How to Refinish Hardwood Floors

Have you recently purchased a house and pulled up the old carpet to discover oak or some other type of wood floors underneath? You're excited, yet worried. You simply can't afford to have the floors professionally refinished. So the big questions is: how hard is it to refinish them yourself?

Refinishing floors is within the scope of most diy homeowners. It is, however, a job that takes some time to do it right. The hardest step is to remove the old stain and varnish from the floor. You may also encounter floors that have had linoleum glued down. This old glue is the hardest to remove. But it can be done.

As with most jobs, good preparation make the job go faster and smoother. As soon as you have removed the old carpet or vinyl rug, examine the floor carefully. Look for any signs of rot or termite damage. If you do find any bad spots, you will need to replace these. A tip here: if you only need a few pieces, check with any friends or family that may have recently installed hardwood floors. They may have a few pieces left over that you can have. It doesn't matter if the pieces are prefinished, as you will be refinishing the floor anyway.

Remove any nails protruding from the floor and as much of any glue that you can. The more you can get off before you start sanding will make that job faster.

You're now ready to check out floor sanders. Many tool rental stores rent these sanders out by the day,weekend, week, or month. Don't rent one for a week if you are only going to be able to work on the floors for one day.

To get the floors stripped of all old stains, varnishes, and even paint, you will probably have to use the drum sander first. This sander is heavy and has to be controlled carefully. It strips fairly fast and must be kept moving at all times. If you leave it in one spot for even a few seconds, it will cut a groove into the wood. You must also remember to always go with the grain or direction of the wood. If you try to go sideways, it may cut deep scratches into the wood or even chip the edges.

Drum sanders can be used with a coarse grit sandpaper first to strip the floors. Then a medium grade sandpaper can be used to help smooth the floor. You will then need to go over the floor yet again with fine grit sandpaper to really smooth out any small scratches or grooves.

Keep in mind that the drum sanders usually will only get so close to the wall so you will probably have to rent an edge sander also. Luckily, this sander is easy to handle.

Once you are satisfied with the smoothness of the floor, vacuum it thoroughly to remove all sawdust from the floor. Next, damp mop the entire floor to ensure all the dust is gone.

Now you're ready for the fun part. You get to choose what color stain you want for the floor. Or you may choose to leave the wood a natural color. You can also purchase stain and finish in one coat, but this is usually not the best for floors.

You also need to decide which type of protective finish you want for the top coat. Varnish or polyurethane are the two popular choices. Oil based polyurethane sometimes has a slight yellow tint to it while water based urethane dries clear.

Applying stain can be a time consuming job. Some people will use a buffer to apply stain to large areas while others prefer to apply the stain using rags or a brush. Beginners should definitely use the rags or brush and work only a few boards at a time. As in sanding, follow the grain of the wood. Try to blend the stain in and not overlap it. Keep lots of clean rags available to wipe off the excess. Remember also, that the longer the stain stays on, the darker it will be. The best method is to apply the stain to a few boards at a time and then wipe off the excess within a few minutes.

After the stained floor has dried completely you are ready to apply the first coat of protective finishing. Yes, you will need to apply two coats of the protective finish, lightly sanding after the first coat. Be sure to remove any dust before applying the second coat of finish.

No one said refinishing hardwood floors was easy, but it is a job most homeowners can handle with patience and care. Wood floors are beautiful and add a touch of sophistication to homes.