Wood refinishing itself is not hard and does not take a lot of time. However, there are things to do before the actual refinish such as buying required products and preparing the floor for the refinish. These things take a lot of time and require consideration. The first step is to remove all the nails from the floor, which are visible and hurt people. Two things can be done with the nails, which are sticking above the floor, they can be removed completely, or you can hammer it back in the floor. Mostly people prefer the later because it is less dangerous and require less time.
After that, clean the floor and remove if there is any dust or other thing stick on the floor. If it cannot be cleaned, you will have to scrape it with a scraper or you can also use a knife to do that. Does it with gentle hands and patience, this process will need time? The floor will have to be vacuumed and mop thoroughly and completely before the sanding process. Sanding helps to remove all the scratches, stains, and dark patches from the wood. It can be done by hand by sanding paper and there are machines available in the market for the task. Make sure that you have sanded the whole floor and have covered all the areas.
After sanding, you will seed dust everywhere, which will have to be removed. Therefore, you will have to mop and vacuum the floor once again. The saw dust can be used to fill the holes in the floor. You can make a paste and fill the holes by it.
After completing all the preparations, apply the stain or the finish on the floor. Keep the windows open and wear a mask if possible because the fumes of the refinish can be harmful for your health. Pore the refinish in a corner of the floor; make sure you have taken enough amounts. Use a cotton or wool cloth to spread the finish one on the floor and let it dry.