I have ¾” white oak in my kitchen with a gloss finish. My wife would like a satin finish on it. The floor was installed 7 years ago and in pretty good shape – some minor scratches and a ding of two. Can I just use a buffer with a 100 grit sanding screen or do I need to be more aggressive – i.e. sanding down to bare wood? Also, how many coats of satin should I use?

Thank You

As long as the floor has not been contaminated with wax or oils, you could simply recoat it. I think a 100 grit sanding screen is too aggressive for abrading a floor finish. I would use a 150 to 180 and knock some of the tooth off of the screen first. Clean the floors very well first using your hardwood floor cleaner. When dry, abrade the existing finsh everywhere. Here's a tip. If the area is not that large, you could hand sand using a pole sander like dry walls guys use. Use 150 to 180 grit alum. oxide sandpaper and go at it. Probably save time and money. And usually, one coat is enough on a recoat but you can apply two if you wish.

Thanks Gary

I used Murphy's Oil Soap to clean the floor. Does this make the floor contaminated with oil. If so, how do I proceed?

Thanks Again.

Murphy's claims it is safe to use on floors and doesn't contaminate or prevent recoating. But some finish manufacturers disagree. So, just to be safe, use a mild solution of TSP and wash the floor thoroughly, on your knees, scrubbing with a damp towel. Do NOT over wet the floors. Rinse with clean water. Dry well. Then wash with Bona hardwood floor cleaner. When dry, abrade and recoat. Hopefully, the finish will bond. If not, then it will need to be sanded to the raw wood.