How to Refinish a Floor With a Hand Sander

The wood floors in your home endure a lot of wear and tear through the years. After a while, wood floors will begin to look dull and scuffed. Refinishing floors with a hand sander is a process that requires hard work and patience but can leave your floors looking brand new.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hand Sander
• 60-grit sandpaper
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Vacuum
• Stain
• Polyurethane
• Brush

How to Refinish a Floor With a Hand Sander

1. Clear the floor of any items that will be in the way or might be damaged while you work. Remove any furniture, curtains or wall hangings from the work area.

2. Vacuum the floor to be sure it is clear of dirt and dust.

3. Remove the floor's old finish with the hand sander and 60-grit sandpaper. Sand from one side of the floor to the other until the entire floor has been cleared of the original finish.

4. Vacuum the floor again to clean it of sawdust.

5. Sand the floor with the hand sander again using the 120-grit sandpaper. This will remove any last bits of the old finish from the floor. Vacuum the floor again.

6. Brush a coat of stain onto the entire floor. Work slowly to ensure you apply an even coat. Allow the stain to dry and apply further coats to create a darker finish.

7. Apply a thin coat of polyurethane to the floor to protect the new finish from dirt and moisture.

Tips & Warnings

• Give the new finish time to dry before moving any furniture back into the room.
• Sand with the grain.
• Wear gloves when working with chemicals such as polyurethane.
• Wear eye protection and nose and mouth protection when sanding.

References

• Refinishing Hardwood Floors
• Refinishing Furniture