I know nothing about hardwood floors? Please help?

Question

We just got this house and the hardwood floors are ruined in the living room.

The floors are are stained up (who knows what it is), theres dark spots and light spots.

Is there anything we can do other than replace them or put carpet down. I would really like to keep them...if possible

Answer 1

try getting a sander and sanding off 2-3mm that should bring up the original color

you will have to get it polished again though

better than investing in new ones i suppose

Answer 2

If the planks are thick enough you should be able to sand the top and refinish. I would check and see what it wood cost to have it redone vs doing it yourself. It's a lot of work and it's not as easy as sand and refinish it's more like sand, smooth sand, coat, sand, coat, sand, finish etc. Varathane makes a wonderful product if you want to do it yourself. Also with hardwood floors that some people don't know is that the sun affects the floor so it's recommended to move furniture consistently through out the season's so that the floor ages the same. rugs with vinyl backing are not good for the wood nor are they good for vinyl over time it will discolor the floor.  

Answer 3

restain them to make the color more uniform

Answer 4

As long as they are real wood, you could sand them. You can rent a sander, but it'd really be easier (and probably look better) if you hired a professional to come in and sand it for you. We're not talking about a little piece of sandpaper, we're talking about a large machine that's hard to control! They can then refinish them.

If the floors are too bad to be repaired, they can tell you that before they do it.  

Answer 5

Rent an electric sander, once sanded coat with Gym Seal. It lasts and resists scratches for about 15 years.

Answer 6

sand and re finish them. They are a lot of work to keep nice.