Author: Margie Brookshire

Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hardwood Floor Refinishing NJ is an inexpensive way to add beauty and value to your home. Major scratches, gouges, and dents are best resolved by refinishing rather than simply filling them.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Refinishing can be a dusty job, so be sure to clear out the room and cover anything that isn’t being refinished with plastic tarps. It is also recommended that you tape over outlets, vents, and doorways to help contain the polyurethane odor.

Hardwood floors don’t stay gorgeous on their own; they need a coat of finishing product to protect them from the everyday wear and tear. Refinishing is a labor-intensive process that takes four to seven days and involves sanding down the floors to get down to bare wood before applying a new finish. This will help make your hardwood floors look like they’re brand new again!

The first step is to remove all furniture from the room being refinished. This is done so that dust and debris won’t fall onto your furniture. It is also important to cover any vents in the room or doors to keep the dust from getting into other areas of your home. You may want to cover any electrical outlets as well.

Next, it is important to clean the hardwood floor using a damp mop. This will help get rid of any dirt and debris that has built up over time. After mopping, it is a good idea to let the floor dry for 24 hours before you begin using it again.

You should also be sure to vacuum the floors and clean any baseboards or trim in the room. This will help ensure that all the dirt and dust is removed before the sanding begins. Once the floor is sanded, it’s important to use a high-quality finish that will last. It is best to apply several layers of finish to the wood, allowing each layer to dry in between.

It is also important to sand the edges of the room where the walls meet. This will ensure that there are no gaps in the finish when it is applied. You can do this by using a hand sander or orbital sander. Lastly, it is a good idea to cover any exposed furniture with plastic to keep the dust from settling on it.

Another option for hardwood floors is resurfacing, which is less expensive and quicker than refinishing. Resurfacing uses a drum sander to remove the old coating and apply a new one. This is a great choice for homeowners who don’t want to invest in a full refinishing.

Sanding

Hardwood floor refinishing is not for the faint of heart. It is a very messy process, and it takes days to complete. It also produces a lot of dust, which can clog your air if you don’t have proper ventilation. Using the right equipment can help you finish the job faster and more effectively.

Start with a drum sander fitted with 60-, 80- and 100-grit disks to smooth the wood’s surface. Work in the direction of the grain, sanding in a ‘V’ pattern to prevent gouging the floor. Always vacuum between sanding sessions to get rid of the dust and debris. Wear a respirator mask when sanding, as the fine sawdust can cause sinus problems, headaches and dizziness. Bag the dust and store it away from flammable objects.

Before refinishing, clean the floor thoroughly to remove dirt and oil. Vacuum it with a soft brush attachment or setting, then use a dust mop to remove the remaining debris. You’ll also want to pull up all baseboards and molding to protect them from the sanding process.

If you have an old hardwood floor that has a wax finish, it may be easier to simply buff the existing finish rather than resanding down to the wood. Then, apply two to three coats of a polyurethane product. It is recommended that you apply a minimum of two coats, but three coats will give you the most durable finish.

The best stain and varnish products will be specifically designed for use on hardwood floors. They will be water- or oil-based, low in volatile organic compounds and come with a tinting base that allows you to adjust the color intensity. Look for sales on these products at local hardware stores to save money.

Once the refinishing process is complete, the floors will need to be buffed again before they can be recoated with a protective sealant. Buffing helps the new coating set into place and create a smooth, glossy appearance. You can also buff the floor after applying a second coat, or in highly trafficked areas with each additional coat.

Staining

Staining is an extremely important step in hardwood floor refinishing. It can either enhance or destroy the beauty of your flooring and should be treated with great care. If you make even one mistake during this process, it could cost you a lot of time and money in the long run. This is one of the biggest reasons why it’s often best to leave staining to the professionals.

Stains come in many different colors, and they can actually change the color of your wood floors. The two main types of stains are dyes and pigments. Dye stains are translucent and do not obscure the grain. Pigments, on the other hand, work in a very different way. They are made up of a coloured substance that obscures the grain and they can be water or oil-based.

It is also vital to remember that a stain can only be applied once the floors have fully dried from the sanding process. This can take a minimum of 48 hours under the ideal conditions of heat, humidity and air movement. If you miss this window of opportunity, the next layer of finish and stain will not bond properly. If this happens, the surface will be prone to smudges and peeling.

After your stained floor has completely dried, it’s time to protect it with a polyurethane sealer. This will help to keep your floors looking beautiful for years to come. Typically, you’ll want to sand the floor again with a fine 320-grit sandpaper before applying the polyurethane.

It’s also a good idea to have some dust masks on hand and some heavy duty gloves for the process of applying the sealer. This is a very messy job and it’s essential to be prepared. It’s also a good idea to cover your furniture and remove any valuables from the room so they don’t get covered in dust. Once the polyurethane has dried, it’s time to touch up any areas that need a bit more attention.

Finishing

Refinishing hardwood floors is a labor-intensive project that can take anywhere from four to seven days depending on the size of the room and how much work needs to be done. During this process, you’ll sand down your wood floors, apply a stain and then seal them. If you don’t have the time or equipment to refinish your own floors, it’s recommended that you hire an NWFA-certified flooring expert to do it for you. This will ensure the job is done properly and safely.

During the sanding process, it’s important to use a drum sander and to have plenty of dust extraction. You should also start with a rougher sandpaper, like 36-grit or higher, to get the most out of your floor. Then, you’ll transition to a finer sandpaper such as 80 or 120-grit to smooth out the surface of your hardwood floors. This will help make the application of your new finish much easier.

After the sanding process is complete, you’ll need to let your floors dry before applying a coat of stain. It’s recommended that you use a low- to no-VOC stain, which will reduce indoor air pollutants and be safe for your family. Once the stain is applied, you can let it sit for one to two days before putting down a layer of polyurethane to seal your wood floors.

Hardwood floor refinishing is a great way to update your home’s look and add value to your property. However, it’s important to understand the process before taking on such a big task yourself. To avoid any potential problems, it’s highly recommended that you contact a professional wood floor refinishing company for all of your refinishing and staining needs.

If you have hardwood floors that are in good condition with only minor scratches and wear, they may not need to be refinished at all. In some cases, a simple screening and recoating will be sufficient to keep your floors looking nice. This is a less expensive and faster method of reviving hardwood floors, but it’s also not as durable as a full refinishing.

Problem gas station contract to cost Costain up to £53.5m

Costain has received a series of adjudication decisions following a contract bust-up with National Grid.

The contractor and client parted ways in June 2020 more than halfway through a £113m upgrade to gas compressor stations at Peterborough and Huntingdon.

In a stock echange update today Costain said: “Under the terms of the termination agreement with National Grid, there is an expected requirement to make a payment of £53.5min January 2022, which now represents the maximum cash outflow under the contract.”

The adjudicator found in Costain’s favour in principle in three out of the four compensation events but chose not to determine the financial amounts in respect of them.

Costain said: “We will pursue a financial settlement with National Grid in respect of these compensation events. As not all compensation events have been decided in our favour, we now expect there to be an overall cash outflow in respect of the contract.

“Given the recent adjudication decision, we have an entitlement to recover a proportion of this payment and will be discussing the timing and amount with National Grid

“The payment, if made, will not affect our banking arrangements and we will continue to have a strong balance sheet that enables us to deliver our business plan.

“There will be an associated charge to the income statement for the current financial year reflecting such payment.”

The contractor added that year end net cash, before any period end timing benefits, will now be ahead of market expectations at around £100m while full year adjusted operating profit is expected to be in line with market expectations.

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