Hardwood floors are a classic flooring option that looks and feels luxurious, adding warmth and a traditional feel to any home.  They’re easy to maintain, and stay looking great for years.  However, after a while, all hardwood flooring will develop signs of wear.  Anyone who’s had their floor for a while or is moving into an older home with less than perfect flooring might want to think about their options for refinishing.

Fortunately, refinishing hardwood floors isn’t difficult.  It can be done easily on your own, as long as you know what you’re doing.  Here’s how to refinish your floors.

Refinishing hardwood floors starts with a check to see if that’s really what you need to do.  A floor that’s merely scratched or dull can be refinished.  If it’s buckling, warping, feels saggy or spongy, or has other major damage, at least part of the floor has to be replaced.  Refinishing hardwood floors in this state is simply not possible.

It’s important to remember that whenever you refinish a floor, you’re removing some of the wood.  That means that your floor will only be able to be refinished a certain number of times, and a ridge of wood will remain along the edge.  Low ridges mean you’ll be able to successfully refinish, while a high ridge on an existing floor tells you this process may have been done too many times.

Before you start, you’ll need to fill in large cracks in the floor.  Leave small gaps, since they allow the flooring to expand and contract with changes in weather and temperature.  Winter floors have more cracks than the same floor in the summer.  Once the cracks are filled, you’ll want to make sure you get your refinishing equipment together.  You’ll need a sander, edger, palm sander buffer, putty knife, scraper, shop vac, and protection for your eyes, ears, and lungs.  Brushes for putting on finish and gloves are also important.

Before you get started, get rid of everything that isn’t nailed down, like furniture.  Sweep, and pull up old carpet staples or other obstacles, then nail down protruding nails to get them flush with the floor.  Contain dust by hanging plastic over windows and doors.  Now you can start refinishing the hardwood floors in your home.  Remember that dust from this process is hard on breathing, so wear a particle respirator, or at least a dust mask.  Goggles to protect your eyes and ear plugs are important for power tool use.  Make sure you know how to use all your equipment to prevent damage to your body and to the floor.

Sanding for refinishing hardwood floors starts with coarse paper and drum sander.  Start in an area that doesn’t show, and use the edge sander when you can’t reach with the regular sander.  Once you’ve sanded the whole floor, change to medium grit, and do it again.  Another pass with fine grit is also needed.  Then you can use the palm sander to finish up the edges of the flooring.
 
Vacuum well after sanding, including the ceiling and the walls!  Then, buff the floor with a fine abrasive screen to tighten it, and stain if your floor requires it.  Remember to make sure you have enough ventilation when staining and sealing, and wear a chemical respirator if you can get one.  Multiple coats and a long wait may be required.  Use either a traditional wax finish or a polyurethane to complete refinishing your hardwood floors and get you the great flooring you want.