One of the great things about wood floors is that they can be sanded down and refinished like new again. You could hire a professional to do this for you if you wish, but the truth is that there is nothing here that you couldn’t do yourself. Sanding a wood floor just takes a little patience and following a certain procedure to get the results that you want. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can sand your wood floor and have it looking like new in no time.

You actually could sand it all down by hand if you wanted to, but why would you? The absolute best way to go is to use a sanding machine that can be found very easily at tool rental places or hardware stores. Our recommendation is to use the drum type of sander, as this would usually produce the best results. Some people actually use a disk sander instead, but the circular motion can often leave circular marks in the floor that you won’t appreciate later on unless you are very careful.

The drum sander on the other hand is designed to sand in a straight line so you can work with the grain of the wood planks that make up your floor. The only thing that the drum sander cannot accomplish is to get close to the wall’s edge or around obstacles like a radiator. It can only get within a couple of inches or so because of it’s design. So you will either have to hand sand these areas, or you can use one of the small power sanders that are available at most hardware stores to get in tight in these small areas.

Now that you have your sander all set and ready to go, make sure that you start out using a course or medium grain sandpaper to get the ball rolling. The purpose of this first pass is to get as much of the old finish off the floor as possible at one time. The way that sanding works is you start with the heavier grains first and then with each pass use a finer grain sandpaper to leave a smooth finish at the end that is ready to be covered.

Before you begin sanding, go around the room and look for any nailheads that have popped up or anything in the floor that needs to be removed before the sanding begins. You don’t want to tear up your sandpaper on these kind of obstacles. So make sure that all nails are flush with the surface of the floor before you get started.

With each pass of the room, also use your small sander to catch up the edges and corners of the room and around obstacles where the drum sander cannot get close enough. How many passes are needed to bring your floor down to the point where it can be refinished is hard to say. Most often, two to three passes are all that is needed. However, on badly damaged floors, it may take an extra pass or two to get the job done.

Another consideration is that you can also use varnish remover to take off a good portion of the old finish before you even begin sanding if you Iike. Varnish remover can be a pain to work with at times though, and so many people just prefer to use the drum sander for the entire job.

As you finish sanding with a fine grain sandpaper, you should be able to see nothing but the beautiful grain of your wood floor. At that point you have accomplish your goal, and are now ready to refinish the floor and receive compliments on what a great job you have done.

When you start shopping for kitchen cabinets, the type of wood used is just as important as the overall look or finish of the cabinets. Depending on whether you are buying RTA (ready-to-assemble), stock, semi-custom, or custom cabinets will have a big impact on the types of woods that are available for you to select from. Custom cabinets will offer the largest selections of wood types, but you will also pay significantly more for them. Here is a list of wood types that you may come across in your search for kitchen cabinets (listed in order of price)

Paint Grade

Paint Grade wood can really consist of a wide range of wood types. Most stock and semi-custom cabinet companies that apply a painted finish may even use MDF or Particleboard instead of wood. The most common paint grade woods will be Birch, Poplar, or Maple.

Oak

Oak is probably the most widely used wood for cabinets. Most contractor grade cabinets, and more economically priced cabinets will be made of Oak. Oak is available in over 200 different species and is grown all around the world. The most common finish for Oak cabinets is just a natural or honey finish. Oak is a strong, dense wood that will hold up to everyday use and can accept stain well.

Pine

Pine comes in three different versions- white, yellow, or ponderosa. White pine can be very easy to work with and will accept stain easily, while ponderosa will require some special attention because of the resin that may still be concentrated in the wood. Pine is great for creating a rustic feel for your home.

Maple

Maple is another widely used wood type and can be found in a wide variety of species. This is probably the most common wood found in RTA Cabinets, because it is grows abundantly in Northern China and most RTA cabinets come from China. There are also more than 10 species of Maple that come out of the US, so there is a wide variety of grains. Most maple is very easy to work with and will accept stain easily. Maple finishes well in any color- from a Honey Finish to a Chestnut Glaze.

Cherry

Cherry is typically used in the mid-priced to higher end cabinets. The unique feature about Cherry is that with a light stain applied, it will actually get darker with time. As the wood ages and is exposed to sunlight, it will change to the reddish brown color most people associate with antique cherry furniture.

Bamboo

With the push towards becoming eco-friendly, more and more cabinets are being designed using Bamboo. Bamboo is a hearty plant that grows rapidly. The biggest drawback to bamboo is that it has to be veneered over another wood, since Bamboo plants do not grow thick enough to cut into planks. Right now, you will only find Bamboo being used by custom shops primarily on the West Coast

Mahogany

Mahogany creates a very rich look, and the wood itself is reddish-brown. Aside from exotic woods, this is going to be one of the most expensive options in the common wood types. Mahogany accepts stain very well, but is not an overly strong wood.

Whether you are building a high end kitchen, or just updating a rental unit, there are a wide variety of wood types to select from. Selecting a wood type that will hold up to the amount of use and abuse it will incurr is just as important as how the finished product will look, so keep that in mind when shopping for kitchen cabinets.

When looking to find good furniture, most of the options you’ll find available in the market are made of wood. This is simply because wood has always produced good quality pieces; available in various hues and firmness; durable and long lasting; and they can easily be cut and shaped into the design preferred by the manufacturer. Such are the attributes too, of the pine wood furniture we can purchase from stores or online.

If you’ve decided you finally need to replace your old stuff at home and you are considering buying wood furniture, then deciding which kind of wood on what furniture can be such a challenging task. As you are soon going to find out on your own, there are so many types of woods and finishes that are being offered and each type has its own advantage over the other. Try to clear your mind a bit now as we zoom in to one particular type of wood that is commonly used in furniture making.

Pine wood defined

Since a lot of furniture pieces are made from pine wood like dining tables, chairs, cabinets, or beds; it is best to know what a pine wood is.

There are two types of wood – hardwood and softwood . The classification is primarily based on the tree’s leaves and not on how tough the wood is. The hardwood trees have leaves that fall seasonally while the softwoods have leaves intact all year-round.

Pine is considered softwood and it varies from country to country. Some of the most commonly used pines for furniture in the US include Eastern White Pine, Sugar pine, and Ponderosa. These pine trees produce pine wood that features a light yellow color with dark, standout grains and knots. Pine wood is great for staining and as a softwood, it is easy to carve and work on.

Why Pine wood furniture pieces?

* The unfinished pine wood furniture sells cheaper than other sets made from other kinds of wood and that makes it quite popular.

* Coated with paint or varnish, the pine wood could easily achieve a fine finish. Its natural knots also contribute to making the furniture look really unique.

* Pine wood furniture mixed with other pieces in a room still looks good.

* Great for that rustic look or if you prefer English or Country themes.

* Very flexible in that it can be easily painted to match a room. Designs can be stenciled on it for more original creations. It can also be repainted again and again depending on the changing preferences of the user.

Since there are quite a few kinds of pine wood available it is good to know first what you really want for your decor. Compared to hardwood, pine is much more pliable in that it can be easily manipulated or worked on. If manufactured excellently, a piece of pine wood furniture can last for a long, long time. As there are really knots naturally found on pine wood, it is wise to check for those furniture with less knots as these can create holes that can make the furniture less durable.