Refinishing.

Refinishing involves sanding down the uppermost layer of the floor and applying fresh stain and lacquer over the existing wood. It only requires a drum sander, stain, and lacquer to make your floor look shiny and new again. You can undertake to refinish yourself — but the professional treatment is sure to leave you most satisfied.

Refinishing your floor can cure scuff marks and discoloration. If the planks are fairly even and smooth, all it needs is a light sanding and few new coats of stain and lacquer. Conversely, if your floor exhibits a number of the following signs, a full resurfacing may be the best solution:

• The floorboards are noticeably warped, bent, water-damaged, or rotted

• Following sanding, some or all planks still have an unattractive or uneven color

• Some or all planks contain cracks, holes, or missing pieces

• Nails are missing from the floorboards

A floor that needs resurfacing will still look very uninviting if you only apply a coat of stain and lacquer. While installing laminate flooring in a hardwood style on top of the existing floor is another do-it-yourself option, laminate simply doesn’t have the same richness and depth as well-maintained wood.