Aurelia Butler

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

So many of the investments that go into a house require maintenance, whether it’s ensuring that your appliances are regularly cleaned or your HVAC’S air filters get refreshed every couple of months. If you have hardwood floors at home, or are planning for their installation, the same logic applies. Over time, scuffs, discoloration and dings in the wood can develop, leaving your floors in need of a tune-up.
Fortunately, hardwood can be refinished up to 10 times over its lifespan, and if done properly, the job can last a decade. No matter if you decide to do it yourself or hire a professional, it’s best to know the basics before diving into the process. And with the right tools, all of which you can find at The Home Depot, your floors can get back to good-looking ASAP.

But first, a quick test
Make sure your floors actually need to be refinished using the (incredibly simple) water droplet test. Drip a few beads of water on the area you believe is in need of refinishing. If the water seeps into the wood, it means the wood fibers are exposed, and the floors likely does need to be refinished. If the water droplets bead up, it means your floors might just need a good clean and polish (a much simpler process!).

New England-based general contractor Joe Truini notes that stains are also a good indicator that hardwood might need to be refinished. “Wood is extremely porous, so if it’s worn, it’ll be susceptible to staining,” he says.
It goes without saying that if you perform the water droplet test and are at all unsure of the results, it’s best to call in a professional for expert advice.

Tools of the trade: Sanders and buffers
If go-time for refinishing is here — and you’re sure you feel comfortable with power tools — gather all the items you’ll need to successfully tackle the project (note: these are likely not in the average household toolbox). Review the process thoroughly, and note common mistakes ahead time, like overly-aggressive sanding.
“What you don’t want to do is wind up sanding a depression in the floor, because you can’t put the wood back,” says Truini. “There’s no real repair other than pulling up the flooring.”

Refinishing consists of sanding (left) the floor and then, most of the time, buffing (right) it.

Before any sander hits the wood, you’ll want to prep the room. Completely clear out all items, clean the floors, and remove any base molding to prevent damage. While most sanders have built in dust collection systems, it’s important to seal off the room where you’ll be working using plastic and sturdy painter’s tape — this prevents dust from spreading into other areas of the house. And always wear the right kind of protective equipment, like goggles and a dust mask. (For more information on installation safety, see letter I.)

An edger sander is your best bet for rough-sanding tight spots (like corners) and smaller spaces (like a closet), while a random orbital sander is recommended for non-professionals tackling the refinishing of a larger space on their own. (Rough-sanding removes the major nicks and stains in the wood.) Belt and drum sanders are bigger and can get the job done faster, but if you are worried about wielding one, leave it to the pros instead of risking damage to the floors. For an extra polished look, pros might use a floor buffer fitted with a fine-grit screen to rough-sand floors before staining or finishing them.
All of these tools can easily be rented at The Home Depot, and likely aren’t items you’re going to want to purchase for keeps (unless you’re ready to take your refinishing show on the road).
Plan to use the edger sander and orbital sander in tandem to ensure consistency throughout the wood, working a little bit at a time with the same grade of sandpaper in both tools. (Tip: You can practice your skills ahead of time on a piece of old plywood.)

The numbers associated with sandpaper grit indicate coarsness—the lower a number is, the coarser the grit. The higher a number is, the finer the grit will be.

Always move from a coarser grain sandpaper (like 36 grit, which will better remove old finishes and surface stains) to a finer grain sandpaper (like 60, 80 or 100 grit) to create a smooth surface. Don’t try and speed up the process by jumping from an ultra-coarse sandpaper to something super-fine: You likely won’t be removing enough old products to prepare the floors for a new stain and/or finish. Even more so than most flooring projects, patience is critical when refinishing hardwood. After sanding, you’ll want to do another thorough clean to prevent dust from affecting your HVAC system and appliances.

