28 - Friday, March 9, 1990 - North Shore News Til NG til iL cee PY TIPS FOR DO-IT-YOURSELFERS Hardwood floors are worth refinishing HARDWOOD FLOORS are a natural element which can be used in all decorating schemes, outlast carpeting and tile, and add value to a home's interior structure. Oak and maple flooring, the DOUBLE 'S' CEDAR HOMES PANAFAB CEDAR HOMES LTD. 14771 - 64th AVE., SURREY, B.C. V3S 1X6 Spring MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY CEDAR HOMES AND CABINS PREFABRICATED DOIT YOURSELF PACKAGES OR USE OUR ERECTION CREWS (604) 596-6737 FAX (604)591-9154 Break “Leave your cares at home with us.” Custom Home - watch Quternational HOME CHECKING & HOUSE SITTING SERVICE We will take care of your home, car, pets, plants and general maintenance. Serving Vancouver North Vancouver West Vancouver 669-4599 Branches Coast to Coast Specialists in... Interlocking Pavers. ° Cedar Planters e Patio Slabs e Imported Pots and Planters e Used Rail Ties, Pressure Treated Wood e Cedar Lawn & Garden Furniture e Precast Concrete: Planters, Pagodas, Picnic Tables, Ashtrays, Refuse Containers North Vancouver most popular types, are also easy to maintain and to refinish. The average time required to refinish wood floors is two days. It’s the type of job that can be completed in a weekend. Tips on floor refinishing: Here are some tips for do-it-yourselfers on refinishing old and new hard- wood floors. ¢ Consult your local floor pro- ducts retailer on floor conditions, sandpaper grades, and amount of floor stain or finish to cover square footage. © Several pieces of easy-to-use power equipment can simplify your job. They include: A drum sander, a disc edge sander, and an industrial vacuum cleaner. You will also necd a hand scraper, disc and sheet sandpaper (coarse, medium and fine grades), hand power sander (or pole sand- er) and tack rags. The machines can be rented from tool rental stores and some hardware chains. © Wear clean, soft-soled shoes. Remove all floor and wail fur- nishings from the room. Fasten loose boards and countersink nail heads where needed. © Remove base shoe moldings. Be careful not to break moldings and identify where they have been removed for easy replacement. Open windows, close doors to ad- joining rooms, and block off heat registers and cold air returns. ® Check floor thickness by measuring the floor edge where the base molding has been removed. Most flooring is three-quarters of an inch thick. Thinner floors — one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick — should be sanded with caution as repeated sandings on thinner floor- ing could wear through the wood. eOn the first sanding, use coarse sandpaper to reach the bare wood. The pros suggest that do- it-yourselfers use the disc edge sander with coarse sandpaper first, then switch to medium and fine grit. Follow with the drum sander, © Acrylic Concrete Sealers, Coatings & Accessories ¢ Tool rentals - Pavingstone Types ® Precast cutters Filtercloth - Several Retaining Walls BRICKS ‘N’ BLOCKS... NEW LOCATION 1313 McKeen Ave. At the foot of Pemberton 984-3008 ult 8) 890. Photo submitted YOU CAN improve the appearance of a room simply by refinishing its hardwood floor. Making the most of the natura! beauty of the wood enbances any room’s decor. using coarse, medium and then fine sandpaper, once the perimeter sanding is completed. ® When starting and stopping the drum sander and edger, tilt the machines on the floor to avoid swirl marks. Sanding is performed in the direction of the wood’s grain, with each pass overlapping previous passes by two inches. © The second sanding eliminates the roughness left by the coarse sandpaper. Use medium sandpaper in the machines for this step, and follow the same pattern as the first sanding. @ The third and final sanding is critical to ensure a smooth floor. Even if the surface looks smooth, do not skip this step. Use fine grit paper and repeat the pattern. WOOUMOHS LHDINS GNV 39uv1 ——— -. * Remove dust from the floor, windows, and wails with an indus- trial vacuum cleaner. Wipe all sur- faces with a tack rag. Plug any holes with a natural wood filler. © If staining is desired, apply a high-quality product. e If a stain is not used, apply a coat of primer/sealer to the bare wood. This coat protects the floor- ing’s natural color against dark- ening by the coat of finish. * Apply the finish when the sealer has dried. High quality wood floor finishes are available in a wide range of low maintenance lusters from satin through gloss. When buying finish, allow one gallon for every 300 to 500 square See Refinish Page 29 COASTAL THE APPLIANCE | SELECTION of completely reconditioned * FRIDGES * STOVES * WASHERS * DRYERS * DISHWASHERS * FREEZERS FULLY GUARANTEED FREE DELIVERY See us for the best in quality rebuilt appliances $790 Victoria Dr., Vancouver 1 block South of dist Ave 324-2200