5. Buff and Clean Again Buff the floor with a 120-grit sanding screen attached to the pole sander and run it back and forth across each board to remove the fibers. Sand in the direction of the grain.

[James] found that synthetic steel wool pads weren’t cutting through the floor very well, so he upgraded to 220 grit sandpaper. That did the trick, and the sander worked great.

The first floor sander you should use is the drum sander (or belt sander, if you prefer). Starting with the coarsest sandpaper you have (36-grit or 40-grit), make three-to-four-foot strokes along ...

"When the floor looks smooth and is free of marks, use a large random orbital sander for finish sanding at 80 to 100 grit, or even 120 grit if you want a high-shine finish," House Digest's in ...

Name: Mike EcklundBackground: Ecklund, 30, was 12 years old when he started helping his father sand and install hardwood floors. He is now a crew leader at Supreme Hardwood, Elk Grove Village, a ...

Q: In a previous column, you suggested that a homeowner use an orbital hand sander to refinish his floors ("Refinishing a long hall floor is definitely a do-it-yourself project," Sept. 25).