Stains add style to hardwood

After you’ve finished sanding and dust has been properly discarded, it’s time for something with less machinery: applying stain.
Stains are applied to the floor like paint and enhance the natural beauty of the wood. Select your stain based on the type of hardwood (different woods accept stains differently!) and, of course, how you’d like the floors to appear. Lighter stains can help give the room a more airy feeling and allow the wood grain to shine through, while darker stains can make the floors the focal point of the room and add sophistication. It’s also important to keep in mind that darker stains tend to show more dirt due to the contrast between dust particles (or crumbs, or pet hair) and the wood. Working in a small area at a time (think: 3 feet x 3 feet), apply the stain with a foam applicator pad, wiping up excess stain with a rag as you go.

The finishing touch that’s a must
Once the stain dries, a hardwood flooring finish seals the deal and protects all of your hard work. Even if you choose not to stain your floors in the step above, you must finish them. (It isn’t called refinishing for nothing!)
Finishes can be water-based polyurethane (which dries quickly and relatively clear), oil-based polyurethane (which dries slower and allows for more time to complete the job, but requires a respirator while working) or wood oils (which showcase the textured grain pattern of the wood). This is easiest to do with a large roller, working from the back of the room toward an exit door so that you don’t paint yourself into a corner (literally).

1 pt. Natural Danish Oil
Watco homedepot.com
$8.98

1 qt. Clear Semi-Gloss Oil-Based Interior Polyurethane
Varathane homedepot.com
$11.48

1 qt. Clear Satin Water-Based Interior Polyurethane (2-Pack)
Varathane homedepot.com
$32.96

9 in. x 1/2 in. Pro/Doo-Z High-Density Woven Roller Cover (3-Pack)
Wooster homedepot.com
$12.75

While there is patience required for this job if you plan to DIY, reviving your hardwood floors will breathe new life into your home and ensure they’ll be around for generations to come (knock on wood!). More

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

Often cast aside as a style that doesn’t offer form and function, laminate is actually a jack-of-all-trades material that deserves serious consideration for your home.
Budget-friendly, hardwearing, and easy to install, laminate is the accessible flooring built to withstand pretty much anything and look good doing it, with plenty of options available at The Home Depot.
First, a few clarifications

Laminate is not the same as engineered hardwood, which has a plywood core and a thin veneer of actual hardwood on its surface (for more on hardwood — engineered and not — visit letter H). Instead, laminate is a type of flooring made up of several layers, detailed below from the bottom up:
A moisture-repelling base layer, often made from melamine or plastic, that gives the boards stability
A resin-soaked fiberboard “core” layer, which helps give laminate its signature dent-resistant properties
A “print” or “design” layer, where a pattern of the material the laminate will resemble — like a hardwood such as oak or natural stone — is placed
A protective “wear” layer of clear, hard plastic or resin that secures the print layer and coats the top
Thanks to its construction method, laminate’s design options are pretty much endless, from the “pattern” itself to the type of finish that makes it extra durable. Since the planks are pre-finished ahead of installation, there will be no unwelcome surprises about mismatched colors or differences in wood grain when it arrives.

It can stand up to (almost!) anything
Due to its layered method of production, laminate is one of the best materials on the market for high-traffic areas. High-quality laminate can be counted on to stand up to toy spills in living rooms and soccer cleat stampedes in entryways for at least a decade (and often two). However, it’s still important to take into consideration just how much repetitive motion the flooring will see, particularly when it comes to selecting the finish of the top “wear” layer.

Lansbury Oak 7 mm Thick x 8.03 in. Wide x 47.64 in. Length Laminate Flooring (23.91 sq. ft. / case)
TrafficMASTER homedepot.com
$11.71

Hayes River Oak 12mm Thick x 7-9/16 in. Wide x 50-5/8 in. Length Water Resistant Laminate Flooring (15.95 sq. ft./case)
Home Decorators Collection homedepot.com
$30.14

Outlast+ Paradise Jatoba 10 mm Thick x 5-1/4 in. Wide x 47-1/4 in. Length Laminate Flooring (13.74 sq. ft. / case)
Pergo homedepot.com
$38.33

The rule of thumb is to save “high gloss” laminate for less-busy spaces, and choose a more forgiving finish — like something low gloss, embossed, or one that’s been “hand-scraped” to look like wood — for places where a dog-and-cat wrestling match might break out.

