Since bamboo flooring first appeared in Asia, it has expanded quickly to Europe and North America. Nowadays, it is leading the flooring market as a new eco-friendly material.
I also adore bamboo floors for their cooling effect during summer and winter. Though it might easily get scratched or even crack during usage, it is still worth trying once. My bamboo floors were no exception. After a few years, it lost its original beauty. That’s the point where I was wondering, can bamboo flooring be refinished?
Refinishing your beautiful bamboo floor will help you save your floor and your budget a huge deal. I will guide you through this process with my practical experience as below. Let’s scroll down to read!
Table of Contents
Can Bamboo Flooring Be Refinished?
Compared bamboo to wood flooring, we must say they have many aspects in common regarding their functions and appearance. It is a renewable and easy-to-maintain material that brings more value to your real estate.
And yes, like any other material, you can refinish bamboo flooring to retrieve its wonderful outlook.
The refinishing job stems from their negative traits of easily getting scratched, cracked due to the weather conditions. Don’t worry about the cost just yet, because you can even refinish the floor on your own.
I will show you various methods for different types of bamboo flooring.
How To Refinish Bamboo Flooring?
Before refinishing the floor, there are tools that you should prepare. Check if you have got all these supplies below:
– Sandpapers (60 grit, 80 grit, and 100 grit)
– A sanding screen (120 grit)
– Plastic sheeting
– Polyurethane finish for the floor
– A drum sander
– A vacuum
– Polyurethane sealer
– A flooring edger
– A piece of tack cloth
– A floor buffer
– A pad sander
– A flooring applicator
Now follow the following steps to make your floor beautiful again:
Preparing Your Room
The first thing you have to do is isolate your room or the area you will refinish. Doing this helps you protect yourself and your loved ones who live in the house from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This compound helps stick all the bamboo layers together in the manufacturing process.
So, there are a few things you can do here to decline the chance of facing VOCs:
– Open all the windows of the room
– Cover all the doors and air vents that lead to the other rooms of the house
– If possible, prepare a fan
The First Sanding Process
Though being the first step, it also creates some amount of fragments into the air. So before rolling up your sleeves, put on the mask. Then, put the sandpaper (60 grit) on the drum sander and start sanding. Remember to set up a right angle to the bamboo grain while implementing as it helps reduce the wooden dust into the air.
You can sand the edge by putting sandpaper on a special type of flooring machine and scanning from left to right. Keep in mind not to force the tool. Let the machine do its work until it sanded all the required edges.
Vacuuming Process
At this stage, move your vacuum on the surface that you just sanded to collect the dust. Do it cautiously while keeping your mask on. You might be surprised as the sanding process creates a lot of tiny particles and volatile organic compounds. These tiny particles are very harmful to your lungs if you once breathe them in.
Sanding Process
Like the first sanding process, do the same with the second and the last sanding. The only thing you need to adjust here is utilizing sandpaper of 80 grit and 100 grit, respectively. Using a vacuum between the sanding stage will help minimize the dust in the air.
Whipping Down And Checking For Splinter
After the sanding process, it’s best to use a tack cloth to wipe on the vacuumed floor as it collects the tiny particles of wood that are still hanging on the floor. Among many types of tack cloths on Amazon, make sure you buy them from a reputable seller with a lot of good feedback.
Applying Sealer
This step requires you to put a layer of sealer on the floor’s surface and wait until it dries. This job would be way easier if you borrow support from a flooring applicator.
Buffing
Here, apply the floor buffer and a sanding screen (120 grit) to make the layer of sealer look smooth. Do it carefully from the left to right to make your floor look as slick as you can.
Making Two Coats of Finish Buffing
The previous process would leave many tiny wooden particles on your floor. That’s why you should vacuum them all before putting a layer of floor finish on it again. Let it get dried and buff one more time with a sanding screen. Remember to vacuum the mess to prepare for repeating this process!
Don’t forget to leave the windows open at least for several hours to get rid of the VOCs. If possible, turn on the fan and let it blow the smell away faster.
How Much Does It Cost To Refinish Bamboo Flooring?
There was once when I didn’t have time to do it myself and hire workers to carry out the job. I would say it’s a worthy experience. The workers will cost about $3 per square foot, and they’ll return a nicely refinished floor for you within one day if your room is not so big.
The cost can be lower depending on where you live and how you want to do it. If you live in a big city, the cost might be higher than in a small village.
Doing that by yourselves with my instructions above and the support of enough time and equipment would be a nice experience. The cost is also more reasonable, with only $1,5 per square.
Nevertheless, this DIY job is not easy. Last time, it challenged me because the room was quite big, and my bamboo flooring was thin, requiring more care while sanding.
My advice is to carefully consider whether you want to refinish your floor by yourself or by renting workers because each way has its pros and cons.
When Not To Refinish Your Bamboo Flooring?
Sometimes, refinishing your bamboo flooring is unnecessary. It is when the area is small or located on the corner of the room. So what should you do now?
When you’ve defined where you want to refinish, rub over that surface with the 120 grit sandpaper and a floor buffer. Do it several times till you see the worn disappear. Don’t forget to vacuum the mess first and then use the floor finish to cover it.
This process requires you to rub the sandpaper on the flooring tenderly, and if you do it right, you will only touch the finished cover of it instead of the sealer.
The Bottom Line
Bamboo floors can upgrade your house’s appearance. Hence, can bamboo flooring be refinished? Yes, you can do it either by yourself or hire someone to implement it for you.
From my experience, if you have all the equipment and want to save money, or you want brand new learning, do it by yourself. Otherwise, hire professional workers with a higher price to fulfill the work. No matter what method you choose, I still hope this article was informative to you. Good luck!
Related Post:
- Is Bamboo Flooring Waterproof? – Benefits Of Using Bamboo Flooring
- Get The Best Answer – What Is Rubberwood Flooring?
- Is Cork Flooring Waterproof? & How to Maintain It
