Discovering Your Hardwood Floor, Part 3

do the work. Pressing down on the sander or letting it stay in one place too long will leave swirl marks in your floor. Once you are done with the course paper, repeat with the medium and then the fine sandpaper.

Getting the Hard to Reach Areas: You will need to sand by hand to get completely into the corners, around radiator pipes (if you have any) and any other nooks and crannies you may run into. Take your time and do a good job. Any minor imperfections will become very noticable after the floor is finished.

Stripping Your Floor: If your floor is too thin to sand, you will need to strip the finish. Regular household ammonia and steel wool work best, but the ammonia's fumes are powerful. Open as manny windows as possible and set up a fan to pull the fumes out the window. Pour about a cup of ammonia on the floor, let it sit a few minutes and then rub with steel wool in the direction of the grain. When the finish begins to disolve, wipe the area clean. If some of the finish remains, repeat the steps again.

Refinishing Your Floor: If you strip the floor, wait unitl the floor is dry before applying a finish. This may take a few days, depending on the weather. While you are waiting for the floor to dry, avoid walking on the floor as much as possible. Traffic increases the danger that the floor will be gouged or marred.

If you sand, vacuume thoroughly, using a brush attachment. then make a tack rag by moistening a rag with turpentine and wipe down the floor to pick up any remaining dust.

If you want the wood stained, now is the time. Choose a stain that is compatible with the finish you are using. The color of the floor is controlled by how long you leave the stain on the floor. The longer itsits, the darker your floor will be. Apply the stain with a roller, brush or cloth and remove the excess with a clean cloth once it has set for the corect amount of time. Let dry eight hours before applying your finish.

Finishes: There are a few types of finishes to choose from.

• Polyurethane: A plastic finish that provides a strong, durable, clear, water resistant surface. Polyurethane comes in dull, satin and high-gloss finishes, with the high-gloss offering the best wear protection. Follow the directions on the
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