moisture.

What You'll Need:

• Plywood or OSB Sheets (floating subfloor)
•  Moisture Barrier
•  Stapler or Nailer
•  Dehumidifier
•  Saw
•  Pencil and Marker

Step 1 - Inspect for Trapped Moisture

Moisture usually gets trapped inside the floating subfloor when the concrete below the structure has a high moisture content and has not been coated with a moisture barrier. Usually, the trapped moisture in the subfloor can be spotted easily because of the darker coloring it has compared to the normal color of the concrete. If some areas of the subfloor do have trapped moisture in it, then make sure to take action before installing the finished flooring above it.

Step 2 - Remove the Affected Subfloor

It is best to remove all the subfloor if this does not cause an issue. The reason is that if the concrete has a high moisture content, it needs to be coated with a moisture barrier first to prevent any moisture issues in the future. When the subfloor has been removed, mix the moisture barrier product in a container and apply it to the concrete floor using a notched trowel. Install a dehumidifier in the room to allow the moisture to evaporate quickly. This will also be useful in creating a moist-free space.

Step 3 - Allow the Floating Subfloor to Dry

While waiting for the moisture barrier to dry, place the subfloor material in a well-ventilated area in order to allow the trapped moisture to evaporate. Sometimes, the affected parts of the subfloor may warp or distort. In this case, make sure to have replacements ready. It's not a good idea to have the subfloor dry under the sun when the moisture is still fresh.

The reason is that the quick drying process will distort the size and shape of the material, especially if the moisture is quite high. Therefore, just let the material dry out naturally in a well-ventilated room.

Step 4 - Reinstall the Subfloor

When the subfloor material has dried out, check for parts that need to be replaced with new ones. Use a pencil and a marker to mark areas that need to be cut. Cut these areas and prepare replacements. Afterwards, reinstall the floating subfloor on top of the coated concrete. Lay the pieces carefully and staple them together to form the subfloor.

As long as the concrete is coated properly with the moisture barrier, the subfloor will never have issues again with trapped moisture. Just to make sure the moisture does not become an issue in the future, make sure to install exhaust fans, dehumidifiers or ventilation materials in order to keep the area free from high humidity.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Sand Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is fast becoming one of the most popular flooring materials in use today. Bamboo is dent resistant, mold resistant, mildew resistant, stain resistant, and waterproof and insects don't like it. There are two issues with using bamboo as flooring: cost and ability to stain. When you purchase bamboo flooring you'll notice few color choices.

You can get natural bamboo and two shades darker which is achieved by the process used to turn bamboo into flooring material. It's possible for you to stain the bamboo but you need to sand it and this article will show you how.

What You'll Need:

• Carpenters pry bar
•  Palm sander
•  Hammer
•  Plastic drop cloth
•  Square buff sander
•  Sandpaper
•  Water
•  Clean rags
•  Soft broom
•  Vacuum
•  Tack cloth

Step 1 – Prepare the Floor

Sanding bamboo flooring is a process due to the texture of the material. Remove everything from the surface of the floor. This means everything from a step stool to a wrap around sofa. You'll be generating a large amount of sawdust so to protect other rooms of the home use painter’s tape and a plastic drop cloth to cover the entrances to the other rooms.

Use the carpenter’s pry bar and carefully remove the baseboard material. This will allow you to be able to sand the entire floor. Place the baseboard material off to the side to use later if you plan to use it again after staining the bamboo flooring.

Step 2 – Sanding the Bamboo Flooring

As mentioned in Step 1, this is a process, due to the fine grain found in bamboo. Begin your sanding using the square buff sander. Begin at the furthest corner of the bamboo flooring. Use the sander by pulling it directly toward your body using constant and even pressure. You also want to sand along the length of the bamboo against the grain. Work like this until 2/3 of the floor is sanded. You will then want to finish your sanding in sections one pass at a time.

For any areas that cannot be reached with the square buff sander use the palm sander to reach those areas. You will, in essence, be sanding the bamboo flooring three times. Start with the 100-grit sandpaper then go over it again with the 120-grit sandpaper and finally with the 180-grit sandpaper.

Step 3 – Final Floor Preparations

Now that the bamboo flooring has been thoroughly sanded down it is nearly ready to be stained. Use a push broom with soft bristles to sweet the sawdust in to a manageable pile and then suck it up with a vacuum. A tack cloth is a fabric that is fairly stiff with extra matte to not just wipe up dirt but to cling to it.

