Refinishing a hard wood floor can be time consuming as well as a hard task. If you do not see fit to contact a professional for this job and must do this on your own, the instructions below will take you step by step through the process.
You will need:
- Floor wax
- Brushes
- Wood stain
- Rags
- Floor sander and edger
- Shop vac
- Wide broom
- Sandpaper variations
- Roller with a broom handle
Step 1: Use the floor sander to sand the entire floor. Traditional drum sanders are heavy and hard to work, but do the best job on sanding the floor evenly. You would normally continuously move the sander or you will leave permanent etchings in the floor that will require replacing. If using an orbital sander, this is easier to control and takes less time to use than the drum sander. When renting your sander, ask for someone to demonstrate the workings and controls.
Step 2: Clip the heaviest grit sandpaper that comes with your sander onto the sander. This is normally a 36 grit, and is the most commonly used for sanding wood floors. Run the sander over the floor following the wood grain direction. Push and pull in straight strokes, evenly across the floor and not across the grain. Do this over the entire floor.
Step 3: Remove the heavy grit paper and use a lighter paper such as a 60 grit that normally comes with the sander. This is used to sand out any scratches or lines in the floor. Use the shop vac to clean up all the dust from sanding. Move on to the next lightest sandpaper and complete the entire room again for a smooth finish.
Step 4: Brush the floor clean with a broom and remove all dust with the shop vacuum. Make sure all windows are open at this time for proper ventilation. Using a rag, apply stain to a corner of the floor to begin. Wait for at least 5 minutes for the stain to dry. You can use the stain on a brush to apply and then go over with a rag for a more controlled appliance. Apply the stain with even strokes with the grain of the wood.
Step 5: Use rags to apply the floor wax, one coat at a time. Start in corners and work in long even strokes across the floor, always with the grain of the wood. Allow at least one hour to dry between coats. Complete 2 coats for your new wood floors to be completed.
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