Real hardwood floors are a stunning feature and a beautiful investment, but sometimes those striking qualities are covered by years of traffic and dirt. That's where refinishing comes in, but it can be a challenging job for the do-it-yourself handyperson and requires a lot of patience. Overall, the job involves a lot of sanding, heavy tools and a whole lot of dust. Don't worry though, all your hard will pay off with beautiful floors. Keep reading to learn how.

Start by deciding if you actually need a complete refinishing and/or if you need to do repairs:

- Drop a couple drops of water onto your floor. If it beads up or takes a long time to sink in, you can probably get by with just cleaning and polishing your hardwood.

- If the drop soaks in right way, the wood is exposed and needs to be refinished.

- If your floor is warped, badly stained, or squeaking, you will need to start with repairs before you refinish.

Before you begin a refinishing project, make sure your floor is at least ?" thick. If the floor is thinner than this, you will probably want to seek professional help as the sanding process can strip away a lot of the floor surface. Typically, plank floors can be sanded more times than a tongue and groove floor.

Prep for your big refinishing job with the following steps:

1. Clear the room of everything, including window treatments. Even heavy items that would be very tempting to ignore will be best placed outside the room.

2. Cover light fixtures with a secured plastic bag. Try to position the bags so there are no holes allowing dust through.

3. Remove the shoe molding. Do this carefully, since you will be able to reuse the molding if it is not damaged.

4. Tape up any openings in the room, such as electrical outlets and light switches. Be especially careful with air vents, unless you want a house full of floor dust. You can close off the room with plastic sheeting.

5. Vacuum the floor before you begin sanding. Ensure all small objects - especially food - are off the floor.

Sanding

Your next step is sanding. A good sanding job works to level the floor and highlight the grain. You'll start your first sanding session with what's called a "drum sander." These are typically available to rent at most hardware stores.

You'll need to sand several times. With each level of sanding, work your way up to a finer and finer level of sandpaper. Most sanders start with a 20-60 grit and finish with a 120.

In between sanding sessions, clean the floor thoroughly. Vacuum up the dust and simply repeat the process. After your last pass with the sander, vacuum and wipe down the floors with a dry cloth.

Staining

Apply a clear sealant or stain to your refinished floor. Generally, you can choose between an oil-based or water-based product, but always follow the directions on the product. Depending on the brand, you may need to apply more than one coat.