A finished hardwood floor can be one of the most beautiful parts of your house
Hardwood floors are high class and sophisticated, while being at the same time warm and rustic and welcoming.
You don't have to pay a fortune to have a professional come and refinish any floors that are underneath your current carpet or linoleum. Here's a brief overview of how you can refinish your own floors with a little sandpaper, some work clothes, a finish and a little hard work.
How to refinish your floors
Step 1: how to sand the floor
You have to start your finishing with sanding the floor.
- Take everything out of the room-rugs, furniture, and everything else. The entire room has to be empty.
- Go over your floor very, very carefully. If you find any nails in the floor, then you will need to pound them into the floor so that they don't stick up out of the floor. If you find any tacks or staples from a carpet, then you need to take them out of the floor.
- Look in the phone book for your local equipment rental shop. You are going to need to rent a floor sander-you don't want to sand the entire floor by hand. Drum sanders are the regular way to go, but if you have never used a drum sander before, then you might want to rethink the drum sander because they are heavy, difficult to maneuver, and always have to be moving.
- Think about renting an orbital sander. These are easier to control than drum sanders. Whichever way you go, ask for a demonstration of the sander.
- Go buy a bunch of sandpaper for your rental machine. Buy a range of different grits; you will need 36, 60, 80, and 100.
- Put the 36-grit sandpaper in the machine.
- Turn on the sander. Run it across the floor in the same direction of the grain. Go straight and even and don't go across the grain. Always keep the machine in motion and try not to gouge the floor.
- When you have gone over the entire floor with the 36 grit sandpaper, switch to the 60 grit. Sand any lines and scratches in the floor that you find.
- Move to the next lighter sandpaper, and then the next lighter.
- If you can't get all the way to the edges of the floor, you will need to rent an edging machine.
- Make sure that you close all of the doors of your house and turn off the furnace fan. Otherwise you will get dust all through the house when you sand your floors. You can also hang wet sheets over the doors
Step 2: how to stain the floor
You can leave your floor natural; if this is the case, then you should move to step 3. Or you can stain it a certain color.
- Get rid of all of the sawdust in the room using a broom.
- Then get out a shop vac to get rid of any other sawdust in the room.
- Open up your windows. You will need quite a bit of ventilation.
- You need to check the stain color. Put a small amount of stain on a rag and apply it to the floor in a hidden corner, such as a back corner in the closet. Then wait for 5 minutes as the stain dries. Make sure you like the color.
- Now you're going to have to apply the first coat of stain to the entire floor. If you want a heavier coat, then you can use a brush. But if you prefer a lighter coat, then you should use a rag. Make sure that you go with the grain of the wood.
- Apply a second coat. A third if you would like. Then touch up any areas. Wait for the floor to dry before you finish the floor.
Step 3: Finishing the floor
- You will need polyurethane finish. Stir it, much like you stir paint.
- Use a brush or a roller to apply the polyurethane finish. Go with the grain, and use even strokes. Otherwise there will be marks in the finish.
- Let the finish dry. This will take a few hours.
- Apply your second coat. Let the coat of finish dry from overnight to 3 days.
