Sometimes all you need to make the mood and the general look of your house come to life is just the floor color. Maybe the house looks deem and something light could bring it to life. However, dark hardwood floors can be very technical to deal with. We need to know something about them and how to go around the processes involved. Some think it’s not possible, while some think it’s extremely hard. However, with the right hands for the job, it is very easy and it takes a few hours to lighten up the house. We have a few things that we have to take into consideration before we can handle the whole process. Most importantly, we are going to find out how to lighten dark hardwood floors without sanding. Sanding can be messy sometimes but guess what, we are going to avoid it completely.
Avoiding sanding does not however mean that we are going to apply a lighter stain on top of the dark stain. It might work to some extent but it is bound to be short-lived and may wear off in a very short time. There has to be something that should happen before we have the light stain applied to the floor. The main thing that we have to do is to make sure that the top layers of the dark hardwood floors are off and the surface is level and clear before we can apply the lighter stain. To attain this, we have to do some glazing also known as screening. Screening can also be called buffing. A buffing machine is what is used in cleaning off the surface layering uniformly to reveal the surface underneath. Buffing needs to be done very carefully to make sure the outcome is clean.
This way we are going to avoid sanding completely. The outcome is good and makes the work very easy afterward. What we will need to do is just the layering of the lighter stain. Now, the whole process must obviously start somewhere and end with the light stain on the floor. Let us focus on the whole process and find out what we need to do and how to do it.
If you are gonna do the whole thing alone, consider finding out a few things before moving on. While buffing off the top layer, you can apply a portion of the stain to be used on a section of the floor to have a test of the outcome. You can also find out how to do it to come up with a clean job at the end. If you are not very sure about the process, you might want to call in some wood flooring expert. We’ll discuss how to do just that.
How to Lighten Dark Hardwood Floors without Sanding
1. Clear off the floor
Clearing off begins by having all the household items out of the house and opening up the curtains. Clear the floor of any dirt and make sure it is clean. We can consider mopping it or using some vinegar solution to clean off the surface. If mopping, we should always make sure the floor is as dry as possible afterward for us to make sure we have zero chances of structural damage on the wood. Be sure to clean off any dirt and make sure the floor is completely clear of any items and clean on the surface.
2. Buffing
After clearing off and cleaning the surface, we have to get the top surface off the floor. However, we are doing it without sanding. Sanding takes a lot of time. We are gonna do buffing. Buffing involves the use of a buffing machine to clear off the top surface of the floor uniformly. The glazing or buffing machine is used to achieve a clear surface that exposed the real wood surface which can then be stained lighter.
Most people prefer calling in professional wood floor experts because of this. It usually requires a careful hand to finish it off well and save some time. With the machine, it is easier to make the floor clear if the top surface and good to be stained all over again. After the floor is totally glazed, you will need to clear off the surface to get rid of the debris.
3. Cleaning the floor surface
After buffing, there is usually a lot of debris all around. It needs to be very clear to estimate the bare wood grains of the hardwood floor for it to be clear for staining it with the light stain. It is also important to expose all the sections of the floor that have not been buffed glazed off. After making sure every part of the floor is clean, with the hardwood grains visible, it would be the right time to apply the stain.
4. Apply the light stain
Staining is the one very critical stage of the whole process. An expert can advise according to the wood floor type. During buffing, you can also try it on some sections to see how it works out. The stain may be dark or it may be a two-part solution for bleaching or an oxalic acid which also bleaches. The reason why a dark stain is included here is that when some types of wood are stained with dark color, they brighten up and come up with a lighter finish. Applying the stains might need you to have a brush and be in gloves. Now, carefully supply the whole floor with a lot of the stain but make sure it is not so extra.
5. Polyurethane coating
For purposes of adhesively sticking it together, we will need to do some polyurethane coating to finish off the whole work and have that smooth lightened up floor. This should also be done carefully and Evey to make sure the whole floor is well covered and it is fine well. After that, the floor can settle overnight for it to dry up and be ready for normal use again.
Final Word: How to Lighten Dark Hardwood Floors without Sanding
The process might not be as hard as it sounds, but it all needs a lot of care when making up the new look. If done, the process is likely to result in a complete lively change on the floor that we have. What we need to do is have it done properly. An expert can be of really great help especially where this has never been done before and we are not very sure of what needs to be done. However, if we are doing it on our own, the important thing is to know what to do and that is why we had to find out how to lighten dark hardwood floors without sanding.