How To Refinish Hardwood Flooring

By Author: Susan Hu
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Over time hard wood floors become dull and scuffed so refinishing your floors will renew their beauty as well as light up your living space. It's not as easy as a DIY painting project, but the steps to refinishing floors is quite straightforward and can certainly be one to undertaken by the handy homeowner.

The two main types of floor finish are either oil-based or water-based polyurethane. The oil-based type can be found in a variety of finishes - satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Some are good for hiding slight imperfections and they typically all enhance the look of the wood and result in a warm glow. The water-based types are clear and help preserve the original wood colour.

It's important before you even think of undertaking such a project by making sure that your floors are suitable. Engineered types of flooring or woods such as maple and fir are not advisable for sanding as they are too thin or delicate - consult a professional if this is the case. If the wood is solid hard wood and at least 3/4 of an inch or 2cm thick, you're in the clear.

If you've decided to go ahead, the next thing you'll need ...
... to do is to rent equipment including: a sander, floor edger, buffer, putty knife, wood putty, a scraper, a shop vacuum, a 4-inch natural bristle paint brush and tack cloths. For your own safety, get ear muffs or plugs, dust/fume masks, and safety goggles.

It's recommended to get a belt-sanding machine versus a drum-sanding type because it's more manageable and easier to use. A drum-sanding machine is very difficult to control. The edge (orbital) sander is useful for getting at smaller sections that can't be maneuvered using the larger sander. If you don't have experience with sanders and buffers, consult the rental store for demonstrations and instructions on how best to use these machines.

If you've decided to go with an oil-based finish make sure to wear a solvent respirator mask! Make sure that your eyes ears and nose are all protected from the flying dust caused by the sanding. Warning - it's also going to be very noisy so get ear protection. Although windows in other rooms of the house not currently being used can be opened to help air out the house, it's not a good idea to open the windows in the room your working in. It's going to be very dusty and you don't want this blowing around.

Preparation before you start is similar to painting in that all furniture and wall hangings should be removed, but you'll also need to seal off all of the entrances by taping up plastic sheets around them, as well as all heating vents and adjoining floor spaces that are not being worked on. Sweep the floor you will be working on and pull out any protruding staples (if applicable) and hammer down any nails that are not set (these may damage the machines). Any cracks, gaps or other repairs must be filled in and completed before sanding.

Let's begin!

1. Removing the old finish

A course paper or belt of 20-36-grit should be used for this first sanding, which is meant to remove the existing finish. Make sure you keep moving as standing in the same position may create a groove in the floor. Use the edger with the same grit for areas such as the wall edges and corners. Stop once 85 % of the finish is gone - don't sand down to the bare wood.

2. Remove any scratches.
For the second sanding (for the purpose of smoothing out blemishes) use a medium grit that's between 50-60. After this sanding, look again for any holes to be filled in with wood putty and sink any nail heads. After this is completed, your floor should look freshly milled.

3. The final sanding
Use a finer grit between 80-100 for the final sanding which serves to remove any scratches from the last sanding. Use two extra sanding discs with the edger this time because they create a cushion that helps to lessen swirl marks.

4. Buff the floor

Use a fine abrasive screen that has a grit of 100-120. Buff up to the baseboards until and other areas making sure to blend into the main floor. Make sure to go with the grain. This stage helps tighten the wood grain for better stain application and evens out any blemishes caused by the previous sanding. Although this is a much finer screen, you can still over sand if you stay in the same spot for too long so take care to keep this in mind.

5. Clean up the dust

After all of the dust has settled use the shop vacuum to go over the room very carefully. Once all of the dust is sucked up, use a cloth to finish whatever is left. It's best to us a tack cloth if you'll be using an oil-based stain but if it's going to be a water-based stain, used a lint-free rag dampened with alcohol/mineral spirits.

6. Apply a stain
If you choose to apply a stain, make sure to work in a well-ventilated area and have a protective covering over your face as not to breathe in fumes. Be very cautious with this highly flammable substance. Oil and water stains will have varied drying times - check the instructions and do a test area first before applying to the entire floor. If possible, have a second person help you - it works better if one person is applying the stain while the other person wipes away any excess stain as extra moisture might cause the grain of the wood to be raised. Let dry overnight.

7. Apply the sealer

Use the paintbrush to apply the finish along the walls and a wide synthetic floor-finish applicator pad for the main parts of the floor. Let dry for 12 hours (oil) or 2 (water). Once dried, buff the floor, vacuum and apply a second coat. After this has dried, you can apply the final coat.

For at least three days, don't move anything back into the room as the finish will keep hardening for a few weeks. During this time it's best to avoid any traffic in this room during that time. It's also a good idea to wait a full month before putting down any rugs.

Refinishing a wood floor can be a time consuming and messy project but the end results can beautify your home and increase its value. You can refinish them more than once for upkeep but bear in mind that each time takes layers off so there is a limit to how many times you can refinish your floors. But with the steps and know how described above, you will soon be your own flooring expert, capable of doing a beautiful flooring job.
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