Refinishing Hardwood Floors Shellac

Flooring experts estimate that hardwood floors can be sanded for refinishing up to 10 times depending on the thoroughness of the sanding and the level of wear and tear on the floor.

Refinishing hardwood floors shellac. Wait an hour for the first coat to harden then brush another coat over a slightly broader area. Expect to spend at least one full day on this prep work for refinishing hardwood floors. As with any wood floor refinishing project 90 percent of this job is preparation. You have to thoroughly clean the floor touch up any deep scratches and roughen the existing finish with sanding screens so the new finish will adhere well.

Put a few drops of lacquer thinner on an inconspicuous part of the floor then feel the finish if it s sticky it s lacquer or shellac. Diyers can save money but experience and know how counts when refinishing hardwood floors. Add alcohol to the container if it gets too thick. Choosing the right top coat for newly installed wood floors or refinishing boards that are a little worse for the wear however can be a little intimidating.

The gloss on a floor in an older home may not be the ubiqutous polyurethane but shellac which requires specific care. To completely refinish a hardwood floor including sanding down the top layer to bare wood then applying several coats of new finish like polyurethane expect to pay flooring professionals 1. Situations differ but you may not be able to refinish your hardwood floor more than 10 times. Removing shellac from wood floors.

Store and dispose of oil soaked rags properly. Shellac finishes were common on wood floors. How to care for shellac floors. Some shellac manufacturers recommend using it as a protective coat on non wood items.

When a shellac finish needs restoration it s possible to apply new material directly over the old because like lacquer shellac amalgamates and the two. What you need to know about hardwood floor refinishing.