How to Refinish a Wooden Floor

Hardwood floors add brilliance and gleam to your home. Beautiful wooden flooring adds polish and sophistication to rooms, as well as warmth and elegance. Unfortunately, the initial shine of the wood diminishes with age, leaving behind a dull and often scuffed appearance. The way to restore the initial luster is to refinish your wooden floors. This can be done successfully as a do-it-yourself project.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Goggles
• Mask
• Putty knife
• Sanding machine
• Sandpaper (variety of grits)
• Vacuum
• Stain
• Stain spreader
• Polyurethane finish
• Paint brush or paint roller

1. Remove all furniture from the room you are refinishing. Make sure the floor is free from any nails or other objects and any glue from carpeting in other to have a smooth surface for sanding. You can use a putty knife to remove sticky substances. Also, take down any curtains and artwork in the room to protect them from the sanding process.

2. Fill in any cracks or holes in the floor with putty prior to sanding. Be sure to address even tiny areas, as they are likely to become larger with time unless they are attended to.

3. Rent or purchase a floor sander from a home improvement store or other dealer. Choose a home model rather than an industrial type, as these are easier to manage. You will also need to buy sandpaper in various grits ranging from 36 to 100.

4. Use the heaviest grit paper, 36, with the sander for your initial sanding. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation for operating the machine. Follow the grain of the wood as you sand all areas of the floor. Keep a uniform track until the entire surface has been sanded.

5. Repeat sanding the floor with the next finest grain of sandpaper, which will likely be 60-grit. Again, follow the grain of the wood and stay uniform. Be sure to get the edges of the floor. You may have to manually sand these areas of the floor, as the machine might not cover them. Continue to repeat the sanding process with 80-grit and then 100-grit paper for best results.

6. Vacuum to remove all dust from the sanded floor. Go over the entire surface multiple times to ensure a thoroughly clean surface for staining. Also, ventilate the room to prepare for staining.

7. Use a stain spreader to coat the entire surface with your choice of color. Work with even, smooth strokes in a uniform pattern across the floor. Allow it to dry thoroughly. Test a small area for complete dryness before adding polyurethane coating.

8. Apply a coating of polyurethane using a paint brush or paint roller. Again, use even strokes and a uniform pattern to completely cover your floor. Allow at least three hours to dry, and then add a second coat of polyurethane. This type of coating over your stain provides you with added durability.

9. Wait a few days for the finish to completely "set up" before walking on the floor. After this waiting period, replace your furnishings, curtains and other accents to your room.

Tips & Warnings

• Test the stain you plan to use on a small corner of the floor and allow it to dry to ensure the color is the same as you anticipated. Wear gloves, eye goggles and a face mask throughout your project.
• Do not allow the sander to sit in one position while it is "on," as you may wear an indention into the floor. Cover the ventilation ducts in the room you are working in during the sanding process to prevent the dust from traveling throughout the house. Remember to reopen them prior to staining.

References

• Hometime.com's article on "Refinishing Hardwood Floors"