Refinishing hardwood floors is not something you can do without a little bit of foresight and preparation. It does take some work, but if you do it right, you can end up with spectacular results. This article describes exactly what you need to do to perform hardwood floor refinishing like a pro.
The first stage is the sanding stage. Clear the floor of all furniture and everything else you can see. If there are stray nails poking out, pull them out or hammer them in so you can sand over them properly. Then run a sanding machine over the floor. Be sure to follow the floor sander's instructions, as different models have different operating requirements. You can buy floor sanders, but unless you're planning on using it a lot in the years to come, you may be better off renting one for a few days. You will also need to buy some sandpaper to fit onto the sander. The sandpaper should be heavy grit paper so that you can get rid off all the lumps and bumps on your floor. Once you have adequately sanded the floor with heavy grit paper, repeat the process with a lighter paper to make the floor nice and smooth.
If your floor sander does not do the edges properly, get an edging machine to do this. The second stage is the staining stage. You can skip this stage if you want to keep the natural colours of the hardwood. If you want to do staining, first clear the area of all debris, then apply several coats of stain to the floor until you're satisfied. The third and last stage is the finishing stage. You will need to have a polyurethane finish handy for this. Follow the instructions on the container and apply the first coat. Once the first coat has dried, apply the a second coat and voila: you have refinished your hardwood floor.