Refinish your hardwood floors

CHOOSING A FINISH
There are two basic floor finishes: oil-based and water-based polyurethane. Oil-based polyurethane is available in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish. Satin is recommended for floors because it hides small imperfections and lets the beauty of the wood show through without a distracting shine. Oil-based polyurethane produces a warm amber look that enhances the grain of the wood and gives you the traditional glow of wood floors.

Unlike oil-based polyurethane, water-based polyurethane dries clear and resists yellowing. If you're applying an oil-based finish, wear a solvent respirator. You can open the windows in other areas of the house to help ventilate, but keep the windows closed in the room you're working in so dust won't blow around.

THE FIRST COAT
To spread the finish, you'll need a four-inch paintbrush and a wide floor applicator. Use the paintbrush to apply the finish along the walls. As if you were applying paint, always keep a wet edge so each stroke will blend easily into the next. Using a wide applicator pad, begin applying the finish to the main part of the floor, starting at a wall and always working the pad parallel to the grain direction. As you complete the stroke, lift the pad and pull it back with the grain. Keep working across the room in the same pattern until you get to the other side of the room, feathering the finish where it meets the wall.

Before the next step, let the floor dry, allowing 12 hours for oil-based polyurethane and two hours for water-based poly.

SMOOTH THE ROUGH SPOTS
Once the first coat is dry, sand it smooth with the floor buffer. If the finish has fully dried, the buffer will leave a powdery residue behind. This step dulls the finish before you apply the next coat. Vacuum the floor, then apply the second and then the final coat in the same way you applied the first. (Sand only between the first and second coats.)

FINAL STEPS
Don't move any furniture into the room for at least three days. The finish will continue to harden for a few weeks, so keep traffic to a minimum and don't wear shoes in the room for the first week. Finally, wait a month to set down any area rugs.

It's a lot of work, but an attractive floor will make your whole house shine.

SQUEAK REPAIR (see steps above)
If you're about to refinish your hardwood floors, now is the perfect time to make repairs. Here are a few techniques for quieting those squeaks.

1. Sometimes it's not possible to anchor noisy boards from below-the only way to quiet them is to drill countersunk holes into the surface, drive in screws and then cut plugs to cover the holes.
2. If you're limited to repairs from above, another alternative is to drill an angled pilot hole into the floor to prevent the board from splitting, before
3. driving a ringshank nail through the pilot hole and into the subfloor.
4. If you have access from below, and the floor joists aren't tight against the subfloor in the noisy area, then close the gap by hammering in wedges between the subfloor and joist.
5. You can pull down loose or bulging boards with screws driven up into the floor from below. The screws should stop 1/4" below the finished floor.