How to Refinish Prefinished Wood Floors

A finished wood floor adds elegance to a room.

When wood floors in a home come prefinished, this means they are already stained and sealed to protect the wood. When this original finish becomes scuffed, scratched and worn, it's necessary to refinish the wood floors to restore them. When refinishing prefinished wood floors, you must completely remove the original finish and then apply the new finish.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum
• Broom
• Pry bar
• Vibrating sander
• 60-grit sandpaper
• Foam applicator pad
• 80-grit sandpaper
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Hand sander
• Stain
• Foam applicator
• Cloths

Instructions

1. Clean and clear the wood floors for refinishing. Remove any furniture and rugs. Sweep and vacuum the floors clean.

2. Remove the shoe moulding from the baseboards around the floor. Use the pry bar to remove it.

3. Sand the prefinished wood floors with the vibrating sander and 60-grit sandpaper. Install the sandpaper by securing it under the snap bars at each end of the vibrating sander. Hold the the vibrating sander with both hands and push it across the floor. Work slowly from one end of the floor to the other, overlapping your previous pass on each return trip. Clean the floor of sawdust with the broom and vacuum.

4. Sand the floor again with the vibrating sander and 80-grit sandpaper. Clean the floor with the vacuum. Repeat this process with the 100-grit sandpaper. Clean the floor with the vacuum.

5. Sand corners and edges of the prefinished wood floor with the hand sander and 100-grit sandpaper. Clean the floor of sawdust.

6. Apply new stain to the sanded wood floor with a foam applicator pad, allowing it to absorb into the wood. Wipe off any excess with a cloth. Stain the entire wood floor, one section at a time, wiping off excess stain as it is applied.

Tips & Warnings

• Stain with the grain of the wood.

• Sand with the grain of the wood.

• Practice with the vibrating sander on scrap wood until you get a feel for it.

• Wear eye protection when sanding to avoid sawdust.

• Wear hand protection when staining.

• Work in a well-ventilated area.

References

• Home Depot: Refinishing Hardwood Floors