How To Refinish Solid Wood Flooring

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

Why would you want to recoat or refinish your wood floor?

If your wood flooring protective finish has worn off, it’s much more cost effective and quicker to refinish it than to replace it.  This guide is intended to help you do this yourself.  However, even if after reading this guide you decide to use a professional hardwood refinish company, the cost will still be significantly less than replacement, so it’s well worth considering.

TOP TIP:  Before you start, it’s a good idea to give the floor a really good hoover and a run over with a damp mop just to check that refinishing is actually necessary.

A step-by-step guide to refinishing solid hardwood floors:

STEP 1:  Sanding

a.  Hire a sander and make sure you have studied its safety advice (you should be aware that floor sanders are heavy).
b.  Remove all furniture and make sure your room is clear of all obstacles.
c.  Fit heavy grit sandpaper to the sander and start to work in the direction of the grain.
d.  Once complete, repeat but with lighter grit sandpaper, taking care to always work in the direction of the wood grain.

STEP 2:  Staining – this step is optional as you can choose to either stain the floor or leave its natural shade.

i.  Hoover the room to remove all the dust and sawdust left over from the sanding.
ii.  Test the stain you’ve chosen on a small, inconspicuous area of floor to confirm you’re happy with the shade.
iii.  Stain the remainder of the floor and wait until dry.

STEP 3: Finishing

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

General safety information:

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

Solid hardwood flooring 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 them several times, giving them a “like new” appearance each time.  This is essentially why solid hardwood floors last longer than the other options.