How To Refinish Solid Hardwood Floors

Solid hardwood floors are made from one piece of hardwood timber and are the most popular type of floor. Solid hardwood floors are very stable, known to last more than 100 years and most likely the floor you have at home.

Why would you want to recoat / refinish your hardwood floor? If your hardwood floor protective finish has worn off, it’s much more cost effective and quick to refinish it rather than replacing the entire floor. Even if after reading this guide you decide to use a professional hardwood refinish company, the cost is still considerably less. Just before you start, consider hovering the floor and damp mopping a small section as it might just do the trick.

How To Refinish Solid Hardwood Floors in Ten Steps:

Sanding the floor -

1. Remove all furniture and ensure the room it clear from any obstacles
2. Hire a sander and make sure to read its safety advice (they are quite on the heavy side)
3. Affix a heavy grit sandpaper to the sander and start moving it in the direction of the wood grain
4. Once complete, do it again, but this time use a lighter grit

Staining the floor - (optional steps, you can either stain the floor or leave its natural shade)

5. Hover the room from the dust and sawdust left by the sander
6. Test the stain you bought on a small surface to ensure you like the its shade (apply on an area normally covered by a piece of furniture)
8. Stain the rest of the floor and wait until dry to carry on

Finishing the floor -

9. Using a brush or roller gently apply a polyurethane finish to the floor and wait a few hours to dry
10. To get a great finish, leave the floor to dry for about 4 to 5 hours and apply another layer

General safety tips:

A. Always read the label especially when working with chemicals
B. When possible, always test first (see step 6)
C. Wear protective clothing and keep the room aired while working

Solid hardwood floors are made from 100% real wood and because of this solid floors are more durable and you will be able to sand, refinish or recoat several times, making it appear new every time, thus greatly extending the useful life of the floors.