I cannot afford a professional

Q: We removed 3 old layers of floor in the kitchen and found a 3/4 inch oak floor. It had many staples in it. We removed all of them. Should we wood fill them in, sand, wood stain and put polyurethane on or…?

A: The next step is to hire a professional who is skilled and trained in how to properly sand, prepare and finish your floor.

Follow-up Q: I cannot afford a professional presently. Should we fill in the holes with wood fill, sand, apply wood stain and polyurethane?

A: I would sand the wood clean, then fill the holes then sand floor smooth. If using a dark stain, I would suggest wetting the surface of the floor and let it dry before applying the stain. This is called water popping which opens the grain to allow deeper, more even penetration of the stain.

Also see our recommendation to hire a pro.