Techniques for Applying Finish to Hardwood Floors

Cleaning

• Begin finishing your hardwood floor by giving it a good cleaning. Vacuum it thoroughly, and wipe it down with a hardwood floor cleaner, available at hardwood flooring or home improvement stores. Purchase a hardwood floor mop, which looks like a dust mop but has shorter fibers. This is a must-have to keep your floors looking like new. Do not use oil soap or water, as that can cause damage to the floorboards.

Sand

• Sanding a hardwood floor is an important step in finishing or refinishing hardwood floors because it helps with the adhesion of stain or paint. If you're refinishing the floor, sanding removes old stain and smooth gauges and scratches.

  If you don't have a floor sander, rent one from a hardware store or hardwood flooring store. Most stores require a deposit, and they may charge you for the sandpaper.

  Sand hardwood floors at least three times; the first sanding levels the floors, the second sanding removes roughness and the third sanding smooths the floor to get ready for the application of stain or paint. Begin sanding in one section at a time, moving the sander from left to right. Make sure to overlap the previously sanded areas. Apply a light-grit sandpaper to the sander to begin with, generally 36-grit. Apply heavier grit to a previously finished floor if the stain won't come up.

Stain

• Apply a wood conditioner before you apply stain. This will help prevent blotching and unevenness of color. Apply a stain if you prefer a specific color to your hardwood floors. Apply stain to an angle brush to cut along the edges, and then use a lambswool applicator to apply the stain to the rest of your floor. Squeeze the stain out of the applicator to avoid puddles, and apply an even coat of stain to the floor.

  Clean excess stain by using a clean rag dipped into the stain, and then wipe away the excess. Stain the edges around the floor, using this method, or fill a spray bottle with the stain and spray it onto the edges. Unless you want the floor to look like paint, do not apply more than two coats. Allow the stain to dry for at least 12 hours before applying a sealer.

Polyurethane

• Polyurethane is a popular finish for hardwood floors because it's durable and long-lasting. A moisture-cure polyurethane outlasts regular polyurethane, but it has strong fumes. Make sure the area you are working in is highly ventilated. Apply polyurethane with a mop applicator; you need three applicators for three coats of polyurethane.

  Pour polyurethane into a 5-gallon bucket and soak the applicator. Begin in the corner of the room farthest away from the exit and work in a 5-foot by 5-foot area at a time, mopping with the grain of the wood. Apply a little pressure on the applicator on the first pass, a little less with the second and almost no pressure for the final pass. Always attach a clean applicator with every coat. Allow the polyurethane to dry overnight or at least for 16 hours. Use a 220-grit sandpaper with a maroon pad, and sand between finishes, cleaning and tacking after sanding before applying additional coats.