There's no doubt about it, re-finishing a wood floor is a big project, but it's relatively easy if you know what to do.

Step : Remove any carpet, padding, nails, staples or tacks from your floor.

Step : When re-finishing an entire room, rent a large orbital sander with 2 to 3 grades of sandpaper that will vary depending upon the condition of your floors. For smaller jobs, you can buy or rent a hand-held random orbit sander. Use 60-grit sandpaper to remove any finish from the floor; wear a particle mask to protect yourself from the dust.

Step : When the surface is sanded, vacuum to pick up the dust. Then switch to finer grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface, and vacuum again.

Step : Dampen an old bath towel, and use it to clean the area. Let it dry and repeat 2-3 times until all the dust is gone. The surface must be entirely clean for the sealer to adhere.

Step : When the floor is thoroughly dry, apply the sealer. There are two choices: water based or oil based polyurethane. Water based polyurethane dries in about an hour and cleans up with soap and water. Oil based polyurethane dries in 6-8 hours and must be cleaned up with mineral spirits.

Step : Pour the sealer directly onto the floor and use a lamb's wool pad to spread the sealer evenly. Make sure you work with the grain of the wood in smooth, level strokes.

Step : When the first coat is completely dry, use a piece of 100-120-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the area that you just sealed. Repeat steps 4-6 for each of the remaining coats.

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