Can I re-stain wood floors without sanding it?

Question

I'm trying to be economical with this: I want to change the color of the stain on my wood floors but wanted to know if it was absolutely necessary to sand the floors first.

Answer 1

It would be a good idea to sand the floors to remove the old varnish and stain. If not, then you may get an even coloring of the new stain. It will not adhere to the old varnish very well.

If you are going to do it, then do it right. You can rent a floor sander and that will help make the job easier. good luck.

Answer 2

Staining Hardwood Floors Without Sanding

Answer 3

Sanding OR stripping IS required... oil has gotten into the wood and moisture has bloated it a bit in places...... sanding and/or stripping evens the surface of the floor and removes surface oils that would cause uneven staining (which is a much bigger nightmare than re-sanding or stripping.) (I highly recommend against poly-plastics because they wear out quickly and you'll have flakey floors).
Good luck.

Answer 4

You will need to re-sand the floor to the bare wood if you want to apply a different color stain. If the floors are older and have a nice patina to them, you should consider avoiding the stain and just going with a few coats of polyurethane.

If you just want to refinish it and the exisiting finish is in relatively good shape, you can get away with "screening" it with 220-grit sandpaper and applying another coat of polyurethane.

Answer 5

That depends on if you are going darker. Hand rub it,in circles with an old sock, soaks better and won't overlap or get too much on. But, you could rent a sander and sand first.

Answer 6

Yeah, you've gotta sand it. Sorry bout that... Good luck with the floors though.

Answer 7

You need to sand it so the paint will adhere and cover evenly.

Answer 8

NO you need to take off the laquor first

Answer 9

you don't have to but it will look like crap if you don't