How do I sand and restain hardwood floors? DO I have to rent a commercial sander?

Question

The floors were covered by some cheap clear coat product which is chipping in spots. There are a few scratches here and there too. How do I go about the whole project?

Answer 1

you are getting the wrong information.remember sanding is GRINDING away a surface.i would strip off what they put on then clean with steel wool and then if needed sand very lightly with 220 garnet paper.if i was you and wanted to do this myself,i would go to Lowe's and buy a floor restore kit for about $60.00,and follow instruction.my philosophy is that if you have any doubts,then leave it to the professional.where most people mess up on a floor,is when they apply a product not recommended for floors.the result you are trying to achieve,is like a basket ball court.

Answer 2

I've refinished floors for 45 years. Strip off the remaining varnish or whatever they had on the floor. Rent a commercial sander and strip off the remaining finish and sand the floor down to get a good fine finish on it, so it looks restored. Then use a fine sand paper to put the finishing touches on it. Using a hand sander is a killer and you have to be superman to get a good finish on it and an even finish.

After you sand the floor and get it where you want it. Use a good sealer, You can get this from "Ace" hardware, they have some new floor finishes and are made special. Home depot has some good finishes too.
After sealing the floor, whether you choose to stain the floor or not is your choice. I used a poly water based finish from Ace that is new on the market. It takes a fine hand to use it but, it's not to bad. I put it on with a roller and then brushed it out with a wide sponge brush to get any bubbles out. It dries real fast and is beautiful when finished. It's been on a year now and is still like new. I tried to use a polish but, it made no difference to the finish so I stopped. It has a high shine. When the grand kids visit they drag in mud and etc, it wipes right off.

Answer 3

If you need to sand the entire floor renting a floor sander is well worth it. Sanding by hand or with a small handheld power sander would be an enormous job. Even with a floor sander, you still have to do alot by hand around the edges. The floor sanders cant' get right up to the wall. Rent a sander and put on a high quality finish that will last.

Answer 4

A commercial sander will make the job easier, but easier is a relative term.

This really is not a job for an amateur. Hardwood floors are beautiful, and damned expensive to install or replace. Do yourself a favor, and have a professional sand it down for you.

There is nothing that says you cannot stain and finish it yourself, but the sanding is really an art that takes the right touch to do the job right.

Answer 5

I sanded mine with a 1/4 sheet electric hand sander. Use 60 grit, 80 grit 120, and 200 then polyurethane it. You can add stain if you like, before the sealer.