Every so often floors need to be refinished. This means stripping them of their coat or finish, buffing out scratches, and laying down a new coat on top a smoothed out surface. Floors require maintenance and every two years or so you should refinish your floor to prevent it from looking worn. This will also give you a shot at taking a hard look at your floor to make sure there isn’t water or any other significant damage to the surface. Whether your floor is wood or concrete there are some essential tools you can rent to get the job done.
Start by cleaning your floor with a white vinegar solution. Afterwards, rent a small sander to begin scrubbing out the impurities around the edges of the walls and in tight corners. You should also rent a buffer to complete the cleansing of the floor. If you never used a buffer before, talk to your rental specialist about the powers and speed of the machine along with the proper pads you should use. Make sure to have an understanding of what kind of finish is already on the floor so you choose the appropriate tool to use. There are two common tool attachments you can rent with your buffer. The first is a wood tool, which is useful to remove polyurethanes, glue, and wax. The second option is a coating removal tool that is considered the fastest way of grinding away gummy coatings such as paint, mastic, strong adhesives, and epoxies. It’s considered the fastest because it doubles as a sander and buffer for getting out the really tough coats of finish. Depending on the wood you have on your floor, one might be better suited than the other. If you’re trying to refinish a slab of concrete, look into renting a concrete prep attachment that consists of a hexpin surface prep system. These are great for scraping, grinding, sanding, and polishing concrete. Once the floor is buffed to its bare surface, look into renting a shop vac to remove the dust and powder from the floor. Work in line with the lay of the floor and then sweep across to get any powder that has settled between the boards. Afterwards, go over the floor a few times with a microfiber cloth to finish wiping the surface clean. After the floor is clean and dry it’s time to lay down a new finish. Try renting painting tools such as a rolling brush with a long handle and a paint respirator to protect yourself against the fumes.
Lay on a few coats and allow ample time for the floor to dry in between. By renting all the tools to complete this project you will save a ton of money. Don’t go spending your money on a contractor when you can rent the floor refinishing tools to do it all yourself. Ask lots of questions, rent the right tools for the job, and your floor will look as good as new at half the cost.