How can I restore a wood floor without using stain/paint?

1cs1267
by 1cs1267

I have 30 + year old tongue and groove pine floors. The kitchen floor has taken the most abuse, and I am wanting to give it a facelift. These floors were installed leaving their original color and were treated with 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane. I know I will need to sand them, but I want to leave them "natural" in appearance … no colored stain/no paint. Any suggestions for what to do/what to use/product names?

  4 answers
  • William William on Sep 30, 2019

    After sanding the old finish use three coats of a water based polyurethane. Dries clear and does not yellow over time. Oil based has a yellow cast to it and does yellow over time. I like Minwax products

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Sep 30, 2019

    William is correct but make sure the old finish is also water based or it will peel unless you get it all off. Usually to recoat a floor you just screen the finish instead of a total refinish. To be safe I'd use oil based poly for durability. Floors have a yellow cast to them anyway.

  • Suellen Hintz Suellen Hintz on Oct 01, 2019

    Bona products are widely used now. They are less dangerous for the professional refinishers.

  • Make sure they're well sanded to remove any and all old finish. Shop around for sealers and do small tests on the floor (which you can then sand off again) to make sure you find a sealer that fits your needs. Not all sealers are the same in appearance when dry.