How do you lighten wooden floors?

Question

We have recently bought our new house that has dark wooden floors. I like the wooden floors, but want to cheer up the place by lightening up the floors. Is this possible, if so, difficult?

Answer 1

You really can't get any lighter than the wood, however they may be dark from a dark stain. Start by sanding all the way to the wood in an area that is hidden. See how light the wood is. If it is much lighter, you could just use a light varnish.

Answer 2

I would not use the word difficult, just dirty. You can rent a sander and sand the floors and then put on a lighter stain so that the floors are lighter. I am getting ready to do the same thing (mine are covered with carpet), but I keep putting it off because I dread the mess.

Answer 3

I would have the floors professionally sanded and then stained a light wood color and sealed with polyurathane. This process is very tedious and I would not attempt it myself. It takes a few days to do from a professional, but the results are spectacular. It will be money well spent.