Due to its method of production, laminate is one of the best materials on the market for high-traffic areas.

For additional help in selecting an appropriate product, consult the laminate abrasion class (AC) rating system, which was created in 1994 to help customers understand a certain product’s durability. Numerical rankings range from AC1 (laminate that is suitable for moderate wear, like a guest bedroom) to AC6 (laminate that is suitable for a public space, like a grocery store). Almost all laminates for home use will fall somewhere in between AC1 and AC3, a category of laminate designed for busy residential interiors. Any number above an AC3 is generally uncomfortably hard for normal at-home activities, like walking in socks, and definitely not what you want to feel underfoot when sneaking downstairs for a midnight bowl of ice cream.

Installation is a snap (and lock)
Like most engineered hardwood, the majority of laminate planks are installed using “click-and-lock” technology, interlocking securely atop a previously existing floor or subfloor without using any sort of adhesive, nails, or other agents. (It’s sometimes called a “floating floor” for this reason.) This approachable installation method — in addition to laminate’s reasonable price point — makes it a popular option for people who are on a budget or might want to DIY a flooring upgrade.

Pro Flooring Installation Kit for Vinyl, Laminate and Hardwood Flooring
Roberts homedepot.com
$32.55

“For this kind of floating floor, you need very few tools,” says general contractorJoe Truini. He notes that the tools you do need — like a tapping block to ensure boards are securely set in place — can easily be purchased in a kit. “You might not even need a saw, and could possibly just rent a laminate flooring cutter that looks like a giant paper-cutter guillotine.”Boards typically come in either 8 millimeter or 12 millimeter thickness, and unless the laminate is made with pre-attached underlayment, a high-quality underlayment is necessary for creating a walking surface that doesn’t feel uncomfortably hard and uncushioned. (Visit letter U to learn more about underlayment.) Generally speaking, thicker laminate is more forgiving in installation, which helps hide any dings or nicks in the subflooring, and feels more like hardwood. It’s also a strong contender for a place where actual hardwood can’t go: basements.

But, notably, it’s best to keep this flooring out of bathrooms and laundry rooms, since the majority of laminate doesn’t stand up well to pooling water.

Play by the rules

CKS01 Hardwood & Laminate Cleaning System Kit (with Terry Cloth Mop Cover) by
Bruce homedepot.com
$23.98

This might seem like a no-brainer but, particularly for laminate, do not skip over the manufacturers’ instructions — or risk potentially losing your warranty. This attentiveness doesn’t end after your floors have been beautifully installed by the book. On the contrary, it’s every bit as important, if not more so, for how you tackle cleaning and upkeep over the lifespan of the flooring.

“Laminate floors are more resistant, but that doesn’t mean that they’re bullet proof,” says Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping’s Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Director. She notes that most laminate manufacturers recommend specific cleaning products for their floors. “The point is that you don’t want to damage the finish, and you also don’t want to leave a residue, because residue will dull the floor.” More

Kiss awkward yoga-in-the-laundry-room goodbye. More

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

If you’re accustomed to figuring out or completing home improvement projects on your own, knowing when to ask for help can, er, be a challenge. But one small slip-up, or one warning sign ignored could potentially snowball into a much bigger issue down the road, which might not only derail your project, but put your whole house in danger — particularly when you’re talking about flooring.
The Home Depot has a team of licensed flooring installers who can help with anything from carpet to hardwood. But it’s helpful to know what situations might constitute a red flag — here are 5 problems to be aware of that could necessitate help from experts (be they an exterminator or contractor).

