Hardwood floors are a slippery slope when it comes to re-finishing.  The professionals I had come in to evaluate my floor said that it was not something I could do myself or with the help of friends.  Well mister professional, I have news for you, it can be.

My second story was completely carpeted when I bought the house, and not professionally carpeted.  Corners were curled up and it allowed me to see the flooring below which told me that this can be a wonderful floor.  Three estimates by three separate professionals were given.  It ranged from simple sanding and staining to extensive repairs and multi step processes.  I then references a few websites and found that I could do the entire process for 1/10th the price.  

Instead of going step by step I will give you a rundown of the tools and tips to use them.  This should give anyone with doubts about doing their own floors the confidence needed to get the job done at a fraction of the cost while still looking like you hired a professional.

Drum Sander: This may look like what was used to spawn the Terminator series or the big brother to the vacuum in “Mr. Mom,” but it is fairly easy to use.  I recommend renting one from somewhere like Home Depot.  It costs about $60 to rent for the day and they give you the lowdown on how to operate it. You will need to buy your own sandpaper so get a rough estimate of how big your area is and they can give you a good idea of how much.  I recommend buying extra, if you don’t use it, return it.  This machine is heavy and a bit larger than a standard household vacuum so if you have a standard car, find a friend with a truck or SUV. It will take a little to get used to once you fire it up and it will pull away when it is running so hold tight.  Never leave it sit in one spot while sanding and move it with the grain.  I recommend using a 60 grit paper for the first round then a 100-120 grit for the second run to smooth everything out. Take your time with this process so that you avoid having strange marks, low spots, or gouges.

Disc/Corner Sander: This is a large, commercial grade orbital sander that gets the spots the drum sander doesn’t get; corners, along the walls, or hard to reach areas.  I first want to recommend that you make sure the switch is off before plugging both sanders in.  They are powerful tools and can put a serious dent in your wall or, in my case, the corner sander takes a flight path off the stairs.  (Side note: It was funny after the shock wore off) Since it takes some effort to keep it on the track you want, stand over it and bend over to keep your body weight on it.  As with the drum sander, don’t leave it sanding one area to long, otherwise you risk having a low spot or a 6 inch circle ground into the wood.

Both sanders are recommended for natural wood floors and not laminate wood.  This part of the job may require two people, simply because each one can use each tool and cut down time and costs.

Stripper Gel: No, this has nothing to do with a professional dancer, but this will take care of any issues with stain or the clear coat that covers the stain.  If you run into flooring with a wax clear coat, which some older homes have, apply gel stripper to the area.  Spread it on with a roller or brush, leave sit for an hour and use a plastic scraper to remove what comes up.  I used rubber gloves, surgical mask, and eyewear.  The fumes can sting the throat or eyes.  If you get some on your skin, do not panic, get the area under COLD water for a while.  If you use hot water it will make the sting/burn more intense.  Except for the skin being red for a while there shouldn’t be any long term damage.  Wipe the floor with soap and water, not saturating the wood, and allow to dry before going over it with the sander.

Stain/Clear Coat: This is where personal taste comes in.  There are variations in color, eco-friendly, oil/water based, and how to apply them.  Check with the store you intend to buy it from for directions on how to apply it.  I used Minwax Golden Oak color which was oil based, and finished with three coats of a water based polyurethane.  I used lamb wool to apply all coats.

Now you should have a floor that everyone will envy.  This project took me 4 days to complete, but everything depends on the size of the floor, and the type of stains and clear coats you use. The total price was under $300 dollars, saving money by buying the stain and clear coats in 5 gallon pails.  Compared to the quotes I got from professionals, this entire project was a steal.

Good Luck!