Wipe the bamboo flooring down with a tack cloth to ensure there is no sawdust lingering. Bamboo has a very tight grain which makes it hard to stain. Soak a rag in water and squeeze it out then so that it is damp. Wipe the bamboo flooring down in order to open up the pores of the bamboo.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

4 Wood Floor Wax Mistakes to Avoid

Wood floor wax is one of the most conventional ways to make your floors look more expensive quickly. Moreover, waxed floors tend to look cleaner for a longer time than unwaxed wood and will thus save you cleaning time. However, when applying wax to wooden floors there are certain common mistakes which can be easily avoided by following the steps listed here.

1. Tools and Supply Choice

Wood floor wax comes in two different types: liquid and hard. When applying any liquid floor wax you should use lamb’s wool applicator because it is softer and applies the wax evenly while penetrating the small cracks you cannot see. On the other hand, if you are using hard floor wax you can use a lint-free cloth as an applicator.

It is important to note that liquid and hard floor wax have different properties and different preliminary requirements. In fact, liquid wax is easy to use and is not only waterproof, but also antistatic. Moreover, it can be applied on wooden surfaces that have a layer of varnish and even plaster decoration.

Hard floor wax is colorless, has a satin finish and is suitable for paneling, timber floors, and both hard and soft woods. Furthermore, it allows the wood to breathe and repels both dirt and water. Therefore, the ideal solution to use is hard floor wax because although it may be a bit more demanding during its application process, it gives the best result.

2. Prepare

Before setting on applying any wood floor wax it is always very important to check the present status of your flooring. It is ideal to buff the wood and you may even need to clean it from any present wax (especially if old) before applying any new wax layers. Therefore, it is important to buff the wood and clean it by either sweeping or mopping the surface with a damp rag. It is important not to have any grease or dust particles which can be ground into the wood and thus damage the final result.

3. Application Process and Technique

Once you are ready to apply the wax you should always remember to apply several thin layers rather than a thick one. If you notice any opaque streaks on the wood while applying the wax, you should immediately stop because that would mean that you are applying too much wax. Wax doesn’t take too long to dry, so after an hour or so you can go about applying a second and then a third layer. You should stop applying wax layers when the surface presents a visible thin layer on top of it. Then you should polish it to the desired shine level.

4. Finishing Touch

It is important to note that the wax needs to be buffed before it has the desired shine. Moreover, before starting the buffering process you should use a polisher so that the final result has an added shine to it. However, when buffering, consider using a large machine rather than a small one because it gives you greater shine. It is also important to note that after a long time has passed and the shine has been lost, you do not need to go through this process all over again, but you can simply re-buff your waxed floor so that they regain the original shine.

These are just a few tips on the application of wood floor wax and on how to avoid the most frequent mistakes people fall into when applying any wax to their floor. However, applying wax to your floor is relatively easy as long as you have the patience and correct tools.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Use a Carpet Edging Tool

Refurnishing floors using carpets may require carpet edging tools and will have its challenges. Particularly when the subject is the finishing, the point at which tile and carpet meets. It is actually not that difficult to accomplish. Following the instructions below will help in completing the task, provided of course you have the appropriate tools for the job.

What You'll Need:

• Tape measure
•  Tack strip
•  Knee kicker
•  Hammer
•  Carpet edging tool

Step 1 – Understanding the Method

Before making use of carpet edging tools, you should understand how it fully functions with other tools in completing the task finishing carpet edges. There is a line that you have to quantify and its distance from tiles’ edge is a 1/4 inch. This procedure is in preparation for the inner edge, the installation of the strips.

Step 2 – Preparations before Using the Edging Tool

Set the tack of strips up on the platform or floor. Complement the edges’ interior to counter the marking that measure a 1/4 inch away from a tiles’ edge. Be certain that tacks upon the strips slant directly upon the tiles. Hammer the strips of tack on the designated spot. Be careful and avoid hitting the tiles. Extend the carpets’ edges on the strips of tack. Press the carpets’ edges down using the kicker after it is extended 1/2 inch over the edges on the side of tiles on the strips of tack.

