How to refinish unpolished section of wood floor?

[Joyy]

Hi all,

I have a situation where old cabinetry was removed and has left an unfinished section of the wood floor exposed. What would I need to do to be able to refinish this section so that it can look as closely matched to the rest of the floor?

I would want to avoid resanding/repolishing the entire floor if possible.

Thanks!

[EricL]

Hello @Joyy 

Thank you for sharing your question about refinishing your wooden flooring. I suspect that you are aware that the entire floor must be sanded down in order to get a uniform finish on your floors surface. If you sand only the portion that is unsealed, it will not match your current floorings finish. Now that you are aware of this, the general steps are to sand the surface of the floor to remove the aged surface on top. 

The edges of the stained floor will need to be sanded as well. If the area is not that big, I suggest using an electric sander to expedite the process. Remove all the sanding dust and debris and wipe the floor down before you begin painting. Looking at the pictures you posted, it appears to be a walnut finish, I propose visiting your local store and having a look at the stain varnish finishes on the sample board in the paint department. 

Once you've decided on a colour, I propose testing a small section of the floor to see if it if you like the finish. Once the stain cures and you are happy with it, you can then commit the rest of the sanded section. I also suggest having a look at this discussion - Floor sanding, polishing and staining by @MikeyT 

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How To Sand Timber Floors

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric