Clear the room of all furniture, rugs, curtains, and wall decor
Remove baseboards or protect them with painter’s tape
Inspect the floor for loose boards, nails, gaps, and damage
Set protruding nails below the surface
Repair cracks, holes, and damaged boards
Clean the floor thoroughly to remove dust, dirt, and residue
Sand the floor with a drum sander or orbital sander
Sand edges and corners with an edge sander or hand sander
Progress through finer grits until the surface is smooth
Vacuum and tack the floor to remove all sanding dust
Apply wood stain if a color change is desired
Let the stain dry completely
Apply the first coat of polyurethane or chosen finish
Allow the finish to dry fully
Lightly buff or screen the surface between coats if needed
Apply additional finish coats as recommended
Let the final coat cure completely before moving furniture back
Reinstall baseboards and trim
Replace furniture with protective pads under the legs