If your hardwood floors are in need of refinishing, you have two main choices: Do it yourself, or hire and pay someone else to do it for you. By sanding your floors yourself, you could potentially save hundreds or even thousands of dollars—so long as you do it right.

The Drum Floor Sander is a heavy duty item that's great for any tough sanding job. It's the best choice for uneven or damaged floorboards that you want to smooth or a heavy varnish finish you want to remove. For a professional finish, it's recommended to go over the boards again with an Orbital Sander, explained below.

Start with coarse sandpaper of 36 to 40 grit, progress to a medium 60-grit paper and finish with a finer 100 grit. Do not skip the progression from coarse grades to finer grades. Replace the abrasive belt after sanding about 250 square feet for most effective results.

A random orbital sander is recommended for sanding parquet flooring due to its versatility and gentleness on the wood grain. Additionally, you'll need varying grits of sandpaper, a good-quality wood filler, brushes or rollers for applying the finish, and a vacuum cleaner for cleanup.