Refinishing Old Floors
- 1). Clear out the room, removing any furniture or carpet on the old hardwood floor. If carpet is over the wood, remove all stripping and nails.
- 2). Sand down the floor with a floor sander and heavy 60-grit sandpaper. Repeat this step with 80-grit, then 100-grit for a fine finish.
- 3). Sand around the edges of the room, using the floor edger. Start with the 60-grit sandpaper and repeat with the 80-grit, following with the 100-grit for a fine finish.
- 4). Clean up the dust, using a shop vacuum to remove all large dust particles. Sweep the floor with a broom, then remove any remaining dust particles with a dry cloth.
- 5). Apply some oxalic acid to bleach out imperfections in the floor. Use a wood pencil to fill in heavy scratches.
- 6). Fill the paint tray with wood stain and gently roll the stain onto the floor. Always roll the stain in the direction of the wood grain. Allow this to soak in for about two hours.
- 7). Fill a clean paint tray with the polyurethane, and evenly coat the stained floor. Polyurethane is thick; apply it evenly so it does not pile up in any section. Allow polyurethane to dry for three to five hours before placing any furniture on the floor.