Problem: You’re removing potentially hazardous old flooring
Many types of flooring and flooring adhesives common in the mid-20th century didn’t adhere to the environmental and health-conscious practices of today. This is particularly true when it comes to asbestos black mastic: a type of adhesive used well into the late 1970s that contains a fibrous material (asbestos) which can cause mesothelioma, a type of cancer.
If you remove old vinyl, tile or linoleum and see a black, thick adhesive, do not try and scrape it up, scrub it or grind it off. Instead, ask an expert to come in and assess the situation. If it is asbestos black mastic, a professional will likely advise you to leave it in place — not remove it!— and cover it with sealant and new flooring.

Problem: Your house has serious structural issues

Ah, older homes: they’re full of charming details and enough character that we can overlook their minor imperfections — until those flaws turn into major problems. If you’re preparing for a flooring job and notice any of the following, it’s best to call in an expert:

A sloping or sagging floor, which can indicate weakened or broken floor joists
Doors and windows that stick when you try to close them, which can indicate issues with the home’s foundation
Paint that’s blistering on the walls, which can point to excess moisture in places it shouldn’t be, like the walls and floors
Major cracks in existing tile, which could signal foundational issues
A chimney that’s leaning significantly or has cracks in the external mortar
Fixer-uppers can be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make an existing, perhaps historic structure wholly your own, but if the bones of the house aren’t right, you’re likely in for future headaches.

Problem: You notice some creepy crawlers

No one likes to think about little critters scuttling into their homes, but when it comes to flooring projects, some types of bugs are more important to check for than others. Namely: termites. If you see any collections of small, translucent wings around the perimeter of your home, tiny holes in your structural wood or “mud tunnels” through damaged wood, termites have probably taken up residence, and need to be dealt with promptly.

Problem: You don’t understand the instructions
Most flooring materials — laminate, vinyl, grout, you name it — come with extremely specific instructions for how to complete a proper installation, and must be followed to the letter or you risk losing your warranty (yikes!). If you feel completely lost after digging into the instruction manual, don’t take a “try it and see!” approach. Ask an expert for a consultation before you make a mistake that can’t be taken back easily.

Problem: You have water issues

Water damage is a nightmare for homeowners, particularly when it comes to flooring. If there’s any history of water damage inside a home (basement flooding, slow-leaking refrigerator line, etc.) or you notice any signs of water damage — water rings on the ceiling or walls, a mildew-like smell inside the room where you’re planning to work — it’s best to ask an expert to assess the situation before you lay the first tile.

Problem: Your safety is in jeopardy
If there’s ever a point where you feel in over your head — a tool that’s a little too unfamiliar, a material that’s become unmanageable, or you run into a potentially dangerous unforeseen problem (like sketchy electrical wiring or crude, previously-done renovations), call in an expert to help. There’s no need to try and be a hero. More

What’s under your feet (or however you get around) is as important as anything when it comes to home. That’s why this fall, we collaborated with The Home Depot on an A to Z guide that’ll give you the confidence to make flooring choices you’ll love. Check out the A to Z handbook here.

Grease tracked onto tile after working in the garage. Science experiments gone awry in the kitchen. Muddy paw prints on the living room carpet. There are countless ways that messes find a way inside our homes.
Fortunately, most situations that seem like a major mess at first glance are actually not too tough to deal with, as long as you don’t let them linger. Below are five tools — affordable, handy workhorses you might not think are as crucial as they are, all of which you can find at The Home Depot — that will ensure your floors stay in tip-top shape for years to come. (For even more information about cleaning ideas for different types of flooring, don’t forget to reference their specific letter in the A to Z Flooring Handbook.)

Tool: Boot Brush
The first thing a cleaning expert will tell you about keeping floors neat is to ban outside shoes from coming inside the home.

