Refinish Your Hardwood Floor Like a Pro

This article is written by a pro of refinishing hardwood floors since I have done too many to count. Maybe 300 would be a good guess. My father was in the business full time (as well as aluminum windows and doors (which I'll write another article about that soon) and while I attended college, and for a short time after, I worked with him as well as on my own refinishing hardwood floors.

In fact, I just did my mother-in-law's last summer and my back still hurts!

Before you even think of starting this DIY project, you need to be fairly good shape. There is a lot of bending, kneeling and scraping...if you do it right.

Ok, you still are here reading so I guess you are serious :o)

Here are the easy? steps to a beautiful, shiny hardwood floor:

Determine what kind of finish you would like first. There are a couple choices, flat, medium gloss and high gloss. It's strictly taste as they both wear the same. I prefer a polyurethane paint but some like varnishes. I found urethane to be a durable finish and won't yellow over time. Look for 'non-yellowing' on the can. They come in either oil or water based, and I prefer water base for the ease of clean up.

Go to your local hardware store that carries floor sanders, edger sander, pain scrapers, sandpaper (medium) and the floor paint.

Prepare your floor by filling in any blemishes, depressions, cracks and nail holes.

Sweep and then vacuum floor. (at this point I would hang a plastic sheet over any door openings if the door has been removed (new construction etc).

Sand main floor being careful to keep sander going in same direction. Start with a coarse sandpaper and switch to finer for second sanding. The first sanding is to get to bare wood and the second for a finished look.

Sand the edges. The trick here is to use a fairly light touch and rotate the sander in semi-circle reducing sand marks.

Now the fun part. Take your scraper in scrape the corners and under heaters. Don't worry about under heaters too much as it won't be that noticeable.

Whew! The hard part is done. Now the fun part. Sweep and vacuum floor and if you see a swirl or sanding marks scrape the out.

Put the sealer down. Wait at least 2 hours, hand sand the whole floor, vacuum and apply the urethane. If you don't have air conditioning, put a fan on the floor to dry it quicker.

I usually waited at least 4-5 hours for it dry, most of the time overnight. I recommend at least 2 coats of urethane for a durable, hard finish.

You're done! Wow not so bad was it?

Oh yeah,

Email me for a chiropractor lol

Dan Farrell is the owner of http://www.closet-organizer-plan.com where you can get a free closet organizer plan and other home improvement ideas and articles.

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The 34 Principles Of An ExtraOrdinary Home

Planning to remodel or build soon? Want to have an ExtraOrdinary Home? One that goes way beyond the norm in your neighborhood but doesnt blow your budget? We started collecting over 1,000 uncommon, affordable convenience built-ins in 1998, when we first began writing books and consulting to help people have truly extraordinary but affordable homes. And by the time wed found the first 200 features, these 34 home design principles became obvious. Use them as you plan your next remodeling or building project, and youll be on your way toward creating a home thats truly beyond the ordinary!

An ExtraOrdinary Home

can be affordable.

provides a healthy environment.

is a safe environment.

accommodates the needs of people of all ages and physical limitations.

incorporates efficiencies that save steps and/or time.

protects the belongings of its owners.

minimizes harm from external threats such as pests, fire, flooding, terrorism, chemical attacks, etc.

minimizes the risk of intruders or vandals entering and/or doing damage.

is quiet.

facilitates communication.

provides physical comfort.

is chock-full of everyday conveniences.

has an abundance of natural light.

has adequate and appropriately varied lighting systems and fixtures.

has adequate and accessible electrical outlets, and switches of the appropriate types.

is safe when the power goes out.

is easy to maintain.

minimizes unnecessary wear and tear of its components.

helps its inhabitants stay organized.

minimizes clutter by providing adequate storage for all its inhabitants' belongings.

has storage space that's appropriate for all its stored items.

offers storage near where the stored items will be used.

enables storage of frequently-used items in easy-to-reach locations.

minimizes wasted space and utilizes spaces that are otherwise unused.

allows maximum access to everything in it.

facilitates traffic flow.

enables unnecessary items to be out of sight or out of the way.

has features that make moving people and things within it easy.

is energy and water efficient.

can accommodate new technology as it becomes available.

has living areas and features that can serve simultaneous multiple purposes.

has living areas and features that can be modified as its residents' needs change.

is enjoyable for visitors and overnight guests.

is a safe and comfortable place for living with cats and dogs.

Like this article? Then youll love our book with the same title that includes over 175 uncommon, affordable convenience built-ins that increase your quality of life and your homes resale value! We also offer a free version of this book at www.extraordinaryhomes.com: The 34 ExtraOrdinary Home Principles: Over 70 Fabulous, Affordable, Innovative Ideas Thatll Improve Your Life and WOW You!

Copyright 2005 by Carol Abrahamson/ExtraOrdinary Homes. All rights reserved.

Carol Abrahamson consults, writes and makes presentations about more than 1,000 fabulous features that can improve your life, add value to your home and make you the talk of the town. She spent years researching them via thousands of sources just so you can quickly and easily use them to create your affordable, extraordinary Home of Your Dreams. Learn more about her work via http:// http://www.extraordinaryhomes.com or carol@extraordinaryhomes.com.

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