Anyone who has ever taken on a hardwood floor refinishing job can tell you that it is no easy task. There is a lot of time and sweat that must be devoted to the job! Because of the difficulty of this type of do-it-yourself project, most people prefer to pay a professional to do it for them. However, if you would like to give it a go and try to refinish your floor on your own, this hub will serve as a quick guide to help you get started.

• Orbital Sander
  
  Unless you want to sand your entire floor by hand, you should rent an orbital sander. Buying a sander is also an option, but the need for a good hardwood floor refinishing doesn't come up often enough to buy the machine in my opinion.

• Wax Stripper
  
  Before you sand your hardwood floor, you need to strip the wax coating.
  

• Lacquer Thinner
  
  After stripping the wax, it is necessary to apply a quality lacquer thinner. This will strip the floor of it's varnish or polyurethane coat.
  

• Vacuum or Damp Cloth
  
  After sanding your entire floor, you will be standing in a sea of dust! Use either a vacuum or damp cloth to clean every bit and piece up. Any remnants of the sanding could really leave noticeable spot on your newly refinished floor.
  

• Polyurethane
  
  This one is obvious but I thought I should include it just in case. You will need enough polyurethane to lay about three coats on your floor.
  

I couldn't possibly explain the whole process of hardwood floor refinishing. There are entire books and videos dedicated to the topic. However, this part of my hub will give you a quick look at the process so you know what you are getting yourself into before you purchase books or videos.

• Clear the Floor
  
  It is much easier to work in a completely cleared out room. Remove all furniture and rugs from the floor that you will be refinishing ahead of time.
  

• Strip the Floor
  
  First, apply the wax stripper to remove the top coat of wax. Next, use the lacquer thinner to remove the final coats (usually varnish or polyurethane).
  

• Sand The Floor
  
  This is probably the most important part of refinishing hardwood floors. You want to be sure to do a good job when you get to the point! If you cheat your way through this step, you can pretty much guarantee a poor quality finished floor when you are done.
  
  
• Clean the Floor
  
  Some people like to clean the floor before stripping and sanding it, but what is the point? It is just wasted time and energy! Instead, wait until you are done with sanding the floor. There will be a lot of dust and debris all over the floor, so use a vacuum or a damp cloth to clean the whole floor. A vacuum can sometimes miss a spot or two, so be sure to double and triple check for cleanliness.
  

• Lay the Polyurethane Coat
  
  You will need about three coats of polyurethane. Use a paint brush or paint pad to lay one coat at a time. After each coat has been applied, allow enough time for it to completely dry.
  

• Lay the Wax Coat
  
  After three layers of polyurethane have been applied, it's time to give your floor the wax treatment! Using a completely new paint brush or paint pad, evenly coat your floor with your chosen type of wax. You have a few different types of wax to choose from. It all comes down to preference.
  

• Let it Sit
  
  You should let your newly refinished floor sit without anything on it for about 72 hours. This will allow the floor to completely dry. Moving furniture back onto the floor too early could prove to be one of the biggest mistakes of your life! Don't ruin all of your hard work by being too anxious.
  

As you have just learned, hardwood floor refinishing is not an easy task! If you have a hardwood floor and it's due to be refinished, you have two choices: Suck it up and do-it-yourself- or, pay a someone else to do it. If you do it yourself, you will spend a lot of time and work. If you pay someone else, you will be spending a lot of money! Choose wisely young grasshopper...