You must accept that having a hardwood floor installed in your home takes your décor game to the next level.
Hardwood floors don’t just look good; their glossy surface brings a beautiful sight to behold, not forgetting the brilliance behind the wood texture. They’re also very durable and require low maintenance.
However, in order to keep your hardwood floor looking glossy and brilliant at all times, you must consider giving your floor a regular polish job.
To achieve this, learning how to polish hardwood floors with buffer will help keep your hardwood floor looking new always while also saving you time.
But first, before delving into how to polish hardwood floor with buffer, you should, first of all, know how to use a floor buffer on hardwood floors to achieve the best results.
Related: How to buff tile floors
How to Use a Floor Buffer on Hardwood Floors
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A buffer is a tool designed to remove grit and sanding imperfections by leveling the floor to be worked on and touching down on any imperfection. However, a buffer tool can take away all the good work if not properly used.
In the context of maintaining your hardwood floors appearance, a buffer strips and scrubs your hardwood floors to re-establish their original appearance.
Here’s how to use a floor buffer on hardwood floors
Always Clean Buffer Before Bringing it On-Site
One essential tip every hardwood flooring professional should know is that dirt picked up while bringing in the buffer will cause more harm.
Picking up dirt on a buffing pad will only lead to scratches on the hardwood surface that may be visible as light shines on it.
Keep Buffer Handle At Waist Level
Buffing takes a little time to master, even more, delicate when you’re working with hardwood floors. The ideal way to handle a buffer is to keep its handle on your waist level so you somehow lean on it. But be careful not to apply pressure while at it.
Additionally, if it is your first time handling a buffing machine, make sure to start off slow and at a spot. To move the buffing machine forward, slightly apply a little pressure and if you want to move sideways, move your hips in the direction, and the buffing machine should follow suit.
Start in Small Areas and Gently Work your Way Through
Always work in small sections as you walk your way through the whole floor. This enables you to completely buffer every part of the floor without leaving patches.
Move Side-to-Side, Back and Forth.
When handling a buffer, you want an evenly buffed hardwood surface. In order to achieve this, you must move the machine from side to side, back and forth, for best results. This makes sure every area is worked down evenly.
Apply Little to No Pressure
Like earlier said, if a hardwood buffer is not properly used, it could ultimately ravage your hardwood floor.
Always let the buffer do its job by not applying too much pressure on it. If need be, only move it in the direction you want to go.
Related: Cork vs Bamboo flooring, which is better?
How to Polish Hardwood Floors With Buffer
There’s no doubt about how glossy and enchanting a hardwood floor looks after a polish job. The fine glossy and watery look it radiates is just so overwhelming.
But how exactly do you polish your hardwood floors with a buffer? This is how:
Put Away Furniture in The Room
Before starting out, you need to have a well-cleared space to work on; this stops your furniture from disrupting the process. Start by moving out the pieces of furniture as well as any rug or mat on the floor. The floor should be completely empty.
Dust, Clean and Vacuum Room
Having dirt and mess lying around the floor before polishing your hardwood with a buffer is the last thing you need, as this will eventually lead to scratches left on after polishing.
Start by dusting or vacuuming your hardwood floor surface to rid your floor of dust, old wax, and grim while also giving you a clean and dust-free surface to work on.
Apply a Hardwood Floor Polish
Before applying a hardwood floor polish, you want to make sure it is evenly mixed. To do this, gently rock the polish back and forth for a little above 30 seconds to ensure the mix is even before applying.
Next, consistently spread an even layer of the polish across the floor before buffing to shine. You can follow the same process again if any area looks thin in gloss.
Apply New Pads, or Replace Worn Out Pads
Starting off on a new buff pad is the best way to go. Apply new pads before starting, and whenever needed, flip pads or replace buff pads altogether.
Buff your Hardwood Floor to Gloss Using a Buffing Machine
Read the instructions on the manual before using a buffer to ensure you are following the right measures. Keep buffer handle on waist level as stated above and put it on.
Gently move around with as little as fingertip pressure back and forth and from side to side to achieve even gloss and shine.
Read: How to polish travertine floors
Conclusion
Polishing a hardwood floor brings it back to its natural appearance. More so, it makes your floor look extremely beautiful, although the process can be stressful and time-consuming.
Knowing how to polish hardwood floor with buffer makes the process less time-consuming and more effective at getting an evenly polished surface.