A statement of lifestyle,
By Tim Ryan
easy to maintain, people who
have it wouldn't have it
any other wayStar-Bulletin
WOOD gives a home a sense of permanency and natural beauty. And wood flooring feels smooth and cool to the foot and is visually soothing depending on color, grain and finish.
In 1970, wood flooring was in 1 percent of the nation's homes compared to 4 percent today. The National Wood Flooring Association estimates wood flooring will be in 15 percent of homes by 2010.
"The trend is simply fashion," says William Valdez of Masterpiece Flooring in Honolulu, which repairs, installs, sands and refinishes wood floors. "People like a modern exterior on the outside of their home, but they want a traditional look on the inside and that means wood floors."
Another reason for the popularity is that finishes are easier to maintain these days, says Valdez and Chris Nied of Pacific American Lumber, a major supplier of hardwood floor products on Oahu.
"People have learned that hardwood flooring fits into most every room in the house," Nied said.
Wood prices have also become "more competitive" with other floor coverings. Installation averages about $2.50 per square foot with higher prices for more difficult cuts, or when the area includes a lot of hallways and doors, Valdez said.
But if a house boasts wood flooring -- original planks, strip, or parquet -- giving them the proper care is the key to retaining the authenticity, Valdez emphasized.
What you decide to do with your wood floor depends on what type of floor you're dealing with, the appearance you're striving for, how authentic you want to be, and how much maintenance you're willing to devote to keeping the floor in shape, he said. That means you may decide to leave an old plank floor unfinished, or varnish or shellac a strip or parquet floor.
Knowing a bit about wood floors, along with the choices, will help you deal with any restoration wisely, Valdez said.
Generations of use allows old wood flooring to wear and cup naturally, creating an aged patina that can't be duplicated. In many cases, the most authentic way to care for an old unfinished wood floor is to leave it that way -- unfinished.
For those who want some protection on the planks, some restorers suggest treating the planks with a clear penetrating oil, followed by a coat of wax. Depending on the kind of usage it sees, expect to rewax the floor every year or two.
If the floor is in poor shape, bringing it back is often a professional call, Valdez said. More than likely, the job will begin with a good cleaning. Trying to sand down an original plank floor runs the risk of ruining it.
Remember that a finish, like varnish, adds luster to a wood floor, and also helps to protect the floor by keeping moisture and dirt from penetrating into the wood. But before you can apply a finish, the floor must be carefully sanded to remove defects, dirt and any existing finish.
Sanding and refinishing a wood floor is a job for a professional, Valdez urged. Do-it-yourselfers can rent the necessary power tools and refinish an average-sized floor but must be "very, very careful," or floors can be seriously damaged, Valdez said.
"Sanding a floor by a non professional is hard to do," he said. "It takes a lot of skill and it's what takes the longest for us to learn. A mistake can make a gouge or dent that can be very hard to remove."
A professional refinishing job costs about $2.50 a square foot for a new floor; $2.75 for a floor with an old finish, Valdez said. Depending on the finish, the job can take two to four days, he said.
Two power tools are needed to sand a floor: a large drum sander for the major areas; a smaller disk sander to clean up edges and corners. Most models also have a vacuum attachment that collects the sanding dust as you work. (You'll also need a vacuum, a hammer, nail set, hand scraper, pry bar, putty knife and wood filler, and a hand sanding block and sandpaper.)
For most floors, only the coarse, medium and fine grit sand papers are needed. Old floors with heavy accumulations of paint or varnish may have to be sanded with very coarse paper, Valdez said.
Before sanding determine the thickness of the wood. Most wood flooring 3/4-inch thick can be refinished a number of times, but sanding a floor that is less than 1/2-inch thick can wear down the groove edge of the boards, Valdez said.
(Some newer floors may have laminated surfaces like a thin veneer of quality wood over a substrate. Do not attempt to sand laminated flooring.)
Vacuum the floor, then inspect it for loose floor boards, protruding nails and holes or cracks, Valdez said. Then secure loose floorboards by first nailing them to the joists below. Counter-sink all protruding nails with the nail set and fill the resulting holes -- also any other holes or cracks -- with wood filler, he said.
Using the drum sander is tricky. Load it with coarse paper then position the machine along a wall parallel to the floor direction. The object is to sand with, not across, the grain of the floor boards. Tilt the machine backward until the drum is raised off the floor.
Start the motor and walk forward while easing the drum to the floor. Make a complete pass. When you near the end of the floor, gradually raise the drum before switching off the motor. Never allow the drum to touch the floor unless you are moving forward or backward, otherwise you will cut a hollow into the floor that will be difficult to remove, Valdez said.
After sanding the floor, use the edger to sand near the baseboards, door frames and corners. Work the edger in a circular motion using light pressure to avoid making sanding tracks.
Make another pass with the drum sander using medium grit paper, then repeat the edging technique with fine grit. Make a final pass with fine grit paper, then use the woodscraper and sanding block to clean up tight corners and areas under radiators. After the floor has been properly sanded, it's ready to be finished.
An alternative to refinishing is to install a new prefinished laminated wood floor right over the old. Most laminated flooring is composed of several layers of wood. The lamination improves the floor's stability and restricts movement which is why a laminated floor won't bow or warp like a solid wood one can, Valdez said.
Remember the old wood floor must be sound to successfully accept a new wood covering, Valdez said.
That means flat with no buckling or loose boards. Boards must be repaired first, along with cracks or spots where the wood moves up and down. Eliminate squeaks because you're likely to find the squeaks in the same spots in your new floor.
Nied discourages do-it-yourselfers from installing a floor. "You're paying good money for your new floor and you want to make sure it goes down right and stays down," he said.
