Do it yourself polishing parquet

Wood parquet is the most reliable flooring option. It is not surprising that he has been popular for many years, especially among connoisseurs of all natural. But over time, the floor lined with parquet loses its attractive appearance. But there is one way to return it to its former attractiveness, which will help get rid of all scratches, stains and other signs of violent life. It is about scrapping or polishing parquet. Moreover, it is not necessary to use the services of specialists, you can handle it yourself. Let’s take a closer look at how do-it-yourself polishing of parquet is done, what equipment you will need for this.

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When do you need to grind?

First you need to find out when you need to grind, and when - there’s nothing to save, and it's easier to just replace the parquet. In order to assess the degree of wear of the parquet, clean it from dust and dirt. It makes sense to grind when:

• Small scratches, cracks, pet claws and other defects are visible on the floor.
• Separate planks dried out and gaps appeared between them.
• The varnish lost its luster and became dull.
• The bars loosened and began to creak.

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When grinding does not save the situation?

In some cases, grinding does not make sense:

• When the parquet is very dry and the gaps between the planks are more than 5 mm.
• Paul swollen heavily after the flood.
• If the surface in places is too much worn.
• If there are insects in the tree.
• If mold has appeared. In this case, it is necessary to remove the completely old parquet, lay the waterproofing film, and only then re-lay the new coating.

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What will be needed for looping?

How to grind a parquet floor? It is possible to grind manually using cycles. This is a metal plate with a sharpened and curved edge. But such a process will be very laborious and will not justify itself.

It is better to rent special equipment. The looping process consists of several stages, for each of which you need to use your own type of equipment:

• Drum-type grinding equipment will remove the deeper layers of your old coating.
• A single-plate or three-disk surface grinder will cost you dearly. This multifunctional device is used for fine grinding before tinting or varnishing.
• The type of equipment, affectionately called “Boot”, which will help polish all hard-to-reach spots, will not hurt you.

In addition to this, you will need:

• Emery paper of different grit.
• Putty in the same tone as your coating. It will be needed in order to close up all the bumps and gaps.
• You also need a powerful vacuum cleaner to remove all the garbage later.
• At the final stage, you need a good quick-drying varnish.

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Choose equipment

When choosing equipment for paving the floor with your own hands, pay attention to the nuances:

• Such equipment consumes power from 1 to 2.5 kW. Not every wiring in the house can withstand it. Especially if you do hauling in a house outside the city.
• Choose devices where you can easily and quickly replace sanding belts.

Important! If you have walnut parquet, then choose equipment with dust collectors for work. Dust from such parquet can paint the walls, and it will be difficult to clean them.

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Preparatory stage

Before you start polishing your parquet with your own hands, you need to prepare the room. For this:

• Take out all the furniture you can. If you can’t make something out, cover these things with a film to protect them from dust.
• Clean all parquet from debris and dirt.
• Tap all the slats. If a dull sound is heard somewhere, then there is emptiness under the board, you need to get rid of it. Drill a hole in the bar and fill the entire space with glue. This can be done with a syringe.
• Nails need to be removed or their heads drowned in a tree.
• Remove the skirting boards.
• Stock up on a respirator, tight gloves and noise-canceling headphones.
• Hang doorways with wet sheets. This will prevent dust from spreading.

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Parquet grinding

Now we will directly describe the process of updating the flooring itself, because you can enjoy its beauty and be content with the quality of natural wood for a long time.

How to polish parquet with your own hands?

• Fill the machine with the coarsest sandpaper. Grinding is done first along the room, then across. The goal is to remove the old varnish and make the surface even.

Important! Watch the state of the sandpaper. Change it on time. Strongly worn sandpaper can ruin the parquet.

• After such a rough treatment, scratches and bumps remain. To remove them, continue grinding, but with a fine-grained sandpaper. The work is carried out in the same way - far and wide.

Important! Do not forget about inaccessible places such as corners. Then the “Boot” or manual cycle will come to your aid.

• Now the parquet needs to be putty. To do this, choose a putty by color.
• When the putty hardens, you need to finish grinding. Slightly lower the pressure of the grinder on the floor. This is done using a screw, which is on any equipment.

Important! After this grinding, the coating should be perfectly smooth. This can be verified simply by running a hand over it.

• Now remove all debris and dust with a powerful industrial vacuum cleaner.

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Parquet lacquering

Polished parquet must be varnished. Before you start varnishing, you must close all the windows in the room so that there are no drafts. Varnish is applied by roller. The varnish dries quickly, so we advise you to do it very quickly. If the varnish dries unevenly, the procedure will have to be done again:

1. First applied primer.
2. Then varnish is applied in three layers. Each layer should dry thoroughly.
3. The last layer is applied glossy varnish, which fixes the result.

What are varnishes?

Let's see what types of varnishes the modern market can offer us:

• Polyurethane varnishes. Flexible, heat resistant, UV resistant. Not afraid of humidity and household chemicals. But such a varnish sticks the strips together.

Important! If during the varnishing process water gets into such a varnish, it will begin to foam.

• Water soluble varnishes. This is a new product in the market. After evaporation of water, it hardens. No harmful chemicals are released.

Important! Not suitable for very cold rooms.

• Oil based varnishes. They are made from linseed or wood oil, therefore they penetrate deeply into the wood. When applied, the planks do not stick together, but the floor dries for a long time.

Important! When dried, toxic substances are released.

• Acid cured varnishes. Of all the varnishes, these have the highest wear resistance, tolerate any temperature and humidity differences.

Important! They have a strong smell and glue parquet strips.

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Stock footage

Now you have a full idea of ​​how much work you have to do if you plan to do the polishing of the floor yourself. We described in detail all the technology, gave practical advice on choosing all the necessary tools and equipment, then - the result depends on you, your accuracy and focus!