How to Refinish Wood Floors

Floors are one of the most important elements in home décor. While many new homeowners are laying down Pergo, laminate and even brand new hardwood, most would give their eye teeth for the sorts of beautiful wood floors you can find in old homes. Refinishing an old floor though is a delicate job that must be done right. Otherwise you may be stuck starting all over again. There is a price to be paid for having wood floors, and for many that price is worth it. Here’s how to refinish them if you are lucky enough to own a home with old wood floors in need of a restoration,

Things You'll Need

• Varnish stripper
• Putty knife
• Sand paper
• Stain
• Varathane
• Rags

Instructions

1. Strip, rather than sand. The older your floors are, the more likely it is that they have been sanded down and restored previously. With every sanding comes a thinner piece of wood until there is simply nothing less. You can buy paint and varnish strippers that will work to clear up most chemicals that you find on an old floor. Once the paint or varnish is up, then you can take another look at the floor to decide which areas need a little more sanding.

2. Do all of your sanding by hand. Machines will take off more wood than you wanted to remove, and they can do it quickly. When restoring wood floors, it is better to take a longer time on the job, removing only what is absolutely required, than it is to get the job done quickly.

3. Oil or stain the clean wood with a rag. Danish oil is a lovely way to bring the colors of old wood out, adding to the ambiance of any room with wood floors. Most stains can be applied with a rag, and it’s recommended to do so as paintbrushes can sometimes leave streaks that a good run in never will.

4. Seal the floor with Varathane. Varathane, once dry will protect your newly restored floor for years to come. It smells horrible going on, and a mask is advisable. Once the Varathane is applied, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings explicitly before using the floor. Walking on or touching a Varathane floor will result in the same frustration to a higher degree as touching wet fingernails before the polish dries. It will simply ruin the finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Wood floors refinished patiently and properly kick the crud out of any of today’s new hardware. If you are lucky enough to have such floors, treat them carefully, and may your restoration process serve the floor well for many years to come.