How to Finish Hardwood Floors

You can achieve a gorgeous finish by redoing hardwood flooring on your own.

The task of finishing new hardwood floors or refinishing older hardwood may seem daunting. However, the cost of calling in a professional could be far more daunting. Rather than having someone else finish your flooring, consider tackling the project on your own. As long as you learn the proper method beforehand, you should end up with a beautiful, shiny floor you can proudly show off.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Sander
• Cleaning mop
• Polyurethane finish
• Mop made for coating hardwood floors

Instructions

1. Remove anything that is sticking up from hardwood floors, including old carpet strips or staples. Hammer down any nails, and check for loose boards. If you find any, nail them down.

2. Sand the hardwood flooring. Large sanders meant for bigger expanses are often available for rent from home improvement stores. Smaller, disc sanders are ideal for edges. Sand in the direction of the wood grain, not against it.

3. Sweep and damp mop the surface of hardwood floors. This removes all residue left from the sanding. Do not actually get the floor wet. Make the mop just damp enough to pick up loose sawdust. Let the floor dry thoroughly.

4. Pour some of the polyurethane onto the floor. Use the mop to spread out the coating. Start in a corner and work your way out toward an exit from the room. Spread it smoothly. Do not worry about small bubbles because these almost always smooth out as the coating dries. You may need to put more than one layer of coating on the floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Oil-based coatings cover much better and leave a much nicer finished look to hardwood floors than water-based coatings do.

• Always wear a face mask or other covering over your mouth and nose when sanding hardwood floors.

• Keep rooms well ventilated when putting a coating down.

References

• University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: Removing an Old Finish From Wood