Step 3 – Cutting the Excess Portion of the Carpet Using the Edging Tool

Using the carpet edging tool, slice the carpets’ leftover piece onto the space amid the tiles and tack strips measuring a 1/4 inch.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

5 Types of Oak Hardwood Floors

 Oak hardwood floors have been a popular choice for flooring homes for centuries. In the modern age however, home-owners not only go for oak wood depending on the climate they live in but also to achieve a traditional and contemporary look. Although actual genuine wood has been traditionally used in homes for years, it is expensive and difficult to maintain. The addition to the market of types of oak wood that looks like genuine wood has created modern and cheaper options for wooden flooring.

White Oak

White Oak is one of the more traditional types of oak that is used for hardwood floors. Having a charcoal tone with shades of gray, white oak helps create a natural look for a home. Its durability and versatility enables it to be used in all areas of a house that may be exposed to different environmental conditions. This oak can be used for flooring living rooms and also bathrooms and is easy to maintain. White oak costs more than the modern synthetic wood you can use for flooring but is still cheaper than other types of traditional oaks.

Red Oak

Another popular type of oak is Red Oak. Hardwood floors made using red oak usually have a reddish tone, thus the name. Some pieces of red oak however can have a lighter tone too and a nice shaded reddish look can be achieved. One quality of red oak is that it is easier to work with than white oak. Being more porous than white oak, it is very easy to sand. Red oak however can not withstand different types of environmental conditions in different rooms in the house and is less durable and versatile. It is mainly used for flooring living rooms.

Engineered Red Oak

Engineered red oak is not very different from traditional red oak. The look achieved after hardwood flooring based on this oak will have a reddish shade too. Engineered oak however is coated with eight or more layers of aluminum oxide. This multi-layer coating not only gives the oak a smooth and flat finish but also increases wood longevity. Engineered red oak can withstand harsh conditions over a long period of time and requires minimal maintenance. It costs almost the double the amount you would spend on traditional red oak flooring though.

Engineered White Oak

Engineered white oak is differs from engineered red oak in the way that it is not coated with aluminum oxide but is layered with real hardwood. Some types of this oak have layers of just a thin veneer of hardwood while others have a thicker layer, which increases durability and longevity. The grayish-finish oak has been known to last for around 25 years on average.

Oak Laminate

Oak laminate floors are the newest addition to the wooden flooring market. It is not pure oak but has been engineered to look like rich wood. The finish achieved after oak laminate flooring is installed is of traditional wood colors. Many home owners now prefer oak laminate as it is cheaper to buy and install and requires almost no maintenance as it is immune to regular aging that genuine wood experiences in different environmental conditions.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Hardwood Floor Finish: Polyurethane

Adding a hardwood floor finish to your home can improve the luster and quality of the shine on your floors. Hardwood floors are sometimes very difficult to find the right finish for, as they often require a lot of sanding before you start to notice an improvement. Polyurethane is a rather difficult liquid to apply as a finish, although once you have added it to the floor, it can create a better shine, and will also protect the floor against serious damage. In order to prevent the floor from being marked by the application of your hardwood floor finish, you will need to follow a certain series of steps.

Before Applying Your Polyurethane Hardwood Floor Finish

When you are ready to start refinishing your floor, always start by using a sander to remove previous finishes. This will give the floor a new layer, and will also help you to avoid refinishing marks which were caused when applying the last finish. Once you have used the sander, you should ensure that you brush the floor thoroughly, and then get good ventilation for the room you will be adding the finish to. The room may need a couple of fans to help blow the air around the room, and prevent fumes from building up. You should also equip yourself with a vapor respirator.

Applying the First Coat

The first coat of your Polyurethane hardwood floor finish will probably be the most difficult to apply well. You should always have a wet edge to apply the polyurethane to, and the application should progress uniformly across the room so that you are not leaving out areas. Make sure that you apply the hardwood floor finish with the grain of your wood, and you could use a soft applicator, such as a Lambs Wool, for the first coat.

Applying the Second Coat

Before you add another coat to the hardwood floor, you must ensure that it is completely dry. Applying your second coat too soon will result in bubbling, which is where the wet undercoat rises up, and the second coat then dries and seals these in place. You should apply a scruff sanding to the first coat before the second application, and if you are getting a urethane by-product on the sandpaper, this means it is not yet dry enough.

