About a decade ago we received the following irate letter from a flooring contractor:

Thank you so much for your article regarding "Do It Yourself Hardwood Floor Refinishing." I became aware of it when one of your readers tried doing it himself at your suggestion and ended up in frustration. I get a call about once a week from people who have tried doing it themselves. They waste several days and several hundred dollars, and then have to call me in to finish the job. I think your article is misleading. You don't tell your readers that the right kind of equipment can't be rented. And, that the work is backbreaking even for the most skilled. You also forgot to tell the folks about the ripples, chips, chatters, troughs, digs and other maladies, which are inevitable from an inexperienced assault on a hardwood floor. I have spent over 20 years perfecting my sanding technique, and have never seen a do-it-yourself job that looked professional.

Here's how we answered: Based on your description of yourself (as a hardwood floor finisher), we have to admit that we are glad that our frustrated hardwood floor refinishing do-it-yourselfer called upon you to solve his problem. Even though he found the job to be more than what he expected, apparently he found someone who is capable of doing a good job. Unfortunately, we don't agree with your attitude about our do-it-yourself readers. We would rather consider giving them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to learning ability and physical prowess. We can't attest to why your customer was unable to succeed, but our hat is off to him for giving it his best.

We agree that refinishing a hardwood floor is not for the weak of heart. But, our critic would have you believe that sanding is the hardest work known to man. We disagree. We both love hardwood flooring. Its rich look and low maintenance make it one of the preferred floor finishes.

Wood and water don't mix. So don't use hardwood in bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens.

Refinishing a wood floor an interesting process. All it is sanding and painting, but it can be messed up if you aren't careful.

The first step is to empty the room. Not just the furniture... everything. The dust created during the initial sandings is substantial, so what you don't remove will have to be cleaned inside and out. Whether you do it yourself or have it done by a contractor, you will have to dust the entire house once the job is complete. Tape all cabinet doors shut. Tape shut all doorways and openings to other parts of the house. And, if you have central heating, don't forget the return-air registers.

There are two levels of refinishing: going down to bare wood and cutting away all imperfections or lightly screening the finish and adding a couple of touchup coats. Since doing the former will prepare you for both, that's the process we will tackle.

You will need a drum sander, an edge sander and a buffer. Supplies such as sandpaper, finish coat, applicators, and thinner can be purchased at a hardwood flooring supply center. You probably won't be able to rent a toe-kick sander, which is nothing more than an edge sander that fits under the cabinet toe kick. If there are cabinets, get a paint scraper and a sanding block. The last inch or so under the toe kick will have to be done by hand or with a small disk sander.

Sanding normally, a drum sander is used with a 60-grit paper to cut through the existing finish and down into a fresh layer of wood. When deep imperfections exist, a 30-grit paper becomes the first step, then the 60-grit. The sanding process is everything. Thirty or 36-grit are used to rough-sand, 60 and 80-grit are for medium sanding and 100-grit (and 120-grit on parquet) is used for fine sanding. Start with medium grit. It might take longer, but will reduce the chance of gouges. The grit used will depend on the condition of the floor. For each phase of sanding the sander is run in one direction with a second pass in a direction perpendicular to the first. This is done by pulling the sander into the center of the room from its perimeter. Sand from one side to the other and then from one end to the other. To eliminate cupping, the first pass is done at a 45-degree angle followed by the perpendicular passes.

Sanding at a 45-degree angle is somewhat more difficult than doing it in the conventional directions. However, sanding in different directions reduces the chance of unevenness. The drum sander is held so that only a small amount of wood is removed with each pass. This takes a sensitive but strong grip, patience and a little practice. An edge-sanding should follow each phase of drum-sanding.

Each sanding phase is followed by a thorough vacuuming. The sanding-vacuuming process is repeated until the 100-grit step is complete.

After the rough sanding, use a hammer and punch to set any nails that have surfaced (shiners). A thin coat of filler putty is evenly troweled onto the entire surface of the floor, filling all gaps, joints and indentations. Actually, two coats of filler are applied during the refinishing process; one after the rough sanding and a second after the medium. Some floors can be spot filled, however we like the idea of troweling. The filler can be water or lacquer-based, but we prefer water base. It is safer and dries more quickly. Once the filler has dried, you can begin the fine sanding. Here, the drum sander is used to perform a 100-grit fine sanding. With this completed, the drum and edge sanders can be returned to the rental company.

Finally, stain or clear finish can be applied. Selective staining can be beautiful. For example, you can stain the perimeter and leave the center area natural. The choices are limitless. Once the stain has dried, the area is vacuumed. Be careful. Don't tack the stain coat. Doing so will draw the stain out of the wood. The first coat of finish, which is applied with a cloth applicator, follows staining. When the first coat is dry, it is screened (mesh sanding) with an extra fine 180 mesh or 00 steel wool. Don't use steel wool if the finish coat is water, as rust can occur. The floor then is vacuumed and tacked (a tack cloth is used to get the surface extra clean). Normally, at least three coats are applied. We did six. The more coats, the thicker the finish and the better the protection.

Screening continues between each coat. Also, spot-puttying is done between each coat to eliminate flaws.

Three-quarter-inch thick wood floors can be refinished several times. Thinner hardwoods and parquet can be done a couple of times. Veneered floors can be screened but sanding is out. Doing so usually will result in a ruined floor. Even 100-grit sandpaper will cut right through most veneers.

For more information on hardwood floors and hardwood floor refinishing contact the National Oak Flooring Manufacturer's Association, P.O. Box 3009, Memphis, TN 38173.