TITLE: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture Store

Home Improvement Category: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself

Shopping Mall: Home Improvement offers do-it-yourself Home Improvement guide and store, Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself Store

Home Improvement Topics: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself

HOME IMPROVEMENT

SHOPPING MALL > DEPARTMENT STORE > HOME IMPROVEMENT

COMPARISON SHOPPING SEARCH ENGINE

Welcome to Home Improvement

Find all your home improvement supply and guide.

Featured Shopping Site:

Used Car History

Offers auto consumer report and trader buying guide on new and used car products and services. Guide on AutoCheck used car history report, Kelley Blue Book, NADA and VIN number

Free VIN Check | VIN Number | AutoCheck | Kelley Blue Book | NADA

REPAIRING A WOOD FINISH

Removing a Stain

There are stains on my hard-wood floor where water dripped from a houseplant. How can I remove them?
The best way to get rid of water stains is to sand them with a vibrating sander, like a palm sander, then restain the affected area. Don't use a belt sander; it could ruin the floor. Start with 100-grit sandpaper and finish with 150-grit. Vacuum the dust and clean the area with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits if you'll be using oil-base stain, or water if you'll be using a latex stain.

Matching stain to your floor generally requires mixing different colors. Buy two or three cans of stain that are close to the color of the floor and experiment. Mix oil-base stains with other oil-base stains, and latex with latex. Test the colors on a piece of sanded unstained wood that's the same species as your floor. Check for a match while the stain is wet. Apply the matching stain to your floor, and finish with a matching sealer (gloss, semigloss, or satin).

*Use a vibrating sander to remove water stains. Do not use a belt sander.

*Test-match two or three stain colors on a piece of sanded unstained wood.

Removing Carpet Glue

What is the easiest way to remove glue and old carpet backing from a hardwood floor?
There's no easy way to do this. You'll need to sand off the glue, then sand and refinish the floor. Avoid using solvents and wire brushes.

Remove as much of the backing as you can with an industrial-size floor buffer (you can rent one) fitted with a screening pad. It takes a while to learn how to control a buffer, so start in the center of the room and go easy until you get a feel for the machine. It goes faster if someone else vacuums up the loose backing as you go. Once the backing is removed, you can remove the glue with a floor sander.

Use 36-grit sandpaper to remove glue, stains, and gouges. Follow with 60-grit paper, and finish with 100-grit. If this is laminated flooring, be careful. If it was sanded once before, it may not withstand another sanding. In that case, consider replacing the floor or covering it with carpet again. Some parquet floors are laminated and should also be treated with caution. To determine if a parquet floor is laminated, look for exposed sections, such as around ducts that are cut into the floor.

Renewing a Finish

Is there a way to make my hardwood floors look new again without sanding off the old finish?
If your floor was finished with polyurethane, you should be able to recoat the floor as long as it was never waxed. If it was waxed, a new topcoat will adhere only if you sand off all of the old finish and the wax.

Test for adhesion by cleaning and taping off two 6-inch square sections, one near a wall, the other in a high-traffic area. Sand each section with 100-grit screen or sandpaper. Wipe each clean and coat with oil-base polyurethane or water-base urethane. After 24 hours, scratch the topcoat with a coin. If it doesn't flake off, you can safely recoat.

Quick Touch-Ups

What's the quickest way to repair little scratches and gouges in my hardwood floor?
For small scratches, use a furniture touch-up marker in a color that matches your floor; dab it on. Stain from a can will work, too. Cover the repair with polyurethane, applying two or more layers to build it up flush with the existing finish.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

SHOPPING MALL > DEPARTMENT STORE > HOME IMPROVEMENT

TITLE: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture Store

Home Improvement Category: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself

Shopping Mall: Home Improvement offers do-it-yourself Home Improvement guide and store, Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself Store

Home Improvement Topics: Home Improvement, Home Depot, Home Decor, Home Decorating, Home Remodeling, Home Decor, Home Interior, Home Furniture, Home, Do it Yourself, Doityourself, DIY, Diy Network, Do-it-Yourself