The Best Way To Refinish Old Wood Floors Using Low VOC Products

If you are looking to bring new life to your old hard wood floors, but you don't want to fill your home with dangerous VOCs, then this article is for you. If you are a homeowner with a little bit of DIY skills, then you can easily accomplish the project on your own. All you need is to rent an orbital floor sander, buffer, and floor edger. Then buy a hand scraper, nail set, a VOC-free or low-VOC stain, and a water-based polyurethane that contains aluminum oxide specifically made for floors from your local hardware or home improvement store. Once you have all your supplies, keep reading to see how it's done:

Step 1: Sand The Floor With The Orbital Sander

Rent an orbital floor sander from your local equipment rental store. Then use the machine to remove as much of the existing stain and finish from the floor as possible. A 36-grit sanding belt will do the job. But feel your floor after you're done sanding and if it needs to be smoother, go over it again with a finer grit sanding belt. You can expect to get about 250 sq. ft of floor sanded before you need to put on a new sanding belt.

Also, be careful not to run the sander too close to the walls and corners, or the floors and walls could be damaged.

Step 2: Sand The Edges Of The Floor

Now grab the floor edger to sand the edges of the floor closest to the wall and inside any small closets that the orbital sander didn't fit into. The floor edger is basically a hand-held sander that will get right up to the edge of the floor against the walls. Also use 36-grit sandpaper for this machine. The sandpaper comes in round discs that stick to the bottom of the machine.

Step 3: Set The Nails

Look at the floor closely for any nails that may be poking up. Then use the nail set to push them below the surface of the wood floor.

Step 4: Fill Nail Holes With Putty

Once all the nails have been sunk in, get wood putty and fill in the holes. Also use the wood putty to fill in any cracks in the wood.

Step 5: Vacuum

While you wait for the wood putty to dry, vacuum the floor thoroughly to remove all dust and grit.

Step 6: Sand The Floor Again

Next, sand the floor again, but this time use 80-grit sanding belts and discs. Start with the orbiting sander first, then finish sanding along the walls and in the closets with the floor edger.

Step 7: Use Hand Scraper If Needed

Since the floor edger moves in a circular direction, it sometimes leaves swirl marks on the hardwood floor. To get rid of these marks and/or to get into any tight corners that the edger wasn't able to reach, you can use a scraper to peel away a thin layer of wood.

Step 8: Vacuum The Floor Again

Now it's time to vacuum the floor again, making sure you remove all dust particles and pieces of wood from the scraper.

Step 9: Buff The Floor

The next step is to buff the floor with a 120-grit buffer pad. This is another machine that you can rent with the floor sanders. While buffing the floor, make sure you get into the corners and as close to the wall as possible.

Step 10: Vacuum The Entire Room

In order to eliminate as much dust as possible, get out the vacuum once again and go ever the entire wood floor. This time, also vacuum windowsills and anywhere else dust may have settled. If you don't get rid of all the dust, it will settle into the poly and result in a less than perfect finish.

Step 11: Stain The Floor

Now it's time to apply a VOC-free wood stain, like WoodShield. This stain doesn't contain toxins that are harmful to the environment or people.  You can buy this stain and others like it at your local home improvement store. The best way to apply the wood stain is by using clean terry cloth towels. Simply pour the stain onto the wood and use the cloth to spread it evenly. Then use the same cloths to wipe up the excess liquid. Always make sure you are wiping in the same direction as the wood grain. If you see any imperfections in the wood at this time, fix them by sanding that area down and re-staining it.

Step 12: Let The Stain Dry

Look at the manufacture's instructions on the stain packaging to see how long it needs to dry. In most cases, it will take 2-3 hours for the stain to dry completely.

Step 13: Apply the Polyurethane

Finally, use floor coater and trim pads to apply a water-based polyurethane specifically made for floors. You also want to buy a poly that contains aluminum oxide, because it is much more durable and will resist wear much longer than polyurethanes without this ingredient. These polys don't smell and will not turn yellow with age. If you like the yellow tint of old floors, then go with an oil-based polyurethane.

If you have trouble following these steps, consider contact a wood refinishing service for assistance.