How to Clean Old & Worn Wood Floors With Polyurethane

Most hardwood floors eventually require repair.

Repairing hardwood floors involves removing the finish from the planks, sanding them down and refinishing them. Because you are taking off the finish and sanding the boards, this is a good time to replace any badly damaged planks. If you cannot match the planks with new wood, take usable planks from closet floors or other less-traveled areas. Repairing hardwood floors is a project that can take several days and requires good ventilation because of the dust and chemicals. Make sure the weather will allow you to keep windows open for long periods.

Things You'll Need

• Drill and spade bit (optional)
• Hammer (optional)
• Chisel (optional)
• Wood glue (optional)
• Crowbar
• Plastic sheeting
• Orbital or drum sander
• Coarse, medium, and fine sandpaper
• Vacuum
• Tack cloth
• Wood filler
• Putty knife
• Polyurethane finish
• Paint brush

Instructions

1. Prepare the room for cleaning and refinishing. Remove all of the furniture. Carefully detach the baseboards from the wall, numbering them to make replacing them easier. Remove any floor vents, and check that there are no protruding nails or fasteners. Hang plastic sheets over the doorways.

2. Replace any seriously damaged planks. Using a spade bit, drill holes in the damaged plank. Split the board lengthwise with a chisel, and pry it out with a crowbar. Remove any nails. Chisel away the bottom part of the groove to fit the plank, and glue into place.

3. Sand the floor with a drum or orbital sander. Begin with a coarse-grit sandpaper to remove the finish and scratches. Vacuum the floor between passes to remove dust. Change to medium-grit paper and repeat. Vacuum again and finish with fine grain paper. Do not sand across the grain.

4. Clean the floor before finishing. Vacuum it and rub it down with tack cloth. It is important to make the floor as dust-free as possible.

5. Fill any holes or gaps with wood filler using a putty knife, and allow the filler to dry.

6. Apply several coats of polyurethane finish with a brush, sanding with fine-grit paper and cleaning with tack cloth between coats. Two to four coats should be sufficient. Allow at least 48 hours for the floor to dry before walking on it.

References

• "The Big Book of Home How-To"; Better Homes and Gardens; 2003