with out stripping a hard wood floor how can i restore the look?

Question

the floor is in rental prop. right now i don't have the time sand and refinish,i need advise on steps to make it look good.Thanks BB

Answer 1

I used to have hardwoods in my old house and when we wanted a finish that would last for a few weeks we would buy a high quality wood polish in liquid format and mop it into the floor. It worked great, but it wore out after a few weeks. Besides that you already know what your options are...

Answer 2

There are several different transitions you can use, it depends on the height difference between the two floors as well as the flooring it is transitioning to. If the new tile floor is noticeably higher then the laminate floor it will mate to, then you would want to use a 'hard surface reducer'. If it's the same or close to the same height then you can use a 't-mold' or use e-cap. (e-cap is the rubber stuff that is slightly rounded over that goes into a metal channel that is nailed or glued to the floor - you can get it in many different colors) To go from tile to carpet you normally use a 'square nose' or 'carpet reducer' then the carpet is retucked to the new transition piece. You could also use e-cap here instead. I'd have to guess that the door leading to the carport has a sill on it - then just use quarter round against the door sill. If no sill then again you'd use hard surface reducer. You should be able to find all the trims at your local hardware store or flooring supply. Good luck with your project!

Answer 3

You can just put some new polyurthane down - but if the floor has considerabe wear and/or if you use a polyurethane that is much different than the original this approach may look like patch work.

Sanding does not take as long as you would think - my recommendation would be to rent a sander and do it or hire someone to do it for you. As long as the rest of the property has redeemable qualities (i.e., location, condition, etc.) this work will pay for itself in the rent you can charge - besides it is tax deductable.

Answer 4

If you have never used a floor sander, you are not going to be able to do a professional looking job. I have sanded many wood floors. I advise you, if you are thinking of renting a sander, to get the recommendation of the rental store for a man able to do the job for you. There is no way to make a wood floor look as though it was refinished, without actually doing the sanding and refinishing. Dust flies everywhere and goes into the AC unit so you need to cover it. Is your wood floor solid wood or merely laminate? If laminate, you cannot sand it.

Answer 5

how old do you think the floor is?
Older floors can be waxed making them look almost new again.

Newer floors have polyurethane finishes and waxes or other floor restoration products can actually damage or dull the finish.

Try cleaning it first to get the old finish off-someone may have applied wax to a polyurethane finish and this may be the problem.

Some of the floor stores sell products for this purpose.

Answer 6

I used a product called "Quick Shine" by a company called Holloway House. It's easy to use and is not too expensive. First you have to clean your floor with " Quick Shine Floor Cleaner " also not too expensive. You can use the cleaner and shine on tile floors also. You can apply it with a dampened, unscented, dry sweeper cloth or mop pad. It dries in about 15-20 minutes, has a low odor. You can apply several coats depending on the shine you want. It's not recommended for unsealed wood floors. Visit www.hollowayhouse.net
It worked for me. Good Luck!

Answer 7

The easiest wood floor product to work with is water based poly. Just wash the floor and allow to dry. Apply the poly with a fleece pad applicator. It goes on very easy and dries fast.

Answer 8

Try this - get a good floor scrubber such as the ones made by Electrolux with three pads on the bottom, put lambswool pads on it, and use Scott's Liquid Gold on it and buff it until you get the best shine possible.

Answer 9

Buy Krudd Kutter at K-mart. Read directions. After It dries put down your favorite polyurethane. I have done it, and the shine looks new

Answer 10

Use a good wax stripper then use Johnon's past wax with a buffer.