Boot And Shoe Scrubber
Sontax homedepot.com
$22.87

“That is my number one [piece of] advice: Take your shoes off at the door,” says Carolyn Forte, Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab. “You may not want to ask guests to take their shoes off, but even if the family itself has [the] habit, it does an amazing job of keeping floors looking better.”
But if there are holdouts among your ranks, or guests don’t quite understand what the hubbub is all about, general contractor Mark Clement of MyFixitUpLife suggests purchasing a shoe and boot brush and parking it right outside the entryway. Ideally, it’ll encourage anyone coming inside to clean off their shoes before entering your home. (Placing welcome mats where shoes can be wiped outside the front door can also help mitigate any superfluous dirt.)

Tool: Wet-Dry Mop
Ditch the dirty mop water and bucket for good with a wet-dry mop, like the GH Seal holder Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Mop. This tool can clean up dust and debris that collects on hard surfaces when in the dry mode, then seamlessly switch into its mop version for bigger jobs, for which wet cloths are attached.
There are even products that come with a built-in spray system for cleaning solution if you’re working in a larger space but still prefer a tool that’s lightweight and more streamlined than a traditional mop. (Yes, please!) Both the wet pads and dry pads from wet-dry mops can be tossed after use, making clean up a breeze.

Tool: Surface-Specific Cleaners

Bona Stone, Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaner Spray, 32 oz, 32 Fl Oz
Bona homedepot.com
$7.97

When it comes to cleaning, it’s always best to follow manufacturer’s instructions and the advice of experts, lest you end up with a messy mistake that can’t (easily) be undone. While flooring isn’t a place to improvise with whatever cleaning products you might have on hand, there is often some overlap for which types of flooring they can tackle.
The cleaning process for laminate floors is a good example. “Many cleaners that are safe for hardwood are safe for laminate, too,” Forte notes.
There are also cleaners that pull triple-duty for laminate, stone and tile. (Tip: if you’re looking for an extra layer of protection to make cleaning even easier down the line, consider applying a sealer to appropriate flooring styles, like tile.)
And if you’re an allergy-sufferer, there are cleaning products, like Bona’s Free and Simple for hardwood, that are specifically formulated without dyes and scents.

Tool: Microfiber mop

O-Cedar Dual-Action Microfiber Flip Mop with Telescopic Handle
Brand: O-Cedar homedepot.com
$12.97

Spills turn into stains on floors when they’re not dealt with in a prompt manner, making time seriously of the essence whenever an accident occurs. Whether the mishap takes place on hardwood, laminate, vinyl, or tile, a microfiber mop is a tool you can turn to for its multi-use properties: try it dry for capturing dust in tight spaces, damp for general cleaning, and wet when spills occur.
To use one effectively, Forte recommends working on a small, three-foot square section at a time: Apply the cleaner you are using, mop it with a microfiber mop, and then let it dry. Also take care to buff off any cleaning residue that might linger on top of floors and give them a cloudy look. The goal is a floor that’s spic-and-span, but also shiny.

Tool: Stick Vacuum
It’s not news, per se, but outside of one-off disasters, regular attention and care will keep your flooring in pristine condition for years. One of the best ways to accomplish this is regular vacuuming at least once a week, and a stick vacuum is the space-saving, lighter-weight way to make this task as easy as possible.

V11 Torque Drive Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Dyson homedepot.com
$699.00

“Dust and dirt is abrasive: if you look at sand, dirt and grit, it’s sharp,” Forte explains. “If you walk on that stuff day to day, it can eventually dull the [floor’s] finish.”
Stick vacuums can often pack the same punch as their bulkier canister counterparts (particularly for apartment dwellers or people living in smaller homes) and have some serious perks, including cordless models, versions specifically designed to tackle pet hair and the ability to convert into a handheld model to clean effectively in crevices.
If you have carpet in the house, it doesn’t hurt to call in the pros once a year or so. “Besides vacuuming and removing spills, it’s important to have wall-to-wall carpets professionally deep cleaned every 12 to 18 months,” Forte advises. “Professionals can reapply a stain protecting coat that will help carpets look good longer.” More

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