Removing Problems

If you do find that you have had a problem with applying the second coat of urethane, then you will need to remove all of the second coat. You may see wrinkles or bubbles forming in the second layer, and some of this will be cloudy. The only answer to this problem is simply to remove the second coat entirely. Use a paint scraper to peel off the second coat, and then sweep the floor thoroughly. Be careful when disposing of your scrapings, as they can combust if they are left in an ordinary trash can.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

The Only Carpet Installation Tools You'll Ever Need

Carpet installation tools are tools that allow people to install carpets on their own, without professional help. They include chalk, duct tape, gripper edge, hammer, knee-kicker, masonry nails, power stretcher, saw seaming iron, seaming tape, stair tool, staple gun, tackless strips, and a utility knife.

Preparing for Installation

Arrange tackless strips around the perimeter of the room, leaving about 1/2 inch between the strip and the wall. Use the saw to cut them to the proper length. Use a hammer and two nails to attach each strip to the floor and join the strips at the corners. Attach padding waffle side up using the staple gun, spacing the staples 6 inches apart. Use the utility knife to trim the excess padding. Once all padding is applied, cover the seams with duct tape.

Setting Carpet Dimensions

Measure the room and add six inches to the measurements. Use the chalk to set the measurements down on the carpet. Cut off the extra fabric. If you are using more than one piece of carpet, leave some extra space where they meet. That way you can cut away the excess pieces without creating gaps.

Applying the Carpet

After the carpet is cut, place the seaming tape, adhesive side up on the floor where different pieces of the carpet will meet. Use the seaming iron to melt the tape and press the carpet against it to attach. Use the knee kicker to attach the carpet to the tackless strips at each corner. Attach the rest using the carpet stretcher.

Final Steps

Once the carpet is secured, trim away the excess carpet. Smooth out the edges by tucking them into the space between the tackless strip and the way using the stair tool. Once that is done, put away the tools and enjoy your new carpet.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Maintaining a Historic 1850's Minton Tiled Floor in Cheshire

I was first asked to restore the large Victorian tiled hallway floor at this mansion type property in Handbridge, Cheshire two years ago. The floors had a lot of history and had been used as a template for the famous Minton Hollins encaustic tiled floor at St George’s Hall in Liverpool that was built in 1854. Unfortunately, however my work was put on hold as other restoration works including repairing dry rot took priority.

I kept in touch with the owners whilst the other works progressed and kept a look out for 22 beige Octagon shaped tiles that were needed to replace some of the damaged tiles in the floor. In fact, it wasn’t until later in 2023 that I was called back to start the renovation work to the floor, by which time I had managed to source all the replacement tiles needed.

      Handbridge is a district of Chester with a mixture of large Victorian mansion type properties on the South bank of the river Dee and workers cottages built to service the water powered factories that sprung up along the river.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Hallway Tiles

Before starting the cleaning process my first task was to replace all the broken tiles. This needs to be done carefully so as not to dislodge any adjacent tiles and make more work for myself. Once removed the base is cleared of old cement and then the replacement tiles fitted using rapid set adhesive and cut to size where required.

Once the repairs were complete and the adhesive set, I began the cleaning process which is designed to remove and remaining protective sealer and flush out ingrained dirt from the pores of the tile. This is done by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with a mop and then leaving it to soak into the tile for ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed using a buffing machine fitted with a black pad and lubricated with water. The cleaning alkaline cleaning solution soon turns black with the dirt and then floor is then rinsed with water and the residue extracted with a wet vacuum.

Attention then turned to the decorative historical piece of flooring at the entrance to the hallway. This only needed to be cleaned with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is used for regular cleaning and maintenance of tiled floors. this was applied with a two-minute dwell time before cleaning by hand using soft scrubbing brush then wiped down with damp microfiber cloths then left to dry.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day damp meter readings were taken from both floors to make sure they had dried and were ready to be sealed. The readings were within tolerance so work could begin on applying the first of what would be three coats of sealer.

Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen to seal the tiles, it’s an impregnating colour intensifier sealer which is fully breathable so it will allow for moisture to rise through tile, an important consideration for old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane.

The sealer was applied using a paint pad and any excess is wiped off after five minutes with microfiber cloths before leaving it to dry for twenty minutes. I use air blowers around the floor to increase the drying speed.

   

The owner of the property was over the moon with the work and pleased that the work to restore the property to its former condition was nearing completion after what had been four years of restoration.

   

Source: Victorian Tile Cleaning and Renovation Services in Cheshire