Hardwood flooring is perhaps the most utilized type of home flooring available. It's elegant, long-lasting and can be refinished many times before needing replacement. The main thing to remember prior to refinishing is knowing where not to place furniture so as to maximize walking space between boards after the work has been completed.

A skilled hardwood flooring installer should be aware of the dangers of poor floor installation and how to avoid them. We outline ways to know if you have hired an excellent hardwood floor contractor in this Hardwood Flooring Huntsville.

Basic Tools Needed for Refinishing Hardwood Flooring:

• Hammer

• Pry bar

• Sawhorses or other support structure • Staple gun with staples (putty tacks are easier on the wood than finishing nails) • Air compressor with brad nailer or finish stapler that will accommodate large head nails up to 1" in length

• Orbital sander

• Random orbit sander (for the rougher textured boards)

• Wire brush attachment for orbital sander or drum-sander attachment for belt sander. This will ensure that your flooring is 100% clean and free of any dust, dirt or grime prior to re-coating it. This step should be done outside to avoid contaminating your home with debris . You can use a wet/dry shopvac if you have one available . Do not sand wood floors without wearing a respiratory mask and eye protection. The dust particles from sanding hardwood floors are extremely small and easily inhaled, causing irritation and other health complications . Use 3M respirators as they are the only brand that filters microscopic particles .

• Corner sander (optional for smoothing edges) • Dust mask

There are several types of hardwood flooring available for purchase, including traditional red oak, birch, maple or Brazilian cherry hardwood to name a few. The cost per square foot varies depending on intended use and quality grade selection—the better quality grades will cost more while the lower grades can be less expensive but will not wear as well over time. Even though finished floors look beautiful when initially installed, after a few years they can appear dull and scratched.

Refinishing a hardwood floor is an easy process that requires minimal expertise, especially with the use of a random orbital sander. Many times this will be done as part of a home remodeling project but it also serves to restore the beauty of your existing hardwood flooring. The sanding removes all finish from the wood and leaves them ready to take on a new coat of stain or paint so before you start you must remove everything from the area where the work will be done—furniture, rugs, pictures, etc. The general rule for furniture placement is to place items 18" away from walls and 12" away from doorways so as not to impede walking space .

After removing everything from the floor, you are now ready to begin sanding. Using an orbital sander with a 100 grit sandpaper, go over the entire area at least three times. The first pass will be light and will remove most of the old finish; then you should do another two passes using heavier pressure to ensure that all remaining finish is removed. This process can be very dusty so make sure your shop-vac is running well before beginning this step to reduce airborne debris . Remember not to press too firmly as this can cause damage to the wood's surface. Try to keep it slow and steady instead.