Timber Flooring | 4 Easy Steps to Buff Polyurethane-Finished Hardwood Floors

Buffing timber flooring is a quick and simple method to eliminate scratches and abrasions caused by furniture movement, shoe dirt and falling items. Over time, this hardwood wear and tear will cause your flooring to lose its shine and become dull. You don't have to worry about complete replacement, because buffing and recoating will have your floors looking as good as new instantly. Buffing will also enhance the longevity of timber flooring by removing imperfections and damage. Here are some easy steps to buff polyurethane-finished hardwood floors in your home.

Gather Your Supplies

You will need a cleaning mop, a vacuum cleaner, warm soap water, a floor buffer, water-based polyurethane finish and mineral turpentine. Cleaning supplies like mops, a vacuum cleaner and soap water are used to remove dirt from the surface. Mineral turpentine is used to remove the existing chipped and cracked finish. The floor buffer is used for the buffing process. Water-based polyurethane finish will give your floor its final sheen. All these items can be purchased from hardware or home improvement stores.

Remove Existing Finish and Buff Your Floors

Pour mineral turpentine on a rag and start rubbing the finished areas that have cracked and chipped. Cover your entire timber flooring, evenly removing the existing finish. You may need to go over the damaged areas a few times to remove the finish. The floor buffer will come with a pad and screen at the bottom. The screen is usually installed on the bottom of the buffing pad to lightly abrade the timber floor surface. Gently push the machine across the entire floor surface by steering the machine from left to right. Go over the floors a few times with the buffing machine. Remove the screen and pad from the buffing machine and use your hand to abrade the tough corners of the timber flooring.

Vacuum and Mop Once Buff Machine is Used

Once the floor has been abraded with the buff machine, vacuum the entire floor surface to remove all dust and debris. Do a thorough job, vacuuming the walls and windowsills to ensure that no residual dust falls on the floor while recoating. Dip the mop in the soap water solution and wipe over your timber flooring. Let the floor dry for a few hours before recoating.

Apply Water-Based Polyurethane Finish

Water-based polyurethane is a tough and resilient finish for timber flooring. Because of its low odour and low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, it is an eco-friendly solution for most hardwood floors. Use a floor finish applicator or paint pad to apply the polyurethane finish across the entire surface. Make sure you coat the floor evenly. Let the first coat dry for a few hours before repeating the process for the second coat. Water-based polyurethane typically dries quickly in just a few hours.

These easy steps will restore the elegant appearance of hardwood timber flooring in no time.