Solo coat of poly

Q: We have birch wood floors. They were given one coat of poly about 8 years ago. After 3 kids and 2 dogs running through the house, I’m cleaning them constantly with little success. I would like to sand them down, and refinish them. We have a very small house, children, and can’t think of a way to do this without moving out. Is there any alternative ways to refinishing wood flooring, which doesn’t require moving the kids out?

They have a lot of gaps, and are very stained. Very little finish is left on them.

A: This is a job requiring professional expertise. Anyone who applies just one coat of finish to a floor should not call himself a professional.

No matter what, the floor area will need to be empty of furniture. You might wish to opt the finisher to use a high end water borne polyurethane which dries fast.