Bay Area Flooring

It’s a fact, your hardwood floor is going to become scratched and dull through general wear and tear over time. It’s best to recoat your floor while it still looks good, prolonging the life of your floor and reducing the number of times it has to be refinished. Recoating will revitalize the shine and get rid of any mild discolorations that haven’t penetrated the wood. By committing to the proper care and maintenance of your hardwood floor, including recoating and refinishing when required, your floor will last for generations.

Recoating vs. Refinishing

Recoating is a simple process, involving thorough cleaning and light sanding (scuffing) of your floor’s last applied layer of finish, before a fresh coat of finish is applied. It rejuvenates your wood floor and extends the life of its protective finish layers.

Recoating is not to be confused with refinishing a hardwood floor. Recoating is suitable if the floor is only mildly scratched and worn, the finish has not worn through, and it does not have a build up of wax or other chemicals. This build-up will create adhesion problems and cause the floor to reject the new finish, resulting in peeling and flaking.

Refinishing hardwood floors involves extensively sanding the floor to expose the wood - necessary when there are deep scratches, damage, or has a build up of wax or chemicals. If the floor has been waxed and has signs of wear that are not remedied by another coat of wax, it is time to refinish.

Can your floor be recoated?

If you are unsure whether or not the floor has a wax coating, you can do your own home test: just wipe a small area with a rag dampened in paint thinner. If the thinner removes the existing finish, the floor has a wax coating and will require complete sanding and refinishing.

To find out if your floor can be recoated, and to ensure compatibility of the new finish, do a small patch test in an inconspicuous area. It is best to use the same finish that was previously applied, as problems such as peeling can occur if an existing coating is not compatible with the new coating. If you don’t know what the existing finish is, you can test the compatibility of a new finish with the following test:

• Start by thoroughly cleaning the area with a wood floor cleaner, then lightly sand it with fine (120 grit) sandpaper.
• Wipe away all traces of dust before applying polyurethane floor finish to the area, wait 24 hours before touching the surface.

After a couple of days the material should show no signs of bubbling. The finish should be smooth, not rippled or of an orange peel like texture, and it shouldn’t flake or peel away (test this by scratching the surface with moderate pressure using a coin). If the surface passes these tests, it should be safe to seal the entire floor. If it does not pass these tests, the floor will need to be completely sanded and refinished.

Instructions for recoating

Once you’re sure your hardwood floor can be recoated, the following steps will ensure a successful application of the new finish coat:

1. Begin by lightly sanding floor using a screening disk. Screening disks are open mesh abrasive screens that are used on rotary buffing machines. Floors in good condition can be screened with 120 grit screens, though if the floor is in poorer shape, 100 or even 80 grit screens are recommended. If you use one of these more aggressive screens, it is advisable to re-screen the floor using a 120 grit screen to remove some of the swirl marks and ensure a nice smooth surface.

2. Sweep and vacuum floor to remove wood dust and dirt.

3. Dampen a tack rag with pure mineral spirits and run the rag over the floor to pick up any fine dust and oily residue. Avoid using rags treated with less refined oil-based materials such as kerosene or wax-based treatments, as they could leave a residue and cause poor adhesion and peeling.

4. Ensure the area is well ventilated and apply the finish to the edges of the floor with a brush, then coat the rest of the floor using a foam or lamb’s wool applicator. Use smooth, even strokes in the direction of the grain. Allow finish to cure completely per the manufacturer’s instructions before walking on the floor.

Tamalpais Hardwood Floors has extensive experience refinishing and installing hardwood floors. For a free estimate in the Bay Area, call 866-987-8686.

Floating hardwood floors are stable, quiet, durable and easy to maintain. Unlike traditional hardwood floors, which are nailed or glued down, floating hardwood floors are not attached to the subfloor. Because they ‘float’ like this, through being glued or snapped together, movement in the boards is spread across the entire floor, making gaps less likely to appear and improving stability. They can be installed over virtually any type of subfloor, such as concrete, plywood, sheet vinyl or ceramic tiles. This makes them the ideal option in areas where hardwood flooring cannot be attached to the subfloor, for example when the subfloor is concrete. Floating hardwood floors are usually laid over a foam underlay which provides many further benefits: a moisture barrier, good noise insulation, and cushioning so the floor is comfortable to walk or stand on for extended periods of time.

All floating hardwood floors are engineered floors. Engineered floating flooring consists of multiple layers of wood that are glued together as one board, the top layer being a pre-finished decorative hardwood. Engineered flooring is resistant to changes in humidity, expanding and contracting less than other types of wood flooring and thus very stable.

Installing Your Floating Hardwood Floor

Installing a floating floor is easier than a glued or nailed down floor. The most common way of joining wood planks in a floating installation is to use an adhesive between the joints.

Preparation

If the room is carpeted, remove it to expose the subfloor, and check that the subfloor is level by laying a wood plank on its edge. If there is a significant space between the plank and the floor (more than ¾ inch), you will need to spread a self leveling joint compound on the floor. Ensure that this has dried completely before laying the flooring. If the subfloor is sound, the flooring can be installed right on top.

Layout


When planning the layout it is important to remember to leave a ½ inch gap between the floor and the walls to accommodate for expansion and contraction of the wood. Generally, floating hardwood floors can be laid in any direction so you can choose the layout that best suits the environment of the room and of course your tastes. Many people take into account where the light enters the room and the entrances and exits.

Installation

Vacuum the subfloor to remove any dust and debris. If it is concrete, lay plastic lining to protect the flooring from moisture. Next roll out the underlayment perpendicular to the direction of the planks. Plan where you want each plank of wood before gluing. While installing the floor, take steps to protect it by kneeling on a towel or soft cloth and laying tools on one as well.

Lay the first plank with its tongue edge facing out, and run a bead of glue along the joint or edge of the wood. Working from left to right across the room, insert the second plank and gently tap together using a hammer and tapping block, which protects the tongue or edge of the plank from damage.
Continue laying the floor as above. Once most of the floor is installed, you will run out of room for the tapping block. At this point, use a pulling iron and hammer to draw the planks together.

Lastly, conceal the expansion space with baseboard molding. Ensure it is nailed to the wall and not to the floor. Once the installation is complete, let the floor set before walking on it.

Tamalpais Hardwood Floors has a large selection of floating floors, and provides free estimates and installation services in the Bay Area. For more information call 866-987-8686.