There is no denying the charm exuded by antique heart pine flooring. It can blend in quite well even with modern home settings and bring a uniquely classic beauty to the rest of one's abode. It is, however, needless to say that such material is old. Hence, homeowners should realize the importance of taking necessary care and precaution when refinishing it.
Pine flooring has been popular for centuries. This is made out of the soft wood of pine trees. The most known type is the heart pine flooring because of how dense it is. In fact, this is the densest one, which can be attributed to its durability and ability to resist damage.
In addition to that quality, this type of flooring is a really nice addition to one's home considering its colorful tones of red, amber and hues of gold. This is mostly composed of the tree's most inner part, which is the main reason for its unique hue.
To make sure that the entire refinishing process is done smoothly and effectively, one can go through the flooring and check out the damaged areas. There might be some parts that need replacement while others simply have to be hammered to fix them in place. Any holes in the flower can be plugged with a dowel.
After the entire flooring has been cleared out and the highly damaged boards are replaced, one can proceed to clean up the entire area of antique heart pine flooring. This is done by sanding the flooring with #80-grit sandpaper and following it up with thoroughly vacuuming the entire floor. To complete the cleaning procedure, it is recommended that the floor be wiped with tack cloth.
Before the actual staining takes place, it is recommended for pre-stain wood conditioner to be applied. The main purpose of this solution is to keep the stain from looking blotch or streaked. The said conditioner can be applied with the use of clean rags or a brush and should be left to dry for about 15 minutes.
When staining the floors, one should use a solution that is specifically formulated for antique floors. It takes a maximum of 15 minutes for the stain to be penetrated by the wood. There is a positive relationship between the time the stain is left on the floor and how dark the wooden floor ends up to be. A darker finish can also be achieved with additional application.
For sealing, polyurethane can do the job. A thin coat of it can be brushed on the floor and left to dry for around two hours. After which, one should sand the floor's surface with a #220-grit sandpaper. After the dust is vacuumed, one can wipe the floor with tack cloth as done earlier. It is then possible to add another layer of topcoat.
The process of refinishing one's antique heart pine flooring is not really a hard task to do. It does take time and a good amount of work, but any homeowner can do the job himself with a good set of instructions and advice on how to do so.
