Hardwood floors are an elegant part of any home, of any room in your home. They do require maintenance, however, and refinishing hardwood floors is part of that maintenance schedule. You can accomplish this yourself, as hardwood floor refinishing is not impossibly difficult. If you put a little patient effort into the task, your floors will shine like new.

There are two parts in the procedure for refinishing hardwood floors: sanding, which cleans away any old dirt and smooths the old wood in order to give it a fresh appearance; and staining, which is performed after the sanding, gives the old hardwood floor a smoother, glossier sheen.

If you are refininshing your hardwood floors, you should see if they need to be redone at all. You may want to try a test in an inconspicuous place on your floor. Drop a drop or two of water on the floor and observe. If the water is quickly absorbed by the flooring, it's time to refinish. If it isn't absorbed at all, or absorbs slowly, you can wait a while before redoing the floor's surface.

When you inspect the floor, make sure it doesn't need any repairs. Problems to inspect for include warped or sqeaking floor boards, badly stained wood, and other permanent damage. If any of these issues are present, you should repair them before refinishing the floor.

Once you've determined that your floor truly needs refinishing but does not require other repairs, you can start your work. First, remove all objects from the room and cover all openings, vents and light fixtures. Sanding is a messy process and you want to protect the room from the inevitable dust.

You will need a drum sander for your first sanding. The drum sander is a powerful tool and damaging the wood while sanding is easy to do. To avoid this, keep the sander moving, never letting it stay in one place for more than a few seconds. However, don't rush. When encountering corners and other areas you cannot reach with the drum sander, use an edge sander.

After you finish sanding, clean up the dust and debris. Now, you're ready to stain the floor. There are several kinds of stains available - water based and oil based stains with a variety of appearances. Choose the one that suits your floor best, and follow all instructions given. You should pay special attention to how many coats are needed and how long the stain takes to dry.

Once you have finished staining and the stain has dried, give yourself a round of applause: you have just completed your own floor refinishing! Other friends and neighbors you know will have hired professionals to redo their floors, but you won't need to now that know how to refinish your own floors. The process is lengthy and takes some work, but it is worth it once you see the shine of your newly finished floor and know that you did this yourself!

Elegant hardwood floors require maintenance, and eventually, Hardwood floor refinishing to sand old surface smooth, then finish with stain. The wood of your floor absorbing water indicates refinishing is needed. First, repair warped or squeaky boards, empty room, and cover openings, vents and light fixtures to protect from dust. Sand with a drum sander, keeping it moving to avoid damaging the wood. For tight spots, use an edge sander. Remove dust. Choose suitable stain with desired appearance. Follow directions for drying time and number of coats needed. Refinishing hardwood floors yourself is satisfying. Knowing how to refinish hardwood floors and make them beautiful without hiring someone else feels rewarding.