Preparation

• 1). Clear the floor. Remove all furniture and appliances from the room. Remove drapes or other items hanging on the wall of the room where the floor will be finished because the job will be messy. Remove radiators or heat registers blocking access to the floor. Remove molding with a small pry bar, if necessary.
  
  
• 2). Inspect the floor for exposed nails, tacks or staples. Use a hammer to drive exposed nails into the floor so that they are flush with the wood. Extract any small tacks or staples in the floor.
  
  
• 3). Drape sheets of plastic or drop cloths over entrances to the room to prevent dust from spreading to other rooms. Use masking tape to hang plastic over entrances to the room and shut doors to the room. Place towels along the bottoms of doors to also keep dust contained. Cover light fixtures by taping or tying plastic bags over them.
  
  
• 4). Vacuum the entire floor to remove any loose debris.
  
  
• 5). Rent a drum sander and edge sander from a local hardware, home improvement or rental business. Buy rough sandpaper (20- to 36-grit), medium sandpaper (50- to 60-grit) and fine sandpaper (100- to 120-grit).
  
  

Sanding

• 1). Attach 20- to 36-grit sandpaper to the drum sander to begin sanding the floor. Tilt the sander back and start it. Tilt the machine forward to begin sanding. Start near one corner of the floor and move toward the corner on the same wall of the room. Sand by following the grain of the floor. Because of the drum sander's size, you will not be able to sand up to the floor's edges or inner portions of corners. Give yourself enough room to tilt the sander back and turn before reaching a wall. Turn the drum sander, tilt it forward and begin sanding in a new row. Sand the entire floor one row at a time.
  
  
• 2). Overlap each row with the drum sander by about 2 inches. Do not run the drum sander in one place because it will gouge the floor. Switch to an edge sander after sanding as much of the floor as possible with a drum sander. Use the same 20- to 36-grit paper on the edge sander to finish sanding edges and corners that the drum sander could not reach. Vacuum the floor after sanding.
  
  
• 3). Switch to medium (50- to 60-grit) sandpaper and sand the floor, edges and corners again following the same method. Use the drum sander first, followed by the edge sander. Check for any scratches or gouges after finishing this step. Fill scratches and gouges with wood putty and allow it to dry for the amount of time recommended by the product. Vacuum the floor again.
  
  
• 4). Change to 100- to 120-grit sandpaper on the drum and edge sanders to sand the surface of the floor again. The floor should be smooth and ready for staining after finishing this step. Vacuum the floor one final time to ensure that all dust and debris is removed. Do not mop the floor or use floor cleaning products.
  
  

Staining and Finishing

• 1). Apply stain to the floor. Read the directions on your brand of stain for specific application instructions. Every brand of stain is different. Use a clean rag to apply stain following the grain of the wood. Keep an extra rag handy to wipe away excess stain.
  
  
• 2). Allow the stain to dry. Usually, this means letting it dry overnight. Again, read the directions on your stain for specific drying times. Block off the room and do not walk on the floor while the stain dries.
  
  
• 3). Apply a finish/sealant to the floor. Begin at one corner of the room and use a natural bristle brush to apply the finish/sealant. Work across the room toward a corner on the same wall. Apply the finish/sealant in sections measuring about 5 feet wide. Use a foam applicator to blend in any brush marks. Continue until the entire floor is brushed with a coat of finish/sealant.
  
  
• 4). Allow the finish/sealant to dry for at least 24 hours.