If you have older hardwood floors in your home, chances are that if you have not professionally refinished them recently, then they are showing the signs of age.
Harwood floors tend to gather stains, nicks and scrapes over the years than can make them look very used and old. Repairing those signs of age can take only a weekend, but prepare for a weekend of hard work that will begin right after work on Friday.
First, you must remove all furnishings and carpets from the room that you are concentrating on. The room must be completely bare in order for you to finish the floors.
Next, you will want to lay a small border of painter’s tape around the base of the floorboard next to the floor. This layer of tape will protect the paint on your floorboards from the harsh cleaning agents and polyurethane layer that you will be placing on your floors over the weekend.
Once your room is prepared, you must prepare yourself for several hours of hard work on your floors. Purchase some Varisol cleaning agent and a pack of steel wool. You will also need to keep a bucket of water and a dry towel on hand.
Wearing old clothes, get down on your hands and knees and pour about a quarter cup of Varisol in the far corner of the room. You will want to begin your work in the corner of the room furthest from the exit door. Once the Varisol is on the floor, scrub the wood with the steel wool in a back-and-forth motion in sync with the grain of the wood. The Varisol and steel wool are the primary tools that you will use to clean the floors, so make sure that you do a thorough job.
Working in small sections, clean the entire floor with the Varisol. Next, dip a clean cloth into the bucket of water and wipe away any residue on the floor. Use the scraper tool to clean away any dirt that the Varisol and steel wool may have pulled up.
Once you are satisfied that your floor is sufficiently clean, you are ready to begin applying the first layer of polyurethane. Pour the polyurethane into a paint-roller reservoir. Next, using a paint roller, distribute the polyurethane in an even layer across the floor. Work from the furthest corner from the exit towards the exit. Once the layer of polyurethane is on the floor, you will not be able to walk on it for 18-24 hours, so plan accordingly.
After the 24 waiting period has expired, sand the entire floor using a simple sanding brush. Sand only lightly, as you are merely creating a layer of traction for the second coat of polyurethane. Wipe the excess debris from the sanding away will a dry cloth.
Repeat the process the same way as the first time you laid a layer of polyurethane. Let this layer dry for another 24 hours, then sand a lay the final coat of polyurethane on the floor. Now, you will have a seemingly refinished hardwood floor in only one weekend. Enjoy!