What's Involved in Refinishing Your Hardwood Floor?

Thinking of refinishing your hardwood floors? If you've recently yanked up the carpets and found the wood gouged and beaten by nails and staples, it's probably a necessity. Or maybe you've just moved into a new home and the old homeowners didn't bother keeping the floors looking good. Either way, you're probably wondering what all is involved in refinishing those wood floors.

It's actually not a complicated process, but it is a laborious process, unless you have access to a big professional sander. That's why most people pay someone else to refinish their floors. Here's a look at what's involved:

First, the workers will load a "medium-grit" belt on the sander, then they'll sand in the direction of the wood strips. The tool must be kept moving in order to avoid damaging the floor.
After two passes with the sander, the floor will be vacuumed completely. Then a stain, or the first coat of polyurethane, is applied.
After the polyurethane dries, a steel-wool disk is attached to a rotary buffer. When buffing, the grain of the wood should be followed.
When the floor is completely clean (often a tack cloth will be used on it), at least one more coat of finish will be applied.
Floors are done--